Help with panels in Ubuntu Gnome:

When I minimize an application, I can't see it in the task bar at the bottom of the screen.

• right-click on your existing panel (Menu Bar) and select New Panel.  This will create a new panel at the bottom of the screen
• right-click on the new panel and select Add to Panel...
• scroll down and select Window List, then click Add, then click Close
  

This should show your open applications in the bottom panel.


How do I add an item to my main panel?

• right-click on your main panel (Menu Bar) and select Add to Panel...
• scroll down through the items listed to find the one you want to add
• select it, then click Add, then click Close (or Add more items)
  

Commonly used panel items are:  Clock, Lock Screen, Log out..., Menu Bar (A custom menu bar)

Note:  you can also add items from your desktop to the panel by dragging them into the panel.


How do I rearrange items/icons within a panel?

To move items within the panel, drag the item by using the scroll wheel (middle button) on the mouse.