7    Using a New Session Manager

Differences exist between managing a Common Desktop Environment (CDE) session and managing a DECwindows Motif session. This chapter introduces methods you can use to manage your environment and access applications, and addresses differences between CDE and DECwindows Motif.

By using CDE, you benefit from an environment that offers the same features found in DECwindows Motif and more. The following sections describe the major features of starting and ending a CDE session, and provides information on managing your environment as you did using the DECwindows Motif Session Manager.

This chapter contains the following information:

• Starting and Exiting a Session

• Accessing Applications

7.1    Starting and Exiting a Session

The CDE Login Screen provides a set of options that were not available through the DECwindows Motif Login Screen. From the CDE Login Screen, you can select a session type and a language type.

There are three types of sessions that you can select:

• A Regular Desktop Session starts the CDE Session Manager. This is the default session.

• A Failsafe Session starts a single terminal window and the Window Manager.

• A Command-Line Session suspends the desktop and provides a way for you to work in the base operating system environment.

The default language is set by your system administrator; however, by using the Options menu from the login screen you can also access other languages that are installed on your system. The default language is restored when you end your session.

Note

CDE ignores any xnlLanguage settings in your .Xdefaults file. This variable typically is set in an earlier DECwindows session, where you made a selection from the session manager's language menu and saved that setting. CDE ignores this to prevent overriding any language that you select in the Options menu from the login screen.

By default, CDE provides automatic save and restore of your session. All applications that are opened when you exit a session, which support save and restore, are opened when you log in again. For some applications, all the work from the previous session is restored, while for others only the main screen of the application is restored.

For information on customizing the start and end of a session as you were able to do using the DECwindows Motif Session Manager, see Section 8.1.

Note

The remaining chapters in this manual discuss a Regular Desktop session only. See the Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide for detailed information on starting a Failsafe or Command-Line session.

7.2    Accessing Applications

From the CDE Front Panel, you can start several applications. Most of these applications are equivalent to those found in the DECwindows Motif Session Manager Application menu (see Table 7-2) and can be started from the Front Panel, Application Manager, File Manager, and of course, a terminal emulator window.

The Front Panel is the narrow window at the bottom of your screen. It contains a set of applications and controls, which can be compared to the DECwindows Motif Session Manager menu as it provides a similar set of services. That is, you can start an application by clicking on its icon, pause a session by clicking on the Lock icon, or exit a session by clicking on the Exit icon. Section 7.2.1 describes all of the applications and controls located on the Front Panel.

The icon-based File Manager, available from the Front Panel, provides a view and easy navigation of a directory hierarchy. When used with drag and drop actions, you can manipulate directories and files and interact with other applications. You can also launch applications using the File Manager.

The Application Manager, available from the Front Panel, is a special directory for applications and other tools on your system. Using the Application Manager, you can launch applications, add other applications to the Application Manager, or place an application on the backdrop or on the Front Panel for easier access.

This chapter contains the following information:

• Managing Applications from the Front Panel.

• Starting Applications from the Application Manager.

• Running Applications with the File Manager.

• Using DECwindows Motif Applications.

7.2.1    Managing Applications from the Front Panel

In addition to the Application Manager and the File Manager, the Front Panel employs some other concepts that are not available in the DECwindows Motif environment. This includes the use of subpanels and workspaces.

Any Front Panel icon that has an arrow above it indicates that a subpanel is available. A subpanel contains a menu of applications and controls that you can use further to manage your desktop session. Click on any arrow to display a subpanel menu.

A workspace is the screen display area, which includes the Front Panel. Using the Workspace Switch (buttons numbered one through four) on the Front Panel, you can set up and move between multiple work areas in the same session. Each workspace includes the Front Panel. You can have up to 64 workspaces. Click on any workspace button to change workspaces.

