# Customizing Your GNOME Desktop

You can customize many of the characteristics of your desktop environment. The customization of each aspect of the desktop environment is controlled by a dedicated software tool that is called a desktop environment preference tool. For convenience, the preference tools are grouped under the following headings:

- Basic

- Accessibility

- Advanced

You can open your preference tools in either of the following ways:

- Choose Applications Desktop Preferences. Choose the tool that you require from the submenus.

- Double-click on the Start Here object on the desktop. A Nautilus window opens at the Start Here location. Double-click on the Preferences object in the Nautilus window to display your preference tools. Double-click on the tool that you require.

This section describes how to configure the desktop environment in the following chapters.

- Using the Basic Preference Tools

  Read this chapter to find out how to customize your desktop background, and how to configure your keyboard settings and your mouse settings. This chapter also describes how to configure shortcut keys, how to set your sound preferences, and how to configure your network proxy. This chapter also contains information on how to customize your screensaver, and how to set your screen resolution. This chapter also describes how to choose a theme and fonts for your desktop environment, and how to customize your application menubars and toolbars. This chapter also contains information on how to customize window focus behavior.

- Using the Advanced Preference Tools

  This chapter describes how to configure file types, your preferred applications, and your panels. This chapter also contains information on how to customize your sessions and startup programs.

- Using the Accessibility Preference Tools

  Read this chapter to find out how to use the accessibility features of the desktop environment. This chapter describes how to set assistive technology preferences and how to use the keyboard accessibility features.

&goscustdesk; &goscustlookandfeel; &goscustaccess;