Welcome to Your New Desktop: Find Your Way Right Away
Reading time: about 7 min
Congratulations on a successful installation! You have now started Ubuntu and are met by a new, clean desktop. It may look a little different compared to Windows, but do not worry. All the functions you are used to are here, they are just organized in a slightly different way.
See this lesson as a personal, guided tour in your new digital classroom. The goal is that you will quickly find the most important functions so you can start working and feel at home.
What You Will Learn
After this lesson you will be able to:
- Understand and navigate Ubuntu's three main parts: The Activities Overview, the Dock, and the Top Bar.
- Quickly find and start programs.
- Access basic system settings like network, sound, and power.
- Find the equivalent of "Explorer" to manage your files.
The Basics: A Guided Tour of the GNOME Desktop
Ubuntu's default interface is called GNOME. It is designed to be stylish and efficient. We divide it into three parts.
1. The Activities Overview - Your Command Center
This is the heart of your navigation, the equivalent of both the Start menu and Activity View in Windows.
- How you open it: Click on Activities at the top left, or even easier: press the
Superkey on your keyboard (the key that often has a Windows logo). - What you see here:
- The search field: Start typing the name of a program, a file, or a setting here to immediately find it. This is the fastest way to work!
- Workspaces: To the right you see thumbnails of your virtual desktops. You can drag programs between these to organize your work, e.g. have all your lesson planning on one surface and the web browser on another.
- The Dock: A quick version of your favorites list is also shown here.
2. The Dock - Your Favorites and Open Programs
Along the left edge of the screen (or at the bottom, depending on settings) is the Dock. It works roughly like the Taskbar in Windows.
- Favorites: The icons that are always displayed are your "favorites."
- Open programs: When you start a program that is not a favorite, its icon appears in the dock with a small dot next to it to show it is running.
- Add/remove favorites: Right-click on a program icon and select "Add to Favorites" or "Remove from Favorites."
- Show all programs: The icon with nine dots at the bottom of the dock opens an overview of all installed programs, like an app list on a phone.
3. Top Bar - System Status and Settings
The dark bar at the top of the screen gives you a quick overview and access to important functions.
- In the center: Here the clock is displayed. If you click on it, your calendar and notifications open.
- Far right: Here is the system menu. If you click here you get a panel with controls for sound, network settings (Wi-Fi, cable), Bluetooth, battery status (on laptops), and buttons to access Settings or Power Off/Log Out.
Practical Examples: Common Tasks from Windows to Ubuntu
| Task | In Windows you do this... | In Ubuntu you do this... |
|---|---|---|
| Open a program | Click on the Start menu, search in the list. | Press the Super key, start typing the name (e.g. firef for Firefox), press Enter. |
| See your files | Open "Explorer" from the taskbar. | Open the Files program (the icon that looks like a filing cabinet) from the dock. Your personal folder is called "Home." |
| Switch programs | Use Alt + Tab or click in the taskbar. | Use Alt + Tab (works the same!) or the Super key to see all open windows. |
| Connect to Wi-Fi | Click on the network icon in the system tray. | Click on the system menu (top right), click on the Wi-Fi section and select your network. |
| Shut down the computer | Start menu > Power > Shut down. | Click on the system menu (top right) > "Power Off/Log Out" > Power Off... |
Exercise: Make Yourself at Home
Test now yourself to solidify the knowledge. Try to perform the following small tasks:
- Find and start the program "Text Editor" via the Activities Overview.
- Go to Settings via the system menu and find the menu for "Appearance." Try switching between light and dark theme.
- Open Files and look at the folders in your "Home" directory (Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc.).
- Find the program "Calculator" in the program list (via the nine dots in the dock) and add it as a favorite.
Next Steps
Well done! Now that you know the basics of navigating the system, it is time to equip it with the tools you need. In the next lesson, Install the Programs You Need, you will learn how to use Ubuntu's built-in software store to easily and safely install programs for lesson planning, communication, and much more.