Hayes(r) Microcomputer Products, Inc. LANstep(r) Technical Note "The LANstep Browser: A User's Guide" Number LS-2 September 1991 Summary: The Browser is a utility available in LANstep to allow system managers direct access to the file system. Using this tool, managers can perform tasks such as: * copying DOS applications from machine to machine * editing batch files * examining or re-organizing user data files * investigating the tree structured file system * making backup copies of applications * creating or altering help files * providing valuable information to Product Support How to Start the Browser The symbol for the Browser is located in the Support Room. Enter the Support Room and run the Browser symbol. Its default mode is to access the local file system 0. In order to browse a file system on a LANstep Workstation, the System Manager must go to that station and start the Browser at that location. Alternatively, starting the same symbol at the NSS gives access to the NSS's tree structured file system. "Over the network" access to file servers is gained by making a few simple modifications to the existing symbol. First F3:COPY the Browse hard disk 0 symbol. Do not change existing symbols in the system; you may need them later. F7:EDIT the new symbol and change the pathname from a " 0 " to a " * " (asterisk). Also change the text within the "box" part of the symbol to Network Servers to reflect the changes that you have made to the symbol parameters. You must press F2:SAVE and Escape to exit the Symbol Editor. In order to start your newly created symbol, make sure it is highlighted and press Enter. A list of all file services is provided including all shared disks on LANstep Workstations. The names of your file services varies depending on your naming conventions. Select the file server that you wish to browse by using Tab or the cursor keys. For our example choose DOS. Press Enter to begin browsing your selection. Moving Around with the Browser The files at the top of the tree structure are displayed. Plus "+" signs indicate that more files are located below. Movement up and down the tree structure is accomplished by using the F3:CLIMB and F4:DESCEND function keys. If a displayed file has the "+" indicator, then Enter can be used to perform the same function as the F4:DESCEND key. Note the branches APPS + and BOOT +. Also note the file installed_apps. Apps Branch The APPS branch contains all of the installed DOS applications that were installed on the file server named "DOS." Make sure APPS is highlighted, press F4:DESCEND. Files shown are directories containing each DOS application that was installed or copied to this server. Files that are represented by the MAN00001 were installed using the LANstep manual installation utility found in the Management Console. File names such as SCMEXC1X.001 represent applications that were installed using the Assisted DOS Application installation utility. This appears different for every LANstep network. Highlight an application directory and press F4:DESCEND. You'll see the actual application program and/or data files that are on drive F: if you start the application from the Start DOS Program symbol in any user's office. As part of the startup process, F: is mapped to the directory where the files for that application reside. Return to the level where the APPS file was first displayed using the F3:CLIMB key. The BOOT Branch The DOS BOOT branch contains all the DOS operating system files and utilities. These files were copied here during the "Install DOS on NSS" procedure. Highlight BOOT and press Enter or F4:DESCEND. E: is mapped to the directory where DOS resides as part of the DOS startup process. You can increase and decrease the size of the window by pressing Control-+ (plus) and Control--(minus). Use the up and down cursor keys (or Tab) to find AUTOEXEC.BAT. Press F2:EDIT to open the file with a full screen Editor. Note: Do not make any changes to the file at this time. Press Escape to exit. Press F3:CLIMB to back up to the level where the APPS file is displayed. The installed_apps File The installed_apps file is very important for the automatic menuing and starting of DOS applications located on this file server. For example, when a user in a LANstep Network starts the Start DOS Program symbol in their offices, each LANstep workstation that has applications to share transmits the contents of installed_apps back to the user's machine. The user is then presented with an alphabetically sorted menu of available applications, subject to security constraints. Highlight the installed_apps file, and press F2:EDIT to look inside. EDITing the installed_apps file on a server Each application line is split by a symbol known as the pipe or vertical bar ( | ). The words to the left of the symbol are placed in each user's menu, i.e., a list of DOS applications to choose from. The name to the right of the symbol is the directory name in which the program is located. LANstep needs to know this information to start a particular application for a user. When a System Manager installs the applications using the DOS Application Management tool, these entries are made automatically. If, however, a manager copies programs to other servers using the Browser utility, then these entries must be made manually. These line items are case and space sensitive, so be careful that you don't put extra blanks around the | symbol. Consider the following line: Lotus V2.2 Network|LOTUSNET.001 A user's menu would show: Lotus V2.2 Network LANstep would look in the LOTUSNET.001 directory on this server if the user chose that particular menu item. Copying Single DOS Applications Applications can be copied from one machine to another using the Browser utility. For example, suppose you have an NSS with some applications on it that you wish to copy to a new LANstep Workstation that is already up and running. We are assuming a new LANstep Workstation, because any applications already installed on an existing LANstep Workstation could be accidentally overwritten if you should use the same name. For clarity, let's call these machines "NSS" and "new LANstep Workstation". Step 1: The LANstep Workstation must be prepared using the Share Workstation hard disk symbol. Step 2: Move to the NSS and login as Super_User. Start the Browse hard disk 0 symbol in the Support room. There are actually four parts to this exercise: * Setting the source file or tree * Pointing to the destination * Verification and starting the copy * Modify (update) the installed_apps file at the destination Setting the Source File or Tree Continue with these steps to set the source file or tree: Step 3: Using the F4:DESCEND operation locate the application directory that you wish to copy to the LANstep Workstation . To find the file(s), look under the branch DOS/APPS. Example: LOTUSNET.001. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the file and the "+" sign are both highlighted. This is done by tabbing to the filename and pressing the down arrow key. Step 4: Press the F9:SET_PATH key. The full name of the file is saved in a buffer. The full name for the file above is: 0/DOS/APPS/LOTUSNET.001 Press Escape to quit the Browser. Pointing to the Destination Follow along with these next steps to correctly point to the proper destination: Step 5: From the same machine, start a Browser on Network Services so that all file servers are displayed. This is outlined earlier in the section, "How to Start the Browser" found on page one of this document. Step 6: Highlight the name that corresponds to the LANstep Workstation Press Enter. Step 7: Highlight the DOS branch. Press F4:DESCEND. Step 8: Highlight the APPS branch. Press F4:DESCEND. You are now "pointing" to the place where all application directories must appear. Step 9: At this point we need to call a more extensive set of operations to complete the sequence for copying these files. Press Control-E. The additional operations are displayed. Press F7:COPY_TO. Step 10: Type a name into the field marked Destination filename: that does not conflict with any name on the LANstep Workstation. For example, LOTUS2. Press F2:OK. Verification and Starting the Copy Step 11: Read the Source and Destination filenames to verify that they are correct. If they are, press F2:COPY_ENTIRE_SUBTREE. The copy proceeds and each filename is displayed in order. If F2:COPY is the only operation, then you did not highlight the "+" sign prior to the F9:SET_PATH operation. You must start over. (Go back to step 3.) Modify (Update) the installed_apps File Step 12: After the files have been successfully copied, Escape from the copy window and F3:CLIMB one level up to where the file installed_apps resides. Highlight this file and press F2:EDIT. Step 13: Move your cursor to the next available line and type a description of the application that you copied followed by the "|", followed by the directory name (destination). The following line illustrates our sample copy. LOTUS NETWORK VERSION 2.2|LOTUS2 Step 14: F5:SAVE the file and press Escape to exit the editor. Testing the Copy In order to test that you completed all the above steps correctly, terminate the Browser and leave the Support Rooms. Enter Super_User's DOS room and run the Start Dos Programs symbol. You should now see the new application listed on the menu along with the new server name. You should now be able to start and successfully run the new application at this time. IMPORTANT: As a safeguard, back up the old copy before it is removed using the DOS Application Management Utility. It is found by starting the Management Console in the Super_User's office. After installing any application, you should test it by logging in as a user (not just Super_User). Some applications must be individually configured for users and some applications may be locked for security reasons. Copying DOS Applications (Entire APPS Tree) The entire tree of DOS Applications can be copied from one machine to another using the Browser utility in a similar fashion. For example, suppose you have a demonstration NSS and you wish to copy all DOS applications to a new NSS that is already up and running. The new NSS is to run a new network. WARNING: Do not copy the complete APPS TREE to an NSS that has some applications installed on it. Some files may be overwritten. For clarity, we'll call these machines NEW NSS and OLD NSS. Step 1: The old NSS must be configured to boot as a LANstep workstation from the new NSS. It is not necessary to run the Share Workstation hard disk symbol. Two NSS's booted as NSS's cannot exist in the same LANstep network. You should have a LANstep WS Target diskette or a boot PROM in the old NSS for this function to work properly. Also, make sure you observe the old NSS as it boots. If the LANstep WS Target diskette is poor quality or if a read error occurs the machine may boot as an NSS as it progresses through drive A, B, C,and finally the LANstep shared partition. Note: If the Target disk is not found by the NSS during the boot sequence, it boots off the hard disk as an NSS. This is to be avoided. Step 2: Move to the old NSS and login as Super_User. Start the Browse hard disk 0 symbol in the Support room. There are four parts to this exercise: * Setting the source file or tree * Pointing to the destination * Verification and starting the copy * Copy the installed_apps file Setting the Source Tree Step 3: Using the F4:DESCEND operation locate the APPS branch under the DOS file that you wish to copy to the new NSS. Make sure that the directory APPS and the "+" sign are both highlighted. This is done by tabbing to the filename and pressing O. Step 4: Press the F9:SET_PATH key. The full name of the file is saved in a buffer. The full name for the file above is actually 0/DOS/APPS. Press Escape to quit the Browser. Pointing to the Destination Step 5: From the same machine start a Browser on Network Services so that all file servers are displayed. We discussed this earlier in the section "How to Start the Browser" on page one of this document. Step 6: Highlight the name that corresponds to the new NSS. Press Enter. Step 7: Highlight the DOS branch. Press F4:DESCEND. Step 8: Highlight the APPS branch. You are now "pointing" to the place where application directories must appear or must be overwritten to. Step 9: At this point we need to call a more extensive set of operations to complete the sequence for copying these files. Press Control-E. The additional operations are displayed. Press F7:COPY_TO. Step 10: Type the name APPS into the field marked Destination filename: if it does not automatically appear. Press F2:OK. Verification and Starting the Copy Step 11: Read the Source and Destination filenames to verify that they are correct. If so, press F2:COPY_ENTIRE_SUBTREE. The copy proceeds and each filename is displayed in order. If F2:COPY is the only operation, then you did not highlight the "+" sign prior to the F9:SET_PATH operation. You must start over. Step 12: Follow the same set of steps to copy the installed_apps file from the old NSS (i.e., the LANstep Workstation) to the installed_apps file on the new NSS. Testing the Copy In order to test that you completed all the above steps correctly terminate the Browser and leave the Support Room. Enter Super_User's DOS room and run the Start Dos Programs symbol. You should now see the new application(s) listed on the menu. You should be able to start and successfully run any of them at this time. Remember, after installing any application you should test it by logging in as a user (not just Super_User). Some applications must be individually set up for users and some applications may be locked for security reasons. Hayes is a registered trademark and LANstep is a trademark of Hayes Micrcomputer Products, Inc. Other trademarks appearing in this document are trademarks of the respective companies (C) 1991 Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.