Sometimes you only want to enter one command on the command line. In these cases you don't need a full-blown terminal.

Just hit "Alt-F2" to display a small command line so you can enter a single command.

The command line window disappears after you give it a command and choose "Run", but it remembers and will execute it.

Try this on your own to launch an application. If you use the example shown here you will launch Evolution, GNOME's email application.