Window operations and modes
Windows work in a very similar way to windows on other operating systems.
Minimize, restore and close
- Minimize
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To minimize a window, you can:
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Press the button that looks like a "minus" sign in the application's menu bar. If the application is maximized (taking up your whole screen), the menu bar will appear at the very top of the screen. Otherwise, the minimize button will appear at the top of the application window.
When you minimize an application, the application window 'disappears' into the launcher. The application can be retrieved by opening the launcher and clicking on that application's icon, or by pressing Alt+tab to cycle through your open applications.
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- Close
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To close the window:
Click the x in the top left hand corner of the window, or
Press Alt+F4, or
Press Alt+Space to bring up the window menu. Then press c.
Resize a window
To resize a window, your window first needs to be unmaximized.
The simplest way to resize your window in the horizontal and/or vertical direction is to move the mouse pointer up to the top left corner of the window until it changes into a 'corner-pointer'. When it becomes a 'corner-pointer', click+hold+drag to resize the window in any direction.
You can also resize only in the horizontal direction by moving the mouse pointer to the left side of the window until it changes into a 'side-pointer'. When it becomes a 'side-pointer', click+hold+drag to resize the window in the horizontal direction.
To resize in the vertical direction, move the mouse pointer to the top or bottom of the window until it changes into a 'top-pointer' or 'bottom-pointer' respectively. When it does, click+hold+drag to resize the window in the vertical direction.
Ways to arrange windows in your workspace
You can automatically arrange two windows side by side. Alt + click and drag one window towards the left until the cursor touches the left side of the screen. The left half of the screen becomes highlighted. Unclick, and your window should automatically take up exactly half your screen. Do the same thing for another window, dragging it to the right side.