5    Using Integrated Applications

Several desktop applications and a suite of system management (SysMan) applications are integrated into the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). Most of these applications can be started from the Application Manager.

This chapter provides the following information:

5.1    Starting Applications

You can start many desktop and SysMan applications from either the Application Manager or from the command line. Use one of the following methods to start applications:

Other system management applications can be started from the SysMan Menu or the SysMan Station.

5.2    Running Applications Across the Network

To run an application that is not installed on your system, you need network access and an account on a remote system where that application is installed. You can run the remote application and display the output on your system as though the application was running locally. Before you can do this, you must do the following:

You can use the Host Manager to display remotely run applications. See the Host Manager online help volume for more information.

5.2.1    Authorizing Access to your System

To display remotely run applications on your local system, use the xhost command to provide the remote host access to your display before you log into the remote system. For example, if the host name of the remote machine is trenton, enter the following on your system:

$ /usr/bin/X11/xhost +trenton

The remote system named trenton is added to the list of hosts that have access to your machine. See the xhost(1X) reference page for more information.

5.2.2    Enabling the Display

Once you have authorized the remote system access to your local system, log into the remote system and specify where you want to display the remotely run application.

The command you enter to enable the display varies depending on the operating system of the remote host you are using, and the shell you are using.

Use one of the following methods to enable the display:

In the previous examples, local_sysname is the host name of the machine where you want the remote application to display.

Once you have authorized access to your system and enabled the display, you can run the application from the remote machine by using the command name as described in Section 5.1. The application then displays on the system you specified.

5.3    Using Desktop Applications

Several desktop applications have been integrated into CDE. Your primary source of information about any of these applications is each application's online help volume. Table 5-1 highlights some of these applications.

Note

The desktop applications available on your system may depend upon the software subsets that you have loaded. This section does not list all desktop applications available.

Table 5-1 shows some of the desktop applications that are integrated into CDE.

Table 5-1:  Desktop Applications

Application Use of Application
DECterm DECterm provides a video terminal emulator.
Differences Provides a graphical display of differences between two files.
Image Viewer Displays the contents of documents that are in specific formats such as GIF, JPEG, and TIFF.
Keyboard Options Offers a choice of options that you can use to customize your keyboard.
Keycaps Shows a graphical display of a keyboard with keycaps drawn according to the current server keymap and can be used to start the Keymaps application.
Input Method Options Changes how keystrokes are interpreted by the operating system.
   

Note

The Input Method Options application is located in /usr/dt/bin and is not included in the Application Manager under Desktop_Apps. To start this application, see Section 5.3.4.

Some of the applications described here are advanced tools that address special needs, and are not intended for everyday use.

5.3.1    Using DECterm

The DECterm application is a video terminal emulator. When DECterm is started, a window appears on your screen. Enter commands in this window as you would on any terminal attached to your system or use it for remote communications to other systems. To start DECterm, enter the following on your system:


$ /usr/bin/X11/dxterm

Figure 5-1 shows the DECterm application.

Figure 5-1:  DECterm Application

5.3.1.1    Summary of Other DECterm Features

DECterm also lets you:

For more information on using the DECterm application, see the dxterm(1X) reference page and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start DECterm, then select Help.

5.3.2    Using Visual Differences

Visual Differences is a graphical interface to the diff command. By using Visual Differences, you can compare two ASCII text files line by line, and then browse through a graphical display of these differences. Figure 5-2 shows the Visual Differences application.

Figure 5-2:  Visual Differences Application

For information on using the Differences application, see the dxdiff(1X) reference page and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start Differences, then select Help.

5.3.3    Using Image Viewer

The Image Viewer application can be used to view graphic files. The supported image types are GIF, JPEG, TIFF, and XPM. In the Image Viewer window, you can display images and manipulate the image views using either the toolbar icons or menus. Figure 5-3 shows the Image Viewer application.

Figure 5-3:  Image Viewer Application

For information on using the Image Viewer application, see the dximageview(1X) reference page and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start Image Viewer, then select Help.

