# Haiku User Guide - Contents

User guide

# 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 (see the online version for updated pages and translations). If you find errors, would like to suggest topics or maybe even contribute yourself, please get in touch on the documentation mailing list. If you're interested in helping with translations, you'll find information on that at the i18n user guide wiki.

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

Filesystem layout

- The system folder
- The home folder

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

Haiku's GUI

- Easy moving and resizing
- Stack & Tile
- Open and save panels
  - Keyboard shortcuts
  - Favorites and recent folders
- Replicants

Learn about the basic elements of the graphical user interface.

Workspaces

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

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
- Special settings for applications
- Global settings with the Filetypes Preferences

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
- Query Templates

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.
Workshop: Managing Email | Learn to use Haiku's mail system with custom statuses and queries.
Workshop: Wireless networking | Set up your open or encrypted wireless network.

Applications

- Haiku packages (.hpkg)
- Old BeOS archives (.zip and .pkg)
- Haiku's applications
- Haiku's commandline applications
- Bundled 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.