6    Migrating to CDE

The Common Desktop Environment (CDE), based upon Motif and X11, was developed by major UNIX vendors (Hewlett-Packard, Sun, IBM, and Novell) to consolidate all the UNIX desktop interfaces and define a consistent user and development environment. These vendors formed the Common Operating System Environment (COSE) consortium, of which Digital is a member.

CDE is built on existing technologies from the COSE founders and from the Open Software Foundation (OSF). CDE is not a replacement for Motif; it is another layer on top of Motif combining expanded programming utilities and a consistent user interface.

Under this version of Digital UNIX, CDE is offered as a successor to the DECwindows Motif interface. This chapter discusses:

• Common components between CDE and DECwindows Motif

• Differences between CDE and DECwindows Motif

This chapter also describes where to go to find more information on using CDE.

6.1    Common Features Between CDE and DECwindows Motif

Both CDE and DECwindows Motif operate under the same premise. Each is comprised of four components that create your workspace environment. These include the X server, Window Manager, Session Manager, and client applications. The following sections highlight these components.

6.1.1    X Servers and Clients

Both CDE and DECwindows Motif use the client/server method of computing. A component called the X server provides display services. The X server acts as an intermediary between applications and the workstation's display hardware. That is, it handles output from the clients to the display and forwards input (from the keyboard or mouse) to the appropriate client for processing. X clients are applications that make use of the services provided by the X Window System.

X clients can run on your workstation or on another system. Because there is built-in networking capability, applications can run on one system and be displayed on another workstation that supports the X Window System protocol.

6.1.2    Session Manager

In both the CDE and DECwindows Motif interfaces, logging in to the system starts the Session Manager. The Session Manager is the top level interface to the Digital UNIX system. The Session Manager handles the following:

• Sources appropriate files such as startup scripts

• Sets up search paths

• Gathers available applications and starts the session applications

• Starts the Window Manager

The CDE Session Manager that starts upon logging into the system is /usr/dt/bin/Xsession, but the control is handed to /usr/dt/bin/dtsession after the session has started.

In the DECwindows Motif environment, the Session Manager started is /usr/bin/X11/dxsession.

6.1.3    Window Manager

For both CDE and DECwindows Motif, the Window Manager controls the appearance of window frame components, behavior of windows including the stacking order and focus behavior, key and button bindings, appearance of minimized windows, and behavior of menus.

The CDE Window Manager is often referred to as the Workspace Manager and is based on the OSF/Motif Window Manager. The default Window Manager for CDE is /usr/dt/bin/dtwm.

The DECwindows Motif Window Manager is /usr/bin/X11/mwm.

6.1.4    X Client Applications

The Digital UNIX operating system includes many sample X client applications supplied by the X Consortium. Under the Digital UNIX operating system, DECwindows Motif provides a set of desktop applications. Likewise, CDE brings to Digital UNIX a set of applications that provides several features not available in the DECwindows Motif interface.

Section 7.2 provides more information on using applications in the CDE interface.

6.2    Differences Between CDE and DECwindows Motif

Although CDE and DECwindows Motif consist of similar components, CDE offers many features not available in DECwindows Motif. The remaining chapters in this manual discuss how to manage your session using CDE as opposed to the using the DECwindows Motif Session Manager menu. The following list highlights what is discussed in these chapters:

• Chapter 7 discusses differences in starting and ending a session and describes how to access applications using CDE.

• Chapter 8 discusses differences in customizing your environment by highlighting how to complete these actions using CDE as opposed to DECwindows Motif.

• Chapter 9 discusses internationalization issues such as selecting a language type, specifying keyboard types, and differences in the terminal emulator.

• Chapter 10 discusses how to migrate mail folders and calendar databases to a format that is understood by the CDE Mailer and CDE Calendar applications respectively.

• Appendix A discusses differences between the CDE Mail and DECwindows Mail applications.

6.3    Obtaining More Information

The CDE documentation set is available on line and in hardcopy. To view the CDE documentation set on line, you must use the Netscape Viewer. You can also obtain information about CDE by accessing the online help volumes and reference pages.

Section 1.3 describes how to view the CDE documentation set on line and provides information on accessing online help and reference pages.