Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Step By Step Guide
Prev | Chapter 2. Using the Graphical Desktop | Next

# 2.7. Switching Desktops

Switching desktops refers to switching between GNOME and KDE. There are slight differences in the look and feel of these two graphical desktops. Choose the desktop that best suits your preferences.

There are two ways to switch desktops. You can either switch for a single session or use the Desktop Switching Tool to change your default desktop.

To login with a different desktop for a single session:

1. Select Session from the menu at the bottom left of the login screen. A window appears with a list of several different desktop environments.

2. Choose one, and select OK.

3. Enter your login and password as usual. A dialog box appears, warning you that this change is for the current session only.

4. Click OK to continue.

To change the default desktop for your system:

1. From the Applications menu, select Preferences => Desktop Switching Tool.

2. Select from the list of available desktops and click OK. A dialog box opens confirming that the changes were successful.

3. In order for the changes to take place, you must restart your X Window System. The easiest way to accomplish this is to log out of X and log back in. Log out of the graphical desktop, then log back in.

Prev | Home | Next
Logging Out | Up | Managing Files and Directories