To start an application from the Front Panel, click on the application icon. To start an application from a subpanel:

• Click on the subpanel arrow to display a list of options

• Click on the application icon

7.2.1.1    Adding an Application to a Subpanel

Any application icon that resides in the File Manager or Application Manager can be added to a subpanel. To add an application to a subpanel:

1. Open the File Manager or Application Manager and display the application icon you want to add.

2. Open the subpanel where the application icon is to be added.

3. Drag the icon from the File Manager or Application Manager and drop it on the subpanel's Install Icon.

Any application icon that is added to a subpanel displays the same behavior as when it resided in the File Manager or Application Manager.

7.2.1.2    Adding a Subpanel Control to the Front Panel

You can add a copy of a subpanel control to the Front Panel for easier access. To copy a subpanel control to the Front Panel:

1. Open the subpanel that contains the application icon you want to copy.

2. Point to the application icon you want to add and click on mouse button 3 to display its pop-up menu.

3. Choose Copy to Main Panel from the pop-up menu.

7.2.1.3    Replacing a Control in the Front Panel

To replace a control in the Front Panel easily, exchange it with a subpanel control.

1. Open the subpanel of the control you want to replace. If the control does not have a subpanel control, you can create it:

   1. Point to the control in the Front Panel and click on mouse button 3.

   2. Select Add Subpanel from the pop-up menu.

   3. Display the new subpanel.

   4. Add the control you want to place on the Front Panel to the subpanel as described in Section 7.2.1.2.

2. Point to the control in the subpanel and click on mouse button 3 to display the pop-up menu.

3. Choose Copy to Main Panel from the pop-up menu.

If you had to create a subpanel and you do not want to retain it, point to the Front Panel control icon and click on mouse button 3. You can then select the Remove Subpanel option.

If you are an advanced user, you can also create or edit a Front Panel configuration file that changes the characteristics of the Front Panel. See the Common Desktop Environment: Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide for more information.

7.2.1.4    Removing Front Panel Customizations

You can remove Front Panel customizations made by using the Install Icon control or using the Front Panel pop-up menus:

1. Open the Application Manager.

2. Double click on the Desktop_Tools application group.

3. Double click on Restore Front Panel.

This procedure does not affect customizations made using Front Panel configuration files.

7.2.2    Starting Applications from the Application Manager

The Application Manager contains a set of built-in application groups. Each application group is a directory that contains one or more icons that you can use to open applications. An icon group can also contain other application files such as data files, templates, and "read me" files. Table 7-1 shows the default built-in application groups in the Application Manager.

Table 7-1:  Built-In Application Groups

You can have additional application groups. The previous table lists those known groups available by default.

To start an application from the Application Manager:

1. Double click on the application group where the application is located.

2. Double click on the application.

You can also create personal application groups as described in the Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

7.2.3    Running Applications with the File Manager

The File Manager is predominately used to create, find, and manage desktop objects such as files, folders, and applications. If an application uses data files, you also can start an application from the File Manager using the application's data file.

Use one of the following methods to start an application using its data file:

• Double click on the application's data file. For example, double clicking on a bitmap file (*.bm) starts the Icon Editor application.

• Point to an application's data file, click on mouse button 3 and then choose Open from the pop-up menu.

You can also use the drag and drop features with the File Manager to interact with applications. For example, drag a file from the File Manager and drop it on the Print Manager to print a file or drag a help volume with an .sdl extension and drop it onto the Help Manager to open a help volume.

7.2.4    Using DECwindows Motif Applications

Most of the applications available with the previous version of DECwindows Motif have equivalents available in CDE. Those that do not have equivalents in CDE have been integrated into the desktop and are available through the Application Manager.

Table 7-2 lists the DECwindows Motif applications, followed by the recommended application to use, its executable name, and its location. DECwindows Motif applications that are not integrated into CDE are still available in /usr/bin/X11.

Table 7-2:  Recommended Applications to Use in CDE

The following DECwindows applications have been retired from this version of the operating system. The replacement applications are listed in Table 7-3.

Table 7-3:  Retired DECwindows Applications