5.3.4    Using Input Method Options

The Input Method Options application is a tool for advanced users. You can use this application to specify an input method and to change how keystroke characters are interpreted by the system. For example, Asian (multibyte) characters such as Japanese Kanji or Chinese Hanzi characters can be entered from the keyboard by using this application. To start this application, follow these steps:

  1. Open a terminal emulator window.

  2. Enter the following: 

    % /usr/dt/bin/dtimsstart

Figure 5-4 shows the Input Method Options application.

Figure 5-4:  Input Method Options Application

For information on using the Input Method Options application, see the dtimsstart(1) reference page and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start Input Method Options, then select Help.

5.3.5    Using Keyboard Options

The Keyboard Options application is a tool for advanced users. Use this tool to customize keyboard settings. This tool is normally used after the initial setup of your system only to set options that cannot be specified during the installation. Figure 5-5 shows the Keyboard Options application.

Figure 5-5:  Keyboard Options Application

For information on using the Keyboard Options application, see the dxkeyboard(1) and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start Keyboard Options, then select Help.

5.3.6    Using Keycaps

The Keycaps application is a tool for advanced users. Use this application to display and edit keyboard mappings.

For information on using the Keycaps application, see the dxkeycaps(1X) reference page and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start Keycaps, then select Help.

5.4    Using System Management Applications

A suite of system management (SysMan) applications provide a graphical front-end to administrative commands for the person who administers your system.

Section 5.1 describes how to access and start the SysMan applications. You must have the appropriate privileges to use most of these applications. For information on using each application, see that application's online help volume. You can access the help volume by opening an application and clicking on the Help menu.

The suite of SysMan applications is divided into several categories, shown in Figure 5-6:

Figure 5-6:  SysMan Categories in Application Manager

Note

The system management applications available on your system may depend upon the software subsets that you have loaded. This section does not list all of the system management applications available.

To find information about the applications in each SysMan application group, do the following:

  1. Click the Help Manager control from the CDE Front Panel.

  2. Click System Management.

  3. Click Welcome to SysMan.

  4. Scroll down, and click on one of the SysMan application groups.

Each SysMan application in the application group is described along with restrictions, configuration dependencies, and links to additional information such as the application's online help volume and reference page. You also can access the online help for any application by starting the application and selecting Help.

The following items, although not SysMan application categories, are also available from the Application Manager's System Administration selection.

5.5    Using SysMan Menu

A system administrator uses the SysMan Menu to view system management data and run selected system administration tasks. You must have the appropriate privileges to run some of the tasks on the SysMan Menu.

Note

Although many of the system administration tasks on the SysMan Menu may seem to duplicate those available from the Application Manager, the SysMan Menu also provides access to these tasks from the following platforms:

Multiplatform access to the SysMan Menu is described in the System Administration manual.

If you have the appropriate privileges, you can access the SysMan Menu in one of the following ways:

To select and run a task from the SysMan Menu, first highlight the item that you want. Categories and tasks are displayed in the following manner:

To expand a category, do one of the following:

Continue to expand subcategories until the task title is displayed. You can use either selection method to start the actual task.

If you do not know where the task is located in the SysMan Menu hierarchy, you can do the following:

  1. Select Find at the bottom of the SysMan Menu. The Find Task by Keyword dialog box is displayed.

  2. Enter a keyword in the text entry field. Wildcard characters are permitted, and the search is case sensitive. For example, you could enter *[Nn]etwork* to locate tasks related to networks.

  3. Select the task that you want from the displayed list.

For information on using SysMan Menu, see the sysman(8) reference page, the System Administration guide, and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start SysMan Menu, then select Help.

5.6    Using SysMan Station

A system administrator uses the SysMan Station to manage both single systems and clusters. You must be logged in as root to see the SysMan Station icon, which displays on the Front Panel, the SysMan Applications subpanel, and in the Application Manager's System Management Applications group.

The SysMan Station provides a graphical representation of the system and all its components. It lets you visually select system components and then run SysMan applications that apply to that component. The SysMan Station provides a graphical representation of the system hierarchy from the host down to individual devices such as disks and tapes. You can select devices and then apply appropriate device management applications.

For information on using SysMan Station, see the sms(8) reference page, the System Administration guide, and the online help volume. To access the online help volume, start SysMan Station, then select Help.