Linux is a great operating system for desktop use, but it can be even more productive when you take advantage of its mouse tricks. Here are five tips to help make your Linux experience more efficient:

  1. Use the keyboard shortcuts. Many Linux commands and applications have keyboard shortcuts that can save you time. For example, to open a file in your default editor, press Ctrl+O on Windows or Command+O on MacOS.
  2. Use the mouse wheel. The mouse wheel can be a great way to zoom in and out of documents or images on your screen. To zoom in, use the left mouse button and drag the wheel towards you; to zoom out, use the right mouse button and drag the wheel away from you.
  3. Use keyboard shortcuts for common tasks. If you frequently perform a task using the keyboard, consider using a shortcut so you don’t have to reach for your mouse every time. For example, pressing F5 reloads your web browser automatically whenever you close it; pressing Ctrl+L copies all of the text in a document to the clipboard (you can paste it into another application by pressing Ctrl+V).
  4. Use window management tools . Many Linux distributions come with window management tools that make it easy to move windows around on your screen and resize them as needed. For example, GNOME comes with an overview window that shows all open windows; clicking any one of them will move that window to focus inside that application (or onto another monitor if multiple windows are open). KDE also has an overview window that lets you move and resize windows as needed; press Alt+Tab to switch between them both (or click Window Manager in System Settings on Ubuntu).
  5. Use virtual desktops . Virtual desktops allow you to run multiple instances of applications simultaneously on separate monitors or screens without having to switch between them manually each time you want to work on something different – perfect if you have several monitors available! ..

Dragging With a Context Menu

Windows users are very used to dragging with the right mouse button, as it gives them a very convenient menu to decide what they’d like to do with the dragged files.

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In GNOME, however, you’ll notice that right-clicking immediately yields a context menu. To get the same behavior, you actually need to use the middle mouse button.

You get a menu that allows you to move, copy, or link files to your destination.

Remember, clicking both the right and left buttons simultaneously mimics a middle-click, something that touchpad aficionados will appreciate. Did you reassign the middle mouse button to something else? You can also left-click and drag, and press the ALT button on the keyboard before letting go of your mouse to get the same menu.

Dragging to Copy Files

You can also drag and drop to copy files! Want to save a bit of text from that web page you were surfing? Highlight it, and drag/drop to the desktop or a nautilus folder to save the clipping as a text file.

You can also save pictures and other types of media this way, as well as do it from other programs like OpenOffice, Gedit, and even the default PDF viewer, too!

Managing Your Windows

If you have a large desktop area, you can speed up your window management by using these shortcuts:

Alt + Left-Click Drag to Move ALT and left-click/drag allows you to move your window by clicking anywhere in it, instead of having to click the Title bar.

Alt + Middle-Click Drag to Resize ALT and middle-click/drag allows you to resize windows based on whether your closer to side edges, top or bottom edges, or corners. MUCH easier than finding that “sweet spot” at the edge of the window!

Alt + Right-Click for Window Menu ALT and right-click anywhere in the window and you’ll get the same context menu that you get by right-clicking in the title bar. You can quickly toggle “Always on Top” or move windows to far-away workspaces in a flash!

Now you can maximize your GNOME-based desktop experience.