Chapter 2. Logging into the desktop
When you restart or turn on your computer, it goes through a process called booting. During the boot process, your computer hardware powers on, performs a series of self-tests, and loads the operating system. Immediately after the computer has finished booting, the login screen appears. The login screen displays one or more user names, depending on the number of user accounts present.
To log in to your account
-
Enter your username, using one of the following methods:
-
Select your desktop environment
This step is optional
You do not normally need to choose a desktop. If you skip this step, Fedora will load the default desktop environment for your computer.
To use a
desktop environment other than the default choice, use the
Desktop
combo box on the bottom of the screen to select the desktop you wish to load
before
you enter your password. The default is usually GNOME; refer to
Chapter 1, The Fedora desktops
for other choices.
-
Enter your password in the text box and press the
Enter
key. Like your username, your password is case sensitive.
Keep your password secret!
To keep your password secret, the password field displays a dot for every character entered. As with any password, keep your account password private. Do not share it with anyone or write it down in plain view.
-
The desktop environment now loads. In some desktop environments, a small box containing a logo and some icons called a splash screen may temporarily appear. When your splash screen (if you have one) disappears, your desktop is ready for use. You can now launch applications to access the Internet, manage files, and play media. These tasks are described in the following chapters.
