Graphical Environment Guide

Table of Contents

• About this book
  • How this book is organized
    • How to use the chapters in this book
  • Related documentation
    • For further reading
  • Typographical conventions
  • How can we improve this book?
• Chapter 1: Overview of the Graphical Environment
  • Understanding servers and clients
  • Components of the Graphical Environment
  • Customizing the Graphical Environment
  • Graphical Environment configuration files
    • The .startxrc file
    • The .Xdefaults-hostname file
    • The pmwmrc and .mwmrc files
    • Desktop rule files
  • Guidelines for configuring the Graphical Environment
  • Looking at the Graphical Environment
• Chapter 2: Configuring the Graphical Environment from the Desktop
  • Using the Preferences Editor
    • Using the Preferences Editor dialog boxes
    • Preference categories
    • Using the Preferences Library
  • Changing how you start and exit the Graphical Environment
  • Changing colors with the Color control
    • Creating a new palette
    • Deleting a palette
    • Changing colors in a palette
    • Color buttons
    • Mixing colors
    • Colors for grayscale monitors
    • Colors for DOS programs
  • Changing Desktop fonts
  • Changing the background pattern
    • Selecting the background pattern
    • Removing background patterns
    • Defining the bitmap/pixmap path
  • Changing mouse characteristics
  • Configuring the keyboard
  • Changing the system bell
  • Controlling access to your display
  • Changing desktop, directory, dialog box, and icon behavior
    • Main Desktop behavior options
    • Desktop window behavior options
    • Treeview desktop behavior options
    • Directory window behavior options
    • Dialog box behavior options
    • Icon behavior options
  • Configuring tools
  • Configuring devices
• Chapter 3: Customizing startup of the Graphical Environment
  • Starting a Graphical Environment session
    • Running scologin
      • Configuring scologin's startup behavior
      • Defining X server sessions
      • Logging out of scologin
    • Running the startx script
    • Using grey-scale monochrome monitors with the X server
    • Solving problems exiting the X server
    • Using the session manager
      • Starting scosession
      • Stopping scosession
      • Using scosession options
  • Using environment variables
  • Customizing scologin
    • Using the scologin administration script
    • Configuring scologin on multiple displays
    • About XDMCP X server options
    • Running scologin with XDMCP
    • Running scologin with the Xservers file
      • Step 1: Stopping existing scologin processes
      • Step 2: Editing the Xservers file
      • Step 3: Enabling access to the remote display
      • Step 4: Running the X server on the remote display
      • Step 5: Starting scologin
  • Using X terminals
    • Managing an X terminal display with scologin
      • X terminals that do not support XDMCP
      • X terminals that support XDMCP
    • Running a session on an X terminal without scologin
• Chapter 4: Running remote programs
  • Gaining access to the remote client
  • Setting up access permissions to your display
    • Granting access to specific hosts
      • Step 1: Establishing system-wide host access
      • Step 2: Setting temporary display access
    • Granting access to specific accounts
      • Step 1: Disabling system-wide display access
      • Step 2: Configuring scologin
      • Step 3: Logging in through scologin
      • Step 4: Disabling user-defined display access
      • Step 5: Sharing authorization records with other users
  • Running the remote client
    • Running clients with the DISPLAY environment variable
    • Running clients with the -display option
  • Example of running a remote client on your display
• Chapter 5: Understanding resources
  • About resources
  • Syntax for resource specifications
    • Using classes and instances in resource specifications
    • Using delimiters in resource specifications
    • Specifying values in resource specifications
    • Precedence rules for resource specifications
  • Methods for specifying resources
  • Setting resources in the X server
    • Examining the contents of the resource database
    • Loading new values into the resource database
    • Saving new specifications in a resource file
    • Removing resource definitions from the resource database
  • Using command line options to configure clients
    • Window appearance options
    • Display specification option
    • Font specification option
    • Window size and location option
