Introductory guide to Xstart

Purdue Engineering Computer Network

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This section defines a few of the terms we will be using throughout this section.

Icon

A small picture used to represent an application. For example, the terminal emulator will also have an icon, which contains a picture of a terminal, so that you know that this tool is a terminal emulator.

To iconify an application means to make the application's window go away, and its icon appear. This is also referred to as closing a window. To deiconify an application means to make the application's window reappear, and its icon go away. This is referred to as opening a window.

Root Window

The main window used by the window system to place all other windows in. The window always take up the entire screen and is usually a solid background color, such as gray, black or blue.

Window

A bounded area, usually square, in which some application performs all its input and output.

Getting Started

Logging In

First you must log in. Logging in tells the system who you are and what you have permission to do. Likewise, when you finish, you will log out so that no one else can access your files without permission.

To log in:

1. Type your user name at the login: prompt and press Return.

   The login prompt usually consists of your machine name followed by the words console login: For example:

   	magic.ecn.purdue.edu console login:
   

2. Type your password at the Password: prompt and press Return.

You will not see the characters on the screen as you type your password. After your password has been accepted, your workstation screen should have your machine name followed by a UNIX prompt. It will look similar to this:

      Last login: Tue. Aug 9 09:32:13 on console

      Sun Microsystems Inc. SunOS 5.3 Generic September 1993

      magic.ecn.purdue.edu%

You are now logged in.

NOTE: Contact your site specialist if you receive an error message such as:

	Login incorrect 

Starting and Using the X Window System

The ECN staff has developed a command called XSTART which is a Tcl/TK program that enables you to easily customize your X Window environment. XSTART provides the X Session Manager utility to customize the window session. XSTART will start up the X Window system with Motif interface. The primary advantage to XSTART is that it lets you use and configure your X Window environment without having to understand all the configuration files. Through the use of menus and point-and-click dialog boxes, XSTART will create and modify your configuration files for you.

To begin using xstart, at the UNIX prompt type:

			% xstart

and press Return. After a few moments, you will see your root window on your screen. The root window is the display area for objects such as windows and icons. When started, XSTART opens four windows in your root window:

• A X Session Manager window which contains menus used to to start applications, to customize the menus, and to customize the Motif environment. This is a small, wide window located in the middle upper portion of the screen. This window has a title bar across the top which identifies it as XSession Manager.

• A xconsole window which is connected to the console device of your workstation. UNIX uses the console device to log system messages and the like. Generally it is not advisable to use this window for anything else. This window is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen and has a title bar across the top which identifies it as xconsole.

• A xterm window which is connected to your local workstation. Commands executed in this window will be running on your local machine. Note this window has a title bar across the top which identifies which identifies it as xterm.

• A xclock window running the xclock program that displays the time in analog or digital form.

Included in the tools will be menus and other facilities which will allow you to start additional applications, customize your environment and save your customizations.

NOTE If you wish to use X11R5 without using the ECN X Session Manager, please read the manual pages for instruction. Type the command

			% man X

at your UNIX prompt.

Using the Mouse Pointer and Buttons

The Mouse Pointer

The easiest way to access your windows is to use your mouse. The mouse is the small rectangular electronic device that (usually) sits on a silvery pad next to your workstation. The pointer is represented on the screen as an x in the root window. Notice that when you move the mouse, the pointer moves in the same direction on the screen. The pointer indicates where mouse activity will take place. The placement of the pointer is dependent upon the movement of your mouse.

Mouse Buttons

The mouse buttons enable you to control the windows, icons and menus in your root window. The mouse has three buttons which are referred to either as the LEFT, MIDDLE and RIGHT buttons.

• You click a mouse button by pressing and releasing it quickly.

• You double-click a mouse button by clicking twice quickly (within approximately half a second or less) without moving the pointer.

• You release the mouse button to initiate action.

• You move the pointer by sliding the mouse with no buttons pressed.

• You drag the pointer by pressing and holding a mouse button while sliding the mouse.

Activating Windows

You must activate a window before the window can accept input and process commands. To "activate" a window is simply notifying the window system of the current active window or input area. The input area is the area where you will be typing in your commands or input. It is surrounded by the borders of the window. Activating the window will designate that window as the input area.

To activate a window:

In the window you want to activate, move the pointer (which is an x) into any area of the window. This will activate it.

You will notice that when you do this, the window will move to the top of the other windows (if the window was previously underneath) and the title bar will change color slightly to distinguish it from other windows on the screen. The title bar is the top border, or "frame" of the window. Within the window title bar is the name of the window. For example, an xterm window will have xterm in its title bar. This changing color indicates that this window is the one that will receive all further input from the keyboard; therefore it is now activated.

You will also notice that the pointer, which was previously displayed as an x, is now displayed as an I-beam. It is called an I-beam because it is shaped like a capital I. I-beam and window cursor are terms used interchangeably.

To use another application window, you move the pointer into any area of a window.

Menus

Menu

Contained in a window, a menu is a list of applications you can run or operations you can perform.

Submenu

Contained in a Menu window, a submenu is a list of applications you can run or operations you can perform.

Selecting

While holding down a mouse button, move the pointer into a menu. As the pointer makes contact with menu items, they are highlighted. When the desired menu item is highlighted, release the mouse button. The menu will disappear, initiating the selected action.

XSTART provides menus in the following window locations:

• The X Session Manager window provides the Session Menu, the Applications Menu, the Customize Menu, and the Help Menu

• The Root window provides the Root Menu.

• The Applications window provides the Window menu.

Using XSession Manager Menus

To access a menu from the XSession Manager Window:

1. Move your pointer into the XSession Manager window. The pointer will be displayed as an arrow and the window will become activated.

2. Move pointer (arrow) onto the menu title you want to view.

3. Press the LEFT mouse button and hold. A menu will be displayed underneath the menu title.

4. To choose from a menu, while still pressing the LEFT mouse button, drag (slide mouse) down and you will see the pointer selecting (highlighting) various items.

5. When the desired menu item is selected, release the mouse button.

When you display the Customize menu, the second item, Applications Menu has a hollow triangular arrow next to it, pointing to the right. This means there is a submenu of additional choices.

To access a submenu from the Customize menu of XSession Manager Window:

1. Move pointer (arrow) onto the Customize menu title.

2. Press the LEFT mouse button. The Customize menu will appear.

3. Keep pressing the LEFT mouse button and drag (slide) the pointer to the right of the triangle.

4. As you continue to press the LEFT mouse button and drag to the right at Applications Menu, the Applications Menu submenu is displayed, containing a list of applications. To choose an application from the Applications Menu submenu, drag the pointer over to your choice. When your choice is selected, release the mouse button.

In a moment, your application will open in its own window. The Root Menu

The Root Menu is a list of operations you can perform that will take affect in the root window such as New Window, Shuffle Up, Shuffle Down, Refresh, Pack Icons, and Restart.

To access and choose from the Root Menu:

1. Move the pointer into the root window.
2. Press the RIGHT mouse button to display the Root Menu.
3. While still pressing the RIGHT mouse button, drag (slide mouse) down and you will see the pointer selecting various items.
4. When the desired menu item is selected, release the mouse button.

The Root Menu will disappear and the operation you chose will initiate.

The Window Menu

The Window Menu is a list of operations you can perform on windows, such as restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, lower, and close.

To access and choose from the Window Menu:

1. Move the pointer into the title bar area of the window you want manipulate. The pointer will become an arrow and the window will become activated.
2. Press the RIGHT mouse button to display the Window Menu.
3. While still pressing the RIGHT mouse button, drag (slide mouse) down and you will see the pointer selecting (highlighting) various items.
4. When the desired menu item is selected, release the mouse button.

Windows and Icons

Several default applications appear in the Root Window when you initiate XSTART. Each application runs in its own window. You can run several applications simultaneously, such as electronic mail, a text editor, and a calculator.

When a window is not in use, you can close it and keep it in the Root Window for further use. When closed, an application is displayed as an icon.

Closing a Window to an Icon

1. Move the pointer to the small square box in the upper right hand corner of the title bar in the window you want to iconify. The window will be activated and the pointer should be an arrow laying atop of the small box.

2. Press the LEFT mouse button. The small box will become selected. Release the mouse button (single click).

Your window will close and become an icon at the bottom of your screen the application continues to run. For instance, if you are running an application generating output, it will still be running. It will remain as icon form until you open it again.

Opening an Icon to a Window

You can open an application icon into a window from its closed icon.

1. Move the pointer over the icon you want to open.
2. Pressing the LEFT mouse button, double click (press and release the mouse button twice in rapid succession).

Your application window will open.

Closing Windows

You can close (quit) a window two ways:

1. Move the pointer into the title bar area of the window.
2. Press the RIGHT mouse button to display the Window Menu.
3. While pressing the RIGHT mouse button, select Close.
4. Release the mouse button.

Another way to close (quit) a window:

1. Move the pointer over the small box in the top left corner of the title bar of the window.
2. Pressing the LEFT mouse button, double click.

The menu and window will disappear from your screen. When you Close a window, the application will go away and any work you have in progress will be destroyed. So make sure you save your work before you close.

Starting Applications

You can create different application windows via the XSession Manager Window: Applications Menu. There you will find the applications Magnifying Glass, Local xterm, Calculator and Clock. You can select any of these applications to run in its own window.

To start an application:

1. Move pointer onto the menu Applications, in the XSession Manager window.
2. Press the LEFT mouse button to display the Applications menu.
3. Keep pressing the LEFT mouse button and drag the pointer down over your choice.
4. When you choice is selected, release the mouse button.

In a moment the new application window will appear.

To Exit the X Window System

When you are done working on the system, you must log out. If you are sharing a system, this allows other people to log into your computer under their own accounts.

To log out:

1. You must exit XSTART to log out.
2. Move the pointer onto the menu Session in the XSession Manager window.
3. Press the LEFT mouse button and pull down the Session menu.
4. Keep pressing the LEFT mouse button and drag the pointer to select Quit.
5. Release the mouse button.

A dialog box will appear asking you if you really want to quit. Move the pointer to the Quit box and LEFT click your mouse button.

Next, a Save Session dialog box will appear asking if you wish to save any changes made to XSTART. Move pointer to appropriate box (Yes or No) and select LEFT click your mouse button.

This terminates the X Window system. Log out is now necessary to close your account.

Help and Documentation for XSTART:

The document XSTART-V2.1 X Session Manager will be available on line in the near future. At the moment, a paper-copy is available from your site specialist. This document covers detailed use of XSTART, such as changing the look of your mouse pointer, how to add applications to the Applications Menu, etc..

The X Window System User Guide from O'Reilly & Associates, Volume 3 of their X 11 series is available for check out in the Siegesmund Library at the Potter Engineering Center. This guide is also available through campus book stores.

Help can also be obtained on-line.

To access the Help Menu:

1. Move the pointer onto the menu Help.
2. Press the LEFT mouse button.
3. While pressing the LEFT mouse button, drag the pointer to select your choice.

NOTE: The MIT X11R5 server installed in /usr/local/bin/X11R5 on Solaris systems does not support the SPARC station-10/SX or SPARC station-10/ZX frame buffers. If you are using one of these systems, you must use the Open Windows server.