Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What are the main elements of the GNOME desktop environment?
GNOME is the default graphical desktop on Red Hat–family systems; its main pieces are the Top Bar, the Activities overview, the System Menu, and the Dash.
GNOME's design choice is "one screen at a time": instead of a permanent taskbar, almost everything hides behind the Activities overview, which you summon to switch apps, search, or change workspaces. This keeps the working screen uncluttered.
| Element | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Top Bar | Top | Clock, status icons, notifications |
| Activities | Top-left (or Super key) | App overview, search, workspaces |
| System Menu | Top-right | Network, volume, settings, power, logout |
| Dash | Inside Activities | Favourite-apps launcher |
A few shortcuts make GNOME much faster to drive:
- Super (the Windows key) opens Activities — then just start typing to search apps or files.
- Ctrl+Alt+F3–F6 drop you to a text console (a TTY) without logging out of the desktop.
- Ctrl+Alt+F1 / F2 returns to the graphical session.
Tip: To get a shell, open Activities, type "Terminal," and hit Enter — this launches a terminal emulator (a PTY-backed window), which is different from the raw TTY consoles you reach with Ctrl+Alt+F-keys.