The Settings app: your control panel

On Windows, machine settings are split between the old Control Panel and the newer Settings app. On Ubuntu with GNOME, everything lives in one place: the Settings app. One window, a column of categories on the left, the content on the right — the same concept as Windows Settings.

There are two ways to open Settings, and both work well:

• 1Click Activities (or press the Super key), type settings and press Enter. The icon looks like a gear.
• 2Click the system menu in the top-right corner of the screen (the icon showing Wi-Fi, volume and battery), then click Settings at the bottom of the panel.

Network & Wi-Fi

The Network panel (or the Wi-Fi tab) covers everything to do with connectivity. To connect to a wireless network, click Wi-Fi in the left column: the list of available networks appears immediately. Click your network, enter the password and the connection is established. Ubuntu remembers the network and reconnects automatically.

For your organisation's VPN, this is the same panel. Click the + button next to "VPN": a wizard asks for the VPN type (often OpenVPN or Cisco AnyConnect) and the settings your IT department provided. Once created, switch it on with one click from this panel or from the system menu in the top-right corner.

Displays

The Displays panel manages everything about the screen. This is where you change the resolution (choose your monitor's native resolution for a sharp picture), the scale (increase to 125% or 150% if text looks too small — very useful on high-density screens), and the orientation.

If you use two monitors, plug in the second and open this panel: both screens appear as draggable rectangles. Drag them to set which is on the left and which is on the right. Choose whether you want to extend (one large desktop spread across two screens) or mirror (the same image on both — useful for presentations).

Night Light is also here. It tints the screen orange in the evening to reduce eye strain. Enable it and choose a time range, or let it follow sunset.

Sound

The Sound panel separates output (speakers, headphones) and input (microphone). Select the device you want in each list, adjust the volume, and use the Test button to play a test sound and confirm you picked the right device. If your Bluetooth headset does not appear, pair it first in the Bluetooth panel just above.

Power

The Power panel sets two timers: how long before the screen goes blank (energy saving), and how long before the machine suspends. On a desktop in an open-plan office, 15 minutes for the screen and manual suspend are often sensible. On a laptop, keep whatever your IT department has set.

Mouse & Touchpad · Keyboard

The Mouse and Touchpad panel lets you adjust pointer speed, swap buttons (for left-handed users), and toggle tap-to-click on the touchpad. The Keyboard panel lists all GNOME desktop keyboard shortcuts, grouped by category (windows, navigation, screenshots…). If a shortcut conflicts with your application, you can change it here.

Region & Language

This panel is especially important for civil servants. It contains two distinct settings:

• 1Language: the language of the system interface. If Ubuntu was installed in English, this is where you switch to French. Click Language, choose French, and restart the session when prompted.
• 2Formats: date formats (dd/mm/yyyy), number formats (decimal comma) and currency (€). Choose France so that all formats match French administrative standards.

This is also where you manage keyboard layouts. Click the + under "Input Sources" and add French (AZERTY) if your physical keyboard is AZERTY. If you have multiple layouts (for example for a regional language), an icon appears in the top bar and lets you switch layouts with one click.

Accessibility

The Accessibility panel brings together all navigation aids. These options matter in the context of professional training (Qualiopi framework) and digital accessibility (RGAA standard):

• Large Text: increases the font size across the whole interface.
• High Contrast: switches to a high-contrast black-and-white theme, useful for visually impaired users.
• Zoom: enables a full-screen magnifier that follows the mouse pointer.
• Screen Reader (Orca): starts Orca, GNOME's built-in screen reader, which speaks interface elements aloud.
• On-Screen Keyboard: displays a keyboard on screen for mouse or touchscreen input.

Default Applications

The Default Applications panel is the direct equivalent of the Windows "Default apps" panel. It lists six categories: web browser, email, calendar, music, video and photos. For each one, open the dropdown and choose the application you prefer. For example, if you would rather use Thunderbird than the built-in mail client, select it here: every mailto: link will then open in Thunderbird.

Date & Time · Users

The Date & Time panel lets you choose a time zone and toggle automatic synchronisation via NTP (Network Time Protocol) — leave it enabled. The Users panel lists the accounts on the machine. You can change your password there or add a user if you have administrator rights.

Printers

The Printers panel lists already-configured printers. To add a network printer for your team:

• 1Click the + button at the top of the panel. Ubuntu automatically searches for available printers on the local network.
• 2If your printer appears in the list, select it and click Add. Ubuntu installs the appropriate driver.
• 3If it does not appear, click The printer I want is not listed and enter its IP address (provided by your IT department).
• 4Print a test page to confirm everything works.

Privacy

The Privacy panel contains several sub-sections: the recent files history (how long to keep it), location permissions, and the lock screen settings. This is where you enable or disable the automatic screen lock after inactivity — a feature recommended on workstations in open-plan offices to protect your data when you step away.

Windows → GNOME Settings mapping