    • Client name option
    • Window title option
    • Resource specifications on the command line
  • Guidelines for managing resources
• Chapter 6: Changing colors
  • About colors
    • The color database
    • The RGB and HSV color models
    • The scocolor client
      • Color palettes
      • Color resources and the color palettes
    • Colormaps
      • The SCO Merge and SCO Wabi colormaps
  • Changing colors for the entire system
    • Changing colors in an existing palette
      • Step 1: Selecting a replacement color
      • Step 2: Adding the new color to the palette
    • Creating a new system-wide palette
      • Step 1: Creating the new palette
      • Step 2: Adding the new palette
  • Changing colors for individual users
    • Step 1: Creating an .Xdefaults-hostname file
    • Step 2: Setting the color resource
    • Step 3: Assigning correct ownership permissions
    • Step 4: Starting a Graphical Environment session
  • Setting colors from the command line
    • The -xrm option
    • The -bg and -fg options
  • Adding custom colors to the database
    • Step 1: Adding the new colors to rgb.txt
    • Step 2: Running rgb
    • Step 3: Running showrgb
  • Examples of changing colors
    • Example 1: Using custom colors in default palettes
    • Example 2: Customizing colors with resources
• Chapter 7: Changing fonts
  • About fonts
    • Font names
    • Using wildcards
    • Font aliases
    • The font server
  • Using the font server
    • Running the font server from the command line
    • Using the font server from scologin
    • Using the font server from startx
    • Running the font server from system startup files
  • Configuring the font server
    • Configuring available fonts
    • Configuring default font size and resolutions
    • Choosing a font server host
    • Changing font server TCP ports
    • Configuring font server connection limits
    • Using the font server and local fonts
      • Specifying multiple font sources with the X server
      • Specifying multiple font sources with xset
    • Using alternate font server configuration files
  • Listing available fonts on your system
    • Listing X server fonts with xlsfonts
    • Listing font server fonts with fslsfonts
  • Previewing a specific font
    • Step 1: Running xfd
    • Step 2: Scrolling through multiple screens
    • Step 3: Displaying information on a character
    • Step 4: Quitting xfd
  • Specifying fonts
    • Specifying fonts for the entire system
      • Step 1: Editing the client resource files
      • Step 2: Setting the font resource
      • Step 3: Activating the new fonts
    • Specifying fonts for individual users
      • Step 1: Creating an .Xdefaults-hostname file
      • Step 2: Setting the font resource
      • Step 3: Assigning correct ownership permissions
      • Step 4: Starting a Graphical Environment session
    • Setting fonts from the command line
      • Using the -xrm option
      • Other command line font options
  • Creating a font alias
    • Step 1: Editing the fonts.alias file
    • Step 2: Resetting the font database
  • Adding a font to your system
    • Step 1: Placing the font files on your system
    • Step 2: Converting from BDF to PCF format
    • Step 3: Running mkfontdir
    • Step 4: Updating the font search path
    • Step 5: Resetting the font database
  • Example of setting fonts
• Chapter 8: Configuring window size and location
  • About window geometry
    • Desktop geometry
  • Configuring window geometry
    • Specifying geometry for the entire system
      • Step 1: Editing the client resource file
      • Step 2: Setting the geometry resource
      • Step 3: Activating the new geometry settings
    • Specifying geometry for individual users
      • Step 1: Creating an .Xdefaults-hostname file
      • Step 2: Setting the geometry resource
      • Step 3: Assigning correct ownership permissions
      • Step 4: Starting a Graphical Environment session
    • Specifying geometry from the command line
  • Resizing the Desktop
    • Step 1: Using the Desktop Preferences Editor
    • Step 2: Resizing the Desktop with the mouse
  • Example of specifying window geometry
• Chapter 9: Changing cursor appearance
  • About cursor appearance
    • Desktop cursor appearance
    • scoterm cursor fonts
    • Root window cursor appearance
  • Changing the Desktop cursor
    • Specifying Desktop cursors for the entire system
      • Step 1: Creating a picture directory
      • Step 2: Editing the client resource file
      • Step 3: Setting the cursor resources
      • Step 4: Activating the new cursors
    • Specifying Desktop cursors for individual users
      • Step 1: Creating a picture directory
      • Step 2: Creating an XDesktop3 file
      • Step 3: Setting the cursor resources
      • Step 4: Assigning correct ownership permissions
      • Step 5: Restarting the Desktop
  • Changing the scoterm cursor
    • Specifying scoterm cursors for the entire system
      • Step 1: Editing the system resource file
      • Step 2: Setting the cursor font resource
      • Step 3: Activating the new cursor
    • Specifying scoterm cursors for individual users
      • Step 1: Creating an .Xdefaults-hostname file
      • Step 2: Setting the font resource
      • Step 3: Assigning correct ownership permissions
      • Step 4: Restarting the scoterm client
    • Setting scoterm cursors from the command line
      • Using the -xrm option
  • Example of changing cursor appearance
    • Example 1: Changing Desktop cursor appearance
    • Example 2: Changing scoterm cursor appearance
• Chapter 10: Configuring mouse behavior
  • Emulating a three-button mouse
  • Switching to a left-handed mouse
    • Step 1: Configuring the mouse for left-handed use
    • Step 2: Listing the new mouse button mappings
  • Configuring mouse acceleration
    • Step 1: Setting the movement parameters
    • Step 2: Listing the new mouse settings
  • Specifying the mouse double-click duration
    • Defining the double-click duration with scomouse
    • Defining the double-click duration for the Desktop
      • Step 1: Editing the resource file
      • Step 2: Setting the maxUpTime resource
      • Step 3: Modifying other Desktop mouse resources
      • Step 4: Restarting the Desktop
    • Defining the double-click duration for the window manager
      • Step 1: Editing the resource file
      • Step 2: Setting the doubleClickTime resource
      • Step 3: Restarting the window manager
  • Example of configuring your mouse
• Chapter 11: Configuring the keyboard for the server
  • About the server keyboard
  • Changing the modifier map
    • Step 1: Changing a modifier map
    • Step 2: Examining the modifier map
  • Changing the keymap table
    • Step 1: Examining the current keymap table
    • Step 2: Specifying keymap table changes
  • Example of configuring the keyboard
• Chapter 12: Customizing the window manager
  • Selecting between SCO Panner and OSF/Motif modes
  • Creating a personal window manager configuration file
  • Examining the window manager configuration file
  • Using window manager functions
    • Function descriptions
    • Function constraints
• Chapter 13: Customizing window manager menus
  • About window manager menus
  • Adding or modifying window manager menus
    • Step 1: Editing a window manager configuration file
    • Step 2: Starting a new menu
    • Step 3: Creating menu items
    • Step 4: Specifying how to access the new menu
    • Step 5: Restarting the window manager
  • Changing the menu associated with the window menu button
    • Step 1: Editing the resource file
    • Step 2: Setting the windowMenu resource
    • Step 3: Modifying other Window menu resources
    • Step 4: Restarting the window manager
  • Example of creating a window manager submenu
• Chapter 14: Configuring window manager button bindings
  • Default button bindings
    • About window manager functions
  • Configuring button bindings
    • Step 1: Editing a window manager configuration file
    • Step 2: Locating the button binding section
    • Step 3: Configuring the button binding specification
    • Step 4: Configuring the function specification
    • Step 5: Configuring the context specification
    • Step 6: Restarting the window manager
  • Creating a new button binding set
    • Step 1: Editing a window manager configuration file
    • Step 2: Locating the DefaultButtonBindings section
    • Step 3: Defining button, function, and context specifications
    • Step 4: Specifying the buttonBindings resource
    • Step 5: Restarting the window manager
  • Example of creating a new button set
• Chapter 15: Configuring window manager key bindings
  • Default key bindings
    • About mnemonics and accelerators
    • About window manager functions
  • Configuring key bindings
    • Step 1: Editing a window manager configuration file
    • Step 2: Locating the key binding section
    • Step 3: Configuring the key binding specification
    • Step 4: Configuring the function specification
    • Step 5: Configuring the context specification
    • Step 6: Restarting the window manager
  • Creating a new key binding set
    • Step 1: Editing a window manager configuration file
    • Step 2: Locating the DefaultKeyBindings section
    • Step 3: Defining key, function, and context specifications
    • Step 4: Specifying the keyBindings resource
    • Step 5: Restarting the window manager
  • Example of configuring key bindings
• Chapter 16: Customizing the Desktop with rules
  • Rule clauses
  • Defining the scope of rules
    • Specifying scope implicitly
    • Specifying the scope explicitly
  • Effect of rules in different rule files
  • Rule file precedence
  • Structure of rule files
  • Processing filenames in rules
    • Referring to file and directory names
    • Canonical form
    • Filename processing commands
    • Specifying actions
• Chapter 17: Using Desktop modules
  • Auto modules
  • Loop modules
  • Text displayed by modules
• Chapter 18: Defining Desktop user types
  • Creating a new user type
  • Determining a user type
• Chapter 19: Defining Desktop triggers
  • About triggers
  • Types of trigger
    • Static triggers
    • Dynamic triggers
    • Hold triggers
    • Icons and windows
  • Variables
    • Click or hold
    • Drag
    • Menu selection
• Chapter 20: Creating objects for the Desktop
  • Creating an object using the Object Builder
    • Changing an action definition
    • Opening an existing object
    • Installing action definitions
    • Installing a picture
    • Installing an executable
    • Saving an object
    • Opening a new object
  • Creating an object manually
    • Step 1: Creating the object directory
    • Step 2: Selecting an icon
    • Step 3: Selecting trigger actions
    • Step 4: Writing trigger scripts
    • Step 5: Naming trigger scripts
• Chapter 21: Configuring icons
  • Defining the appearance of icons
    • Defining rules for icons
    • Defining a picture for icons
    • Defining a title for icons
  • Defining the behavior of icons
    • Writing trigger rules
• Chapter 22: Configuring Desktop windows
  • Defining the behavior of desktop windows
  • Defining the appearance of desktop windows
  • Example
• Chapter 23: Configuring directory windows
  • Defining the behavior of directory windows
  • Example
• Chapter 24: Configuring Desktop menus
  • Defining menus
    • Menu clauses and commands
    • Mnemonics and accelerator keys
    • Pull-down menus
    • Pop-up menus
    • Disabling menu commands
    • Removing menus
• Chapter 25: Writing Deskshell commands
  • Deskshell syntax
    • Quoting strings
    • Comments
    • Wildcards
    • Using variables
    • Variable substitutions
    • Subsets
    • Function arguments
    • Initialization
  • Operators
    • Assignment
    • Redirections
    • Command substitution
    • List substitution
    • Concatenation
    • Command terminators
    • Pipelines
    • List mark
    • Conditionals
  • Control constructs
  • Function definitions
    • Status
  • How Deskshell commands are executed
    • Threads
    • The state of threads
    • Local variables
    • Global variables
    • Variable overriding
    • How environments are inherited
    • System thread
    • Window threads
    • Background threads
    • Pipelines
    • Executing actions within the same thread
    • Signals
    • Standard signals
• Chapter 26: Mapping mouse triggers for the Desktop
  • Modifying the mouse trigger mappings
    • Step 1: Editing the resource file
    • Step 2: Redefining the trigger mapping
      • Menu actions
      • Rename actions
      • Selection actions
    • Step 3: Restarting the Desktop
• Appendix A: OSF/Motif window manager resources
  • Resources for configuring window focus policies
  • Resource for specifying window manager fonts
  • Resources for coloring windows, icons, menus, and mattes
  • Resources for shading windows, icons, menus, and mattes
  • Resources for window decorations
  • Resources for controlling window size and position
  • Resources for configuring window manager icons
  • Resources for configuring the icon box
  • Other resources for controlling windows
• Appendix B: Desktop resources
  • Resources for changing default rule files and directories
  • Resource for specifying Desktop fonts
  • Resources for specifying Desktop colors
  • Resources for specifying cursor appearance
  • Resources for configuring icon labels
  • Resources for controlling Desktop appearance and behavior
  • Resources for controlling directory appearance and behavior
  • Resources for defining message box appearance
  • Resources for controlling Desktop mouse behavior
  • Resources for mapping mouse triggers
• Appendix C: Deskshell command summary
• Index