The part of a graphical user interface upon which other elements like icons, windows, toolbars or widgets are placed. For questions about software that provides this interface (like Gnome or KDE), use the [desktop-environments] tag. For questions about non-portable personal computers, use the [desktop-computer] tag.
In computing, the desktop is the part of an operating system's graphical user interface (GUI) that acts like a physical desktop, allowing other interface elements to be placed upon it and moved around at will. The desktop may thus contain icons for files and folders, various interactive widgets, toolbars or task bars, as well as windows. This type of interface is ubiquitous in modern operating systems, including Windows, OS X and Linux.
