Documentation › The desktop

Control Center

Volume, brightness, networks and quick toggles, laid out like Android's quick settings

Open it with Super+S or by clicking the status icons in the top bar. Close it with Esc or by clicking outside.

#Header

The time and date, and the battery charge on laptops (⚡ while charging).

#Sliders

Volume

Drag the pill. Click the speaker icon inside it to mute. The arrow at its end lists the output devices (speakers, headphones, HDMI, Bluetooth) and, below them, the volume of each app playing sound (see Sound and Volume Mixer).

Microphone

When a microphone is present; the arrow chooses the input device.

Brightness

On laptops and screens that allow it.

#Tiles

A tile filled with the accent color is on. Click to switch it; tiles with an arrow open a list under the tiles.

Wi-Fi

On or off; the arrow lists networks (click one to connect, a password field appears for protected ones) and links to Network Settings.

Wired

Shown when a cable is connected; opens Network Settings.

Bluetooth

On or off; the arrow lists paired devices (click to connect or disconnect), with the battery charge of connected headphones, mice and keyboards that report it. The tile shows the first connected device and its charge.

Power Mode

Performance, Balanced or Power Saver.

Night Light

Warmer colors (schedule in Settings → Appearance).

Dark Style

Switches light and dark; choosing by hand stops the automatic sunset/sunrise switch.

Do Not Disturb

Silences notification popups (critical ones still show); they stay in the list.

Keep Awake

No screen blanking, locking or automatic suspend until you turn it off.

Airplane Mode

Turns Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off together.

Mobile Hotspot

Shares this computer's internet connection over Wi-Fi, like a phone's hotspot (on computers with Wi-Fi). The arrow shows the network's name (the computer's name followed by “Aurora”) and its password, made up the first time and kept (click it to copy), and, while on, a QR code: point a phone's camera at it to join. Change the name or password with gsettings set org.aurora.desktop hotspot-name / hotspot-password.

Screen Keyboard

Shows or hides the on-screen keyboard (for touch screens and tablets). It types into the app you were using without taking its focus: ⇧ for a capital (twice for Caps), ?123 and =\< for numbers and symbols, Ctrl for shortcuts (Ctrl, then C), arrows, and ✕ to hide it. Its look is chosen in Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard theme (ten themes). Also aurora-shell osk show|hide|toggle.

Screen Recording

Starts recording the screen (after the panel closes) or stops it; the arrow chooses the whole screen or an area, and whether the computer's sound is recorded. Recordings go to ~/Videos/Screencasts.

#Media

When something is playing (a browser, Spotify, Celluloid…), its title, artist and previous / play-pause / next.

#Bottom row

Battery time, then Screenshot (of an area), Settings, Lock and the power menu (Suspend, Restart, Power Off, Log Out).