Getting around

This page shows what’s on the screen, the keys to learn first, and how to open apps, lock the screen and log out.

What’s on the screen

1. The bar, along the top. It shows your workspaces, the window you’re in, what’s playing, and readings such as processor use and the clock. Click its parts to act on them. See The bar, below.
2. The panels, on the left of your main monitor. They show live readings and your notes, under your windows. See Panels.
3. Your windows, such as this terminal. They tile: each new window takes a share of the screen, and nothing overlaps unless you ask. See Windows and workspaces.
4. The background. In the default theme it’s the den, a radio room whose screens and meters move with your machine’s readings. Other themes bring other scenes. See Themes and worlds.

Hover over anything on the bar or the panels. It says what it is and what it does.

The keys to learn first

Super is the key with the Windows or logo symbol on it.

The keys for windows use Alt, and so do everyday ones such as the launcher, the terminal, screenshots and the power menu. bromigOS’s other keys use Super. To change any key, see Your own shortcuts.

To search the keys by name, press Super+Shift+K, type, and press Enter to run the one you pick. Every key is listed in Keys.

Open an app

• Press Alt+P, type part of the app’s name, and press Enter.
• Or press Super+Space and type. The menu finds apps, settings and bromigOS’s own tools.
• Or click the emblem at the left end of the bar.

bromigOS’s own windows are in the launcher too, each with its own icon: bromigOS Settings, Theme Switcher, Shortcuts, Extensions, Update bromigOS and the holograms.

To keep a website as an app of its own, see Web apps.

The bar

From left to right:

To hide the bar, press Alt+B. Press it again to bring the bar back.

The sound popup

Rest the pointer on the volume for a moment and the sound popup opens under it. It closes when the pointer has left both the volume and the popup. Click the volume, or anywhere in the popup, to keep it open. Then Esc, a second click on the volume, or a click anywhere else closes it. A click elsewhere still reaches what you clicked.

• OUTPUT lists your speakers, headphones, screens with speakers (HDMI or DisplayPort) and Bluetooth headphones. The one in use says IN USE. Click another to switch to it: what’s playing moves there.
• INPUT lists your microphones the same way.
• Each has a volume slider and MUTE.
• Bluetooth headphones show whether they’re in HI-FI or HEADSET + MIC, and the codec. Bluetooth explains both.
• OPEN AUDIO SETTINGS → opens Settings › Sound, with each app’s volume and the desktop’s own sounds.

(bromigos sound popup)

Wine tray icons

Battle.net, Wine apps and older X11 apps appear in the bar’s tray, with their mouse menus. bromigOS starts a bridge at login. If an app already has its own floating tray, close that app and open it again after logging out and back in following an update.

Notifications

Notifications appear in a corner of the screen and go after a few seconds. Critical ones stay until you close them. To stop them for a while, turn on Do not disturb in Settings › Notifications, or run bromigos notifications dnd on. The same page sets which corner they use and how long they stay.

Sound

The volume keys on your keyboard work as usual. The desktop also makes its own sounds: short cues from the theme, and VECTOR’s voice. To mute those and leave your apps alone, press Super+Shift+M. Press it again to unmute.

To choose your speakers or microphone, open Settings › Sound.

Lock, log out and shut down

The screen also locks by itself when you leave the computer for a while. See Idle and lock to change when, or to stop it.

Next

• The menu: everything bromigOS does, in one place.
• Windows and workspaces: moving, resizing and arranging windows.
• Common tasks: step-by-step answers to everyday jobs.