Win4Lin User's Guide

About Device Definition

You can use the Device Definition window to view the current device definition. A unique token name is associated with each device definition. The token name is displayed in the Token Name text box on the upper left side of the Device Definition window.

In addition, when you are logged in as root, you can use the Device Definition window to create new device definitions, modify existing definitions, and delete definitions.

Device definitions provide the information that Win4Lin needs to access the device. Once the device definition has been created, you can use the device by selecting it to be a part of one of your Personal Win4Lin Session Configurations (such as the standard dos or win configurations). This action is called "attaching" the device for use in a DOS or Windows session.

The actual device is not attached for use until you start a DOS or Windows session using a configuration that has the device selected.

Device Definition Categories

Use the buttons across the top of the Device Definition window to select the category of device you want to view, change, or create. All device definitions belong to one of the following categories:

Printer
Contains definitions printing via the Linux printing system.

COM1
Contains definitions for devices that can be attached to the COM1 serial port. (Not currently supported.)

COM2
Contains definitions for devices that can be attached to the COM2 serial port. (Not currently supported.)

Custom
Contains definitions for devices such as parallel ports and any definitions that you create yourself.

DOS Drive
Contains definitions for volumes that can be attached to a DOS drive letter.

Views

A separate view of the Device Definition window exists for each device category. For example, if you click on the DOS Drive button at the top of the Device Definition window, the DOS Drive view of the window appears.

Controls

The controls that are common to all views of the Device Definition window are described below.

Token Name

The Token Name text box shows the current token name of the device definition being displayed, modified, or created. You can use this control to select another definition in the current category. Note that if you modify a device definition, you cannot select another token name or change views until you save the changes (by clicking on the Save or Save As button) or abandon the changes (by clicking on the Undo button or responding to a prompt to discard the changes).

Button Controls

The following button controls appear on all views of the Device Definition window:
New
Displays a pop-up window prompting you to specify a token name for the new device definition. Then, you click OK to close the pop-up window and display the appropriate view of the Device Definition window. You can then enter the definition for the new device. The definition is not saved until you click on Save or Save As.

Delete
Deletes the token identified in the Token Name text box.

Undo
Undoes any changes you have made since the last save.

Save
Saves the device definition.

Save As
Saves the definition under a new token name. A pop-up window appears in which you can enter the new token name.

Close
Closes the Device Definition window. If any unsaved changes are outstanding, a pop-up window with a message informing you of the unsaved changes is displayed. The changes are abandoned if you choose to continue without saving them.

Left Panel Controls

The following controls appear on the left side of all views of the Device Definition window:

Description
Contains a short description of the device definition. This text is displayed in the selection lists in the Personal Win4Lin Session Configuration window. Therefore, this text should be descriptive enough to identify the device, but short enough to fit in the selection lists, which have limited width.

Usable By
Identifies the users who can use the device definition. If a user is not allowed to use the definition, an entry for the definition does not appear in the selection lists in the Personal Win4Lin Session Configuration window. Usable By can be set to one of the following:

Root
Only users with root authorization can use the definition.

All
All users can use the definition.

On a multi-user system, you should set the Usable By setting to Root while you are developing the definition for a new device to prevent other users from accessing the definition until it is ready for everyone to use. When the device definition is ready for use, change this setting to All to enable all users to select the device for a DOS or Windows configuration.

Failure Action
Tells Win4Lin what to do when a user starts a session that uses this device definition and the device is not available (because it is in use by another session, does not exist, or is otherwise not accessible). Failure Action can be set to one of the following:

Abort
Display a pop-up message warning that the device is unavailable when the user attempts to start a DOS or Windows session. When the user clicks OK to dismiss the message, the DOS or Windows session is not started.

Warn
Display a pop-up message warning that the device is unavailable when the user attempts to start a DOS or Windows session. When the user clicks OK to dismiss the message, the DOS or Windows session is started.

Ignore
The DOS or Windows session is started. No message is displayed to inform the user that the device is not currently available.