Right click doesnt work where i need it to

[joerob]

I am new to ubuntu and i really like it, but i cant customize my desktop besides a new wallpaper. Everything tells me to right click on the desktop which does not work.. and that i need to go to my preferences menu which there is none.. this is ridiculous ive spent days reading about it and get zero help. also i cant plug my 19 inch dell moniter into my computer without a complete meltdown of my comp... samsung np n150 plus...please help. I am an average computer user but im no slouch..

[Copper Bezel]

You don't have a Preferences item under the System menu in the Main Menu? The item you want is "Appearance."

What kind of "meltdown" are your talking about with connecting the monitor? The computer shouldn't register the external monitor at all until you bring up the Monitor Preferences screen (which is also under the Preferences menu.)

[dFlyer]

I am new to ubuntu and i really like it, but i cant customize my desktop besides a new wallpaper. Everything tells me to right click on the desktop which does not work.. and that i need to go to my preferences menu which there is none.. this is ridiculous ive spent days reading about it and get zero help. also i cant plug my 19 inch dell moniter into my computer without a complete meltdown of my comp... samsung np n150 plus...please help. I am an average computer user but im no slouch..

What version of ubuntu are you running?

[3rdalbum]

You're trying to follow instructions for Ubuntu Desktop, on your computer which is using Ubuntu Netbook.

Ubuntu Netbook in 10.10 uses a totally different desktop environment than Ubuntu Desktop in 10.10.

You might want to try Ubuntu Desktop 10.10 instead (you can install and use it on your netbook, no problems) or be prepared to work out some things yourself, as most instructions on the Internet assume you're using the Desktop interface. Either that, or wait for 11.04 to be released - then the interfaces are exactly the same on Desktop as on Netbook, and any new instructions that get written will work on both.

[MightyMouse2817]

Try opening gconf-editor and going to apps->nautilus->preferences and make sure show_desktop is checked. I'm not sure if there's an easier way to do it, but that's how I fixed pretty much the same problem earlier today (minus the monitor issue, which sounds like a completely separate thing).