H/UX is an external which attempts to mimic many of the commands that are available with UNIX or DOS systems. Once installed it will allow the sysop (or any user with appropriate access) to use Hermes from remote to list, rename, move or delete files, create or delete folders and read text files on any mounted volume, launch and quit applications and tell what is running at all times on your machine. Additionally, it makes it possible to restart or shutdown the computer remotely.
Installing it.
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H/UX currently includes both user and sysop externals. To use it simply drag it and the folder "H/UX Files" into the externals folder and restart Hermes. The "H/UX Files" folder is only necessary to use the online manual.
Setting it up.
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No special setup is required for H/UX except for setting the security options in the sysop external. The security level necessary to use H/UX is currently set at 255. I strongly recommend that you severly limit access to this external. Please read the security warning that accompanies this file. You can also set the "run in idle" checkbox if you would like to access H/UX directly from the main menu by typing //HUX. If you don't want to use this option leave this box unchecked.
Running it.
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If you have every used a UNIX system, running H/UX shouldn't be a big deal. I don't follow UNIX commands exactly but you should be familiar with most of them. If you haven't used UNIX or DOS don't worry, I have tried to include both UNIX names and more common names for most commands. Below is an explaination of all current commands. Descriptions are also available online. Just type the command "help" or "help [command name]" to get more information. If H/UX is set to run in the idle loop you can access it directly from the main menu be typing //HUX.
The Commands
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The following commands (both UNIX and more comman names are listed) are currently supported:
dir
"dir" will list all the files in the current directory. Included in this listing is the file size, date and time of last modification, file type and creator and file name. At the volume level 'dir' lists the same information for all mounted volumes, except instead of the file size, it lists the available space on that volume.
cd
cd changes the current directory. "cd .." moves up one directory. "cd /" will move back to the volume level. "cd [directory name]" moves to the specified directory name or path.
df
"df" lists the name, last modification time and date and available space for all mounted volumes.
rename
"rename [old name] [new name]" will rename the file or directory specified by [old name] with the name in [new name].
mv - move
"mv [old location] [new location]" will move the file specified by [old location] to [new location]. To move files 'up' a directory use "mv [filename] [..:filename]" or just "mv [filename] ..".
copy
"copy [old location] [new location]" will copy the file specified by [old location] to [new location]. To copy files 'up' a directory use "copy [filename] [..:filename]" or just "copy [filename] ..".
rm - delete
"rm [filename]" will delete the specified file. It will also delete a directory if that directory is empty.
mkdir / folder
"mkdir [directory name]" will create a new directory with the name specified in [directory name].
cat - list
"cat [filename]" will list the contents of a text files specified by [filename] on the screen.
path
"path" will list the pathname of the current directory.
ps or process
This will give you all running processes, how much memory is being used out of the partition size and how long the process has been running. An mark in the column called "Front" tells that the process is current the front most one.
kill or terminate
Follow this by the process number obtained by doing a 'ps' and it will kill that process.
launch or run or launchfront
Follow this by the name of an application and it will launch it and put it as the front most application. 'launchback' will do the same but leave the application in the background. The application must be in the current directory in order for this to work. It reports an error even when successful, but it will launch the application. No real error reporting yet (only the error number).
front or setfront
Follow this by the process number obtained by doing a 'ps' and it will set that process as the front process.
restart
"restart" will restart the computer. It does do standard shutdown events (applications are shutdown, disks are updated, any shutdown processes installed by other applicatons or inits are executed) but does not save open documents in other applications. You will be given the option of waiting until all users have logged off before restarting. Once set, this option can be canceled by running it a second time and hitting "No" when asked if you are really sure you want to restart.
shutdown
"shutdown" will shutdown the computer. This includes turning off the power on newer macs. It does do standard shutdown events (applications are shutdown, disks are updated, any shutdown processes installed by other applicatons or inits are executed) but does not save open documents in other applications. You will be given the option of waiting until all users have logged off before shutting down. Once set, this option can be canceled by running it a second time and hitting "No" when asked if you are really sure you want to shutdown.
hermes
"hermes" will do an emergency exit to shell. It will quit Hermes immeadiately without logging users off, saving open files or doing any of the many other things Hermes does on shutdown. Since this is intended to be used in emergencies only, I thought it more important to avoid any sort of lockup than do a graceful exit. You will be given the option of waiting until all users have logged off before Hermes quits. Once set, this option can be canceled by running it a second time and hitting "No" when asked if you are really sure you want to quit Hermes.
quit - exit - die - log - bye - q
"quit" will exit H/UX and return to Hermes.
man - help
"man [command name] will list the description and usage of the H/UX command specified by [command name]
Spaces in file or directory names
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Names with spaces in them must be in quotaton marks (ie. rm "MS Word", not rm MS Word). Please see the seperate document on this if this is unclear.
Limitations, problems etc
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I strongly recommend that you limit access to the external to a co-syops only. There are several reasons for this. First H/UX is limited to one user at a time. I saw no real reason to go to the trouble to make it otherwise. The biggest reason, however, is security. Please see the included security warning in this package.
Future features
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I plan on including the following but would like to hear other ideas. Also if you have a particular function you would like to add and want to write it yourself, send me the code and I will include it. Contact me if you are interested.
--move and copy whole directories
--use of wildcards to make multiple actions easier
--compress and uncompress commands using Stuffit Deluxe.
--ability to write/edit text files
The plea.
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H/UX is SHAREWARE. I think this is a really useful product. I am more than willing to support it but new versions are of course dependent on interest and interest is dependent on feedback and the best feedback is registration. I have written a few shareware applications and it is getting discouraging, not to mention financially hard, to justify all the time. If you use it please register your copy. I feel that shareware has fallen into the same trap as the commercial system it is supposed to be an alternative to. Authors ask for such large fees because so few people actually send them in. This in turn causes fewer people to send them in, which makes authors feel they need to ask for more, which…you get the picture. I have intentionally made the price so reasonable you don't have any excuse not to pay the shareware fee. If you don't think the external is worth $10 then DON'T USE IT.
Registration info
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To register send $10, *and* the registration form below (the form does make things easier) to Chris Owen, PO Box 1471, Garden City, KS 67846 (before August 1994 you can send it to me at 27 Bishop St #2R, New Haven CT 06511 for faster registration). I will send your registration number to you on Olympus unless you specifically ask me to do otherwise. The fee will also cover future versions as they come out.
If you have any questions or comments about H/UX, I would appreciate hearing them. I can be reached on Olympus or at the numbers below.
Chris Owen (#681, I think)
owen-christopher@yale.edu <--- I prefer this address
