Haiku User Guide - Contents

## Welcome to the Haiku User Guide

Below, you'll find the documentation of the most important aspects of Haiku. Naturally, completing and extending the documentation is a continuing process. If you find errors or would like to suggest topics or maybe even contribute yourself, please file a bugreport or get in touch on the documentation mailing list.

Boot Loader | Set safe boot options to solve configuration problems.

Filesystem layout

- The system folder
- The common folder
- The home folder

Understand the filesystem hierarchy and get familiar with important file locations and folders.

Haiku's GUI

- Open and save panels
  - Keyboard shortcuts
  - Favorites and recent folders

Learn about the basic elements of the graphical user interface.

Workspaces

- The Workspaces Applet
- Switching workspaces
- Moving windows between workspaces

Use virtual desktops for an uncluttered work environment.

Twitcher | Switch between running applications.
Team Monitor | Kill unresponsive applications or system components.

Tracker

- Mounting volumes
- Navigating
- Appearance
- Tracker preferences
- Working with files
- Transaction status
- Tracker Add-Ons

Learn all about navigating, working with files and folders and how to configure Haiku's file manager.

Shortcuts and key combinations

- General shortcuts
- Shortcuts for Tracker navigation
- Shortcuts in Terminal
- Other key combinations

The most common shortcuts to speed up your workflow.

Deskbar

- The Deskbar Menu
- The Tray
- The list of running programs

Use and configure Haiku's version of the "Start" menu and taskbar.

Filetypes

- The File Type
- The Preferred Application
- The Icon
- Global settings with the Filetypes Preferences
- Special settings for applications

Set default applications, change file types and create your own.

Attributes

- Attributes in Tracker
- Attributes in Terminal

One of Haiku's main features lets you manage and add any kind of data to any file.

Index | Use indexing to be able to search for attributes.

Queries

- The Find window
- Basic queries - "by Name"
- Advanced queries - "by Attribute"
- Even more advanced queries - "by Formula"
- The result window

Use Haiku's lightning fast queries to quickly find what you're looking for.

Workshop: Filetypes, Attributes, Index and Queries | Learn to use some of Haiku's key features by organizing your DVDs.

Applications

- Installing applications
- Uninstalling applications
- Haiku's applications

Learn how to un/install applications in general and how work with the ones that come with Haiku.

Desktop Applets | Simple tools to install on your Desktop and Deskbar.
Preferences | Configuring and setting up your system.
Bash and Scripting | Learn of some interesting scripts used by the system and about online resources for working in the shell and scripting.