Desktop Overview


After you have logged in, a collection of windows and icons will appear on your screen by default. The screen background is called the desktop. Depending on how you choose to customize your desktop, the following items are usually standard:

Toolchest The stack of toolchests is similar to a phone book. It provides a listing of most system functions and programs. Move the cursor over a label on a toolchest; then press the left or right mouse button to pop up a menu.

Console The Console window provides a direct view into the state of your system. Many of the error messages that the system generates appear in this window. You can type IRIX commands in this window or open a new shell.

Web Jumpers Web jumpers are a handy shortcut to a web-based document. Double-click on the icon to quickly jump to the referenced web location.

Dumpster The dumpster serves as a holding place for discarded files.

Video Capture Clicking on this icon invokes a multimedia capture tool which can save audio, video and screen information.

Home Directory Folder The Home Directory folder will hold files you create while logged in as yourself. All files under your home directory provide you exclusive read/write permissions under your log-in name. Files under this directory can be modified ONLY by you or someone who has root access to the system.

Peripherals Peripheral devices, such as printers, CD-ROM and DAT drives can be accessed by clicking on their corresponding icons. The appropriate software tool for each device will automatically be invoked.

Icon Catalog The Icon Catalog shows collections of applications and tools that are available on your system.


Window Elements

 Most of the windows that appear on your screen, including your home directory have standard elements.


Window Menu The Window menu button lets you access the window sizing and positioning commands. Double-clicking on this button is a shortcut for closing windows.

Title Bar The title bar allows you to move, raise, and lower windows.

Size minimize The Minimize button shrinks a window to the size of an icon. It does not close the window or stop any of the programs that are running. This is handy for reducing desktop clutter.

Size maximize The Maximize button enlarges a window. Some windows become as large as the screen; others change only slightly. If a window doesn't change or becomes smaller when you click the Maximize button, the window was already at its largest size. To restore a maximized window to its original size, click the Maximize button again.


Icon View


The Icon Catalog

The Icon Catalog shows collections of applications and tools that are available on your system.

Icon Catalog Features:

Browse through the icons to see what applications are available
Run applications by double-clicking their icons
Find icons you want to use; then drag them onto the desktop or onto a shelf so they are easily accessible
Create your own collection of icons. For example, suppose you use a combination of programs to create and edit movies. You can create a new page; then place icons for these tools onto that page.


Window Elements

The button above is an example of how a button should act. To see what it will do click on the next word. open



To move a window: Place the cursor in the title bar; then press the left mouse button and drag to the move window.

To raise a window: Place the cursor in the title bar; then click the left mouse button to raise the window to the top of the stack of windows.



The Window Menu Button

To Open the Window menu: Place the cursor over the window menu button and press the left mouse button.

To Close the Window: Double-click the window menu button with the left mouse button to close the window.



The Minimize Button You can minimize the directory window by clicking on the Minimize button with the left mouse button.


The Maximize Button


The Border You use the border in conjunction with the mouse buttons and keyboard keys to manipulate the window in a variety of ways:

Place the cursor on the border; then press the right mouse button to open the Window menu.
Place the cursor on the border. When you see a resize cursor, drag the mouse to resize the window.
Place the cursor on the border; then press the middle mouse button and drag to move the window.
Place the cursor on the border; then press the left mouse button to raise the window.
Place the cursor on the border; then press the <Ctrl> key and left mouse button simultaneously to lower the window.


The Scroll Bars You will see windows with scroll bars along the left or right and top or bottom edge. These indicate that the window is too small to display all of its contents. Use the scroll bar to view hidden portions of the window.

Drop Pocket A drop pocket is the small square into which you can drop icons.


The Drop Pocket

To Display the Contents of a Folder: Drag a folder icon and place it into the drop pocket on a Directory View window. The window displays the contents of that folder.

Drop pocket activity...

You can also drag icons out of the drop pocket and place them onto the desktop, onto a shelf, or into the Icon Catalog.


The Pathname Field The pathname field shows the full pathname of the directory whose icon or contents are displayed in the window. You can type a new name in this field to display the contents of a different directory.


The Path Bar The path bar lets you move from one directory to another, without typing. It contains a small button representing each directory in the pathname


The Recycle Button The Recycle button keeps a list of names you have specified in a type-in field.

Recycle button activity...


Shelf Button The Shelf Button opens and closes the directory window's shelf. The shelf is a place for you to drag folders, applications, or files you need to access frequently while working in that particular directory.

Peripherals



CDROM Drives

 Your system comes with an installed CDROM Drive. In addition, you may connect multiple CD drives to your workstation. Use the CDROM Drive to load software or playback audio CDs. With Media Record you can record audio directly from the CDROM drive.


Viewing contents of a CD

 Double click on the CDROM icon to launch a window displaying its contents. (This content may not be correct in the presence of an installer disk prepared for inst.)


Playing an Audio CD

 Double Click on the CDROM icon (if an audio CD is loaded musical notes should appear above the icon)

CDman will launch and display the track number and length for each selection. Watch for CD's that are Copy Protected. You will need to obtain special permissions from the producers to copy or republish audio that has been copyrighted. (You may want to check with SGI legal about this content)



DAT Drive Tape Tool

 DAT drives provide a vehicle for you to transport large cumbersome files from system to system. If you have a DAT drive attached to your system, you can easily copy files to and from a tape using the tape tool.


Opening the tape tool

 The tape tool gives you an easy-to-use interface to your DAT tape drive.

Open tape tool activity.


To Copy to DAT using the Tape Tool:

 Intro to Copy to DAT...

Copy to DAT activity.


To copy from DAT using the Tape Tool:

 It is easy to copy data from your DAT tape to your system's hard disk drive.

Copy from DAT activity.


To List the Contents of DAT using the Tape Tool:

 The tape tool enables you to list the contents of your DAT tapes.

List DAT contents activity.


Creating System Backups on DAT

 To ensure the safety of your system's infornation plan on performing incremental backups each day and backing up the entire system at least once a week with the DAT backup & Restore Tool.

Schedule a time to perform your system's backup whenit is not normally being used. This will reduce the risk of effecting system performance durring a user session.

If you don not have a DAT drive on your system but are connected to a network you may back up your system with another system's DAT drive remotely.



About the Backup and Restore Tool

 The Backup and Restore tool lets you back up and restore the entire contents of a disk or selected directories and files onto a tape in either a local tape drive (one that is physically connected to your system) or a remote tape drive (one that is physically connected to another system on the network).



Starting the Backup and Restore tool

 The Backup and Restore tool provides you with a simple method for protecting your valuable data. You can easily recover from data loss by regularly backing up your hard disk.

Open backup/restore tool activity.

Drop Pocket A drop pocket is the small square into which you can drop icons.