Many computer user interfaces use a control panel metaphor to give the user control of software and hardware features. The control panel consists of multiple settings including display settings, network settings, user account settings, and hardware settings. Control panels are also used by web applications for easy graphical configuration.^[1] Some services offered by control panels require the user to have admin rights or root access.

Computer history

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The term control panel was used for the plugboards in unit record equipment and in the early computers of the 1940s and '50s. In the 1980s, the Xerox Star and the Apple Lisa, which pioneered the first graphical user interface metaphors, controlled user settings by single click selections and variable fields. In 1984 the Apple Macintosh in its initial release made use of fundamental graphic representation of a "control panel board" imitating the operation of slider controls, on/off buttons and radio-select buttons that corresponded to user settings.^{[citation needed]}

Functionality

There are many tasks grouped in a control panel:

Hardware

Color
- Color management
Computer displays
Graphics tablet
Keyboard
- Shortcuts and bindings
- Language and layout
- Text cursor appearance
Mouse and touchpad
Power management
- Energy saving
- Battery usage
- Display brightness
- Power button actions
- Power plans
Printers and scanners
Sound

Networking

Bluetooth connection and file exchange
Ethernet connection
Internet Accounts
- E-mail integration
- Social media integration
Wi-Fi connection
System-wide proxy

Security

Certificates and password management
Firewall
Filesystem encryption
Privacy
- File indexing and event tracking
- Data sharing

System

Login window
System information
- Hostname
System time
Software management
- Application management
- System update configuration
- Software sources

Different types

In Microsoft Windows operating systems, the Control Panel and Settings app are where various computer settings can be modified.^[2]
In the classic Mac OS, a control panel served a similar purpose. In macOS, the equivalent to control panels are referred to as System Preferences.
In web hosting, browser-based control panels, such as CPanel and Plesk, are used to manage servers, web services and users.
There are different control panels in free desktops, like GNOME, KDE, Webmin...