Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide

Front Panel Applications

This section describes selected applications available on the default Front Panel. Other applications are described in their respective chapters, or in their online help or man pages.

Changing the Default Web Browser

The Links subpanel of the Front Panel contains a Web Browser control. When you click the control, the default browser is launched.

Your PATH environment is searched for the netscape command (for the Netscape browser) or hotjava command (for the HotJavaTM browser).

If the netscape command is found first, the Netscape browser is launched. If the hotjava command is found first, the HotJava browser is launched. If neither is found, an error dialog box appears reporting the failure to find a browser.

The SdtWebClient action is used to launch your system's default web browser. If you want to ensure that the default is always Netscape, change the MAP_ACTION setting in your user-prefs.dt file to

MAP_ACTION SDtNetscape
If you want to ensure that the default is always the HotJava browser, change the MAP_ACTION setting in your user-prefs.dt file to
MAP_ACTION SDtHotJava
The user-prefs.dt file belongs in your $HOME/.dt/types directory. To create a user-prefs.dt file, copy the /usr/dt/appconfig/types/C/user-prefs.dt file and save it in your $HOME/.dt/types directory as user-prefs.dt.

To Display a Different Clock

The Links subpanel of the Front Panel contains a Clock control. When you click the control, the default browser is launched. You can remove this control and display a digital clock on the desktop as follows:

  1. Open the Links Subpanel.

  2. Click mouse button 3 on the Web Browser control.

    A pop-up menu is displayed.

  3. Choose Promote to Front Panel.

    The Web Browser control is displayed on the Main Panel and the Clock control is displayed on the subpanel.

  4. Click mouse button 3 on the Clock control.

    A pop-up menu is displayed.

  5. Choose Delete.

    The Clock control is removed from the subpanel.

  6. Open the Desktop Tools folder in Application Manager.

  7. Double-click Digital Clock.

    The Digital Clock application displays the time and date. This application can be left on your Workspace permanently. Ensure that it is saved with your session defaults using Style Manager.

Working With Bookmarks

A bookmark is a file containing a web URL, or a folder or attachment containing bookmarks. Clicking on a bookmark's icon displays the web page in your default browser.

CDE uses a file extension of .url to identify bookmarks. Double click the index.html icon in the Sample Bookmarks folder to read more about bookmarks in CDE.

Personal Bookmarks

The Folders subpanel of the Front Panel contains a Personal Bookmarks control. When you click the control, a File Manager view appears on the desktop. It is initially empty. You can create bookmarks to put in this folder. These URLs are then easily accessible through the Front Panel.

Creating Bookmarks

You can create bookmarks in any of the following ways:

You can create a bookmark using any URL that is normally available, such as URLs with http addresses.

Sharing Bookmarks

If you drop URL text or a bookmark file or folder onto the Front Panel mail icon, a Mailer Compose window appears with the corresponding bookmark as an attachment.

Using Find Web Page

The Find Web Page control on the Links subpanel enables you to display a Sun Microsystems search site, http://search.sun.com/. This site enables you to search selected sites at Sun Microsystems or to search the Internet.

You may find this search site more useful than standard commercial sites when you are searching for information relating to Sun Microsystems and its products.

Using Encryption

The Encryption control on the Files subpanel enables you to encrypt and decrypt files using the default encryption application. The encryption application shipped with Solaris is crypt, as described in the crypt man page.

To Encrypt a File

You can encrypt a file by doing one of the following:

    Click Encrypt in the Desktop_Tools folder of Application Manager, and specify the file and encryption key in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, click the Encryption icon on the Files subpanel, and specify the file and encryption key in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, drop the file on the Encryption icon on the Files subpanel and specify the encryption key in the dialog box displayed.

The file is encrypted, encoded, and replaced in its original location.

To Decrypt a File

You can decrypt a file by doing one of the following:

    Click Decrypt in the Desktop_Tools folder of Application Manager, and specify the file and encryption key in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, drop the file on the Encryption icon on the Files subpanel and specify the encryption key in the dialog box displayed.

    The file is decoded, decrypted, and replaced in its original location.


Tip –

You can decrypt a file by double-clicking on it in a File Manager window.


Using Compression

The Compression control on the Files subpanel enables you to compress (or zip) and decompress (or unzip) files using the default compression application. Compression and Decompression is also available via the Compress File and Uncompress File icons in Application Manager.

The encryption application shipped with the Solaris software is compress which, as described in the crypt man page, uses adaptive Lempel-Ziv coding. Compressed files are given the extension .z.

To Compress a File

    Click Compress File in the Desktop_Tools folder of Application Manager and specify the file in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, click the Compression icon on the Files subpanel and specify the file in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, drop the file on the Compression icon on the Files subpanel.

    The file is compressed, given a .z extension, and replaced in its original location.

To Decompress or Restore a File

    Click Uncompress File in the Desktop_Tools folder of Application Manager, and specify the file in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, drop the file on the Compression icon on the Files subpanel.

    The file is decompressed, has its .z extension removed, and is replaced in its original location.


    Tip –

    You can decompress a file by double-clicking on it in a File Manager window.


Using Archiving

The Archive control on the Files subpanel enables you to archive (tar) and unpack files. tar commands are also available via the Archive, Archive Unpack, and Archive List Contents icons in Application Manager.

The archiving application shipped with Solaris is tar which is described in the tar man page. By default, archived files are given the extension .tar.

To Archive a File

    Click Archive in the Desktop_Tools folