Emerge Desktop : The Basics

In its initial configuration, Emerge Desktop's interface consists of:

    a group of several applets (applet meaning a small program), which looks deliberately like the Windows Explorer interface, and

    two Desktop menus, which open by right-clicking and middle-clicking on the desktop.

The applet windows

The Windows Explorer's "taskbar" across the bottom of the desktop has been replaced with windows (i.e. visible interface) of Emerge Desktop applets.
Each applet is very simple to reconfigure (color, position, functions, loading, etc.)

They are, from left to right:

• The gray window: emergeLauncher, which lets you start programs by clicking on their respective icons,
  

• the blue window: emergeTasks, which shows the icons of running programs,
  

• the red window: emergeTray, which shows icons of system and program features running in the background, and

• the yellow window: emergeCommand, which shows the time and can be used to type commands in.

Note: If you did not use an installer for Emerge Desktop  (Release 4.2.1 or later), but a posterior development build, the applet windows will have a common look and no colors. The instructions in this tutorial apply also to these later builds.


Below and in the next few pages, you will find out how to customize the position, look, functions, etc. of these and other Emerge Desktop applets and their respective windows.

They are all independent of each other.

For example, to move one of the windows, press the Ctrl key, click on the window (the four-arrow cursor will appear) and drag it.



To resize a window horizontally or vertically, press the Alt key, place the mouse cursor on one border of the window (the double-arrow cursor will appear) and drag it.

The Desktop menus

The "Start" button (the Emerge Desktop icon on the left side of the gray emergeLauncher window) opens the RightClick Desktop menu.

It is optional to have it configured in emergeLauncher, as it can always be accessed by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop.

Click on the "Start" button or right-click anywhere on the desktop and the menu appears:

Among familiar Windows menu items, Settings and Help are Emerge Desktop's own menus.

Settings consists of:

1. Configure, which has two tabs:

    On the General tab (picture below), you can set the distance (in pixels) between the edges of the maximized windows and the edges of the monitor (typically to make room for the applet windows and for clicking on the desktop), specify if the borders apply only to the primary monitor, set the opacity/transparency of the menu, remove the icons from it, and provide Aero-style menus (for Windows Vista and above).

    On the Menu Editor tab, you can customize the contents of the Desktop menus.

Click on the + sign next to Right to see the default RightClick Desktop menu items (picture below).
You can add , remove , or modify items. Below are instructions to add a program (i.e. executable).



The different types of items which can be added to the Desktop menu are listed in the Type window. They are:

• Separator,

• Executable (more details on browsing for executables in emergeLauncher),

• Internal Command, with the list of available commands in the Value window,
  

• Date Time. See Documentation in the Emerge Desktop program group (Programs in Start Menu) for the different formats that can be entered in the Value window,
  

• Special Folders, with the choice of My Computer, My Network Places, Control Panel, Recycle Bin or My Documents in the Value window,
  

• Submenu, which, after clicking on the Save button , is populated with any type of items by clicking on the + sign, highlighting an item inside the submenu, and clicking on the Add Menu Item button for each additional item,
  

• Folder menu, to show any folder in an Explorer window,
  

• Tasks menu, to display the currently running programs,
  

• Settings menu, to display the Emerge Desktop Settings menu.

The order of the items can be changed by dragging them up or down past other items in the Menu Editor window .


The MiddleClick Desktop menu is activated by clicking the mouse's middle button on the desktop.

To modify it, click on the + sign next to Middle in this configuration dialog box and follow the same instructions as above.

2. Edit Launch Applets (picture below), which is where the applets executed when Emerge Desktop is loaded are listed.

This is where you can add and remove applets from your Emerge Desktop configuration.

When you click on the Start Applet button in step 5, the applet is executed (or loaded). Instructions on how to configure emergeHotkeys are further in this tutorial.

To stop an applet (i.e. go from loaded to unloaded state), highlight it in the Applet window and click on the Stop Applet button . 

Emerge Desktop Website, which includes a forum, and

About, which displays Emerge Desktop's version and authors.

emergeLauncher

emergeTasks

emergeTray

emergeCommand

emergeHotkeys