Setting Hardware Preferences

This section describes the monitor and sound configurations that you can set.

Monitor Preference Tool

Use the Monitor preference tool to configure the monitors that your computer uses.

Note - On most laptop keyboards, you can use the key combination Fn+F7 to cycle between several typical monitor configurations without starting Monitor Preferences.

Choose System → Preferences → Monitor to display the Monitor preference tool.

Drag the graphical representations of the monitors in the upper left part of the window to set how your monitors are arranged. Monitor Preferences displays small labels in the top left corner of each monitor to help you identify which rectangle corresponds to which monitor.

Changes you make in Monitor Preferences don't take effect until you click the Apply button. Settings will revert to their previous settings unless you confirm the changes. This is to prevent bad display settings from rendering your computer unusable.

The following table below describes the monitor preferences

Table 10-12 Monitor Preferences

Dialog Elements	Description
Same image in all monitors	When this option is selected, your entire desktop will fit on a single monitor, and every monitor will show the same copy of your desktop. When it is not selected, your desktop spans multiple monitors, and each monitor shows only a part of your entire desktop.
Detect monitors	Finds monitors that have been recently added or plugged in.
Show monitors in panel	Adds an icon to your panel that enables you to quickly change certain settings without opening the Monitor preference tool.

The following list explains the options you can set for each monitor. The currently selected monitor is the one whose graphical representation has a bold black outline. It is also indicated by the background color of the section label.

On / Off – Individual monitors can be completely disabled by selecting Off.
Resolution – Determines the resolution to use for the currently selected monitor. Resolution refers to the pixel dimensions of the screen. A larger resolution means that more items fit on the screen, but everything will be smaller.
Refresh rate – Determines the refresh rate to use for the currently selected monitor. The refresh rate determines how often the computer redraws the screen. A refresh rate that is too low (below 60) makes the monitor flicker and can cause visual discomfort. This problem is less noticeable on LCD displays.
Rotation – Determines the rotation for the currently selected monitor. This option might not be supported on all graphics cards.

Sound Preference Tool

The Sound preference tool enables you to control devices and volume for sound input and output. You can also specify which sounds to play when particular events occur.

Choose System → Preferences → Sound to display the Sound preference tool.

You can customize settings in the following functional areas:

Playback
Recording
Sound Theme

Most computers have only one audio device that controls both sound recording and playback. If your computer has more than one audio device, you can switch between them using the Device drop-down list at the top of the window.

Playback Preferences

Use the Playback tab to set your preferences for sound output. The following table lists the recording preferences that you can modify.

Table 10-13 Playback Preferences

Dialog Element	Description
Volume	Controls the overall output volume.
Link sliders button	Sets all sliders to the same value, and moves them together when any one slider is moved.
Mute button	Temporarily suppresses all sounds without disturbing the current volume level.

Note - You can also control the output volume with the speaker icon, which is shown in the notification area of the panel.

Depending on your computer's sound card and the devices that are attached to it, you might also see other sliders, check boxes, or lists on the Playback tab that enable you to control sound output. You can choose which controls appear on the tab by clicking the Preferences button.

Recording Preferences

Use the Recording tab to set your preferences for sound input. The following table lists the recording preferences that you can modify.

Table 10-14 Recording Preferences

Dialog Element	Description
Record	Controls the sound input level.
Gain	Controls the amount of amplification applied to the recording input.
Link sliders button	Sets all sliders to the same value, and moves them together when any one slider is moved.
Mute button	Temporarily suppresses all input without disturbing the current input level.

Depending on your computer's sound card and the devices that are attached to it, you might see other sliders, check boxes, or lists on the Recording tab that enable you to control sound input. You can choose which controls appear on the tab by clicking the Preferences button.

Sound Theme Preferences

A sound theme is collection of sound effects that are associated to various events, such as opening a dialog, clicking a button, or selecting an item in a menu. One of the most prominent event sounds is the system alert sound that is often played to indicate a keyboard input error. Use the Sound Theme tab of the Sound Preference tool to choose a sound theme and modify the bell sound.

The following table lists the sound effects preferences that you can modify.

Table 10-15 Sound Effects Preferences

Dialog Element	Description
Sound Theme	Determines the sound theme. Choose No sounds to turn off all event sounds.
Choose an alert sound list	Determines the sound for the System Bell. Selecting a list element plays the sound.
Enable window and button sounds	Deselect this option if you do not want to hear sounds for window-related events (such as a dialog or a menu appearing) and button clicks.

Application Sound Preferences

Use the Applications tab to control the volume of sound played by individual applications. Each application that is currently playing sound is identified by its name and icon.

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