GIMP Version: 2.8.4
Operating System: Linux
OS Version: 3.10.7-gentoo-r1
GIMP Experience: Beginner Level

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I'm a noob. A recurrent frustration is that "windows" or maybe they are called "toolboxes ?" dissappear in the sense that: whereas they may exist, I nevertheless cannot find them. My current issue is with the window which contains the means by which to control the size of the area drawn by the pencil tool. I have used it in the past to successfully control the size of the pencil. Now I cannot find that window... or perhaps some window which I can find is actually the window I seek but for some reason it is not displaying the controls necessary to set the size of the area drawn by the pencil tool (or perhaps it is displaying such controls, but for some reason I cannot find or recognize said controls within that window).

Control-shift-B does make a window visible, but I don't understand how that window is helpful.

It is not as if I haven't been trying, I've wasted an hour so far...

Please help

Signed,
Hopeless.

P.S. I've got to leave for other things now, but can check back latter tonight.

P.P.S My life is plagued with such occurances... for example, some windows and doors mysteriously stop working in my car; the dealer says they work fine, but someone inadvertently set a "child protection" switch that disables their functionality. I call it a "break me" button, and if you are like me then you are constantly and unintentionally pushing "break me" buttons in every aspect of life. My purpose for this core-dump is to provide context enabling sense to be made of the following question: is there a single, consistently located, and always visible "FIX me" button somewhere for gimp? If so, where? I don't want to uninstall and reinstall gimp (if that is the FIX me button), because I use gentoo and the compile takes a long time...

You just need to add the tab. Click on this arrow, where the cursor is:



Then add tab, then tool options, and you'll have your tab back:



The tab, is where the cursor is pointing:

For some reason it's common for people to lose their layers-paths etc. You can find them under Windows-recently closed docks.

I appreciate the help, but there is no such config button for me to press, and I don't know -- aside from your instructions which would have me interact with nonexistant objects -- how to "add the tab". Oddly enough, my toolbox is decorated with the name "Toolbox" whereas yours seems to be "Toolbox - Tool Options"; perhaps that is a clue of some sort.

The suggestion about reciently closed windows did restore a "Layers-Brushes" window, and that contains a control for Opacity, but I still can't find where/how to change the pencil size.

Sigh,

Noob.

Click on edit, then preferences. Once the preference dialog comes up, click on window management. Then click on reset saved window positions to default values. Click ok. Exit out of GIMP, then restart it. Your tool box will be there.

In addition to what has already been suggested, you could try opening the Tool Options dialog.



Also, you probably need to update your version of GIMP to V2.8.10. GIMP V2.8.4 has several bad bugs that were corrected in later versions.

This is the best advice.

YES!

Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Tool Options

did the trick :-)

Thanx to all
Noob

I'm always knocking things off the dock and having to fetch them back. My mouse wears army boots.

For a hard copy on how to restore to the default, go to a web site
in Google search Gimp PDF tutorials
It's listed as Gimp PDF Tutorials - Google Sites
( go to gimp-files-7)
and click 'Gimp Default Settings'.
Sorry new member can't add a web address

Read this topic, 1.17. Window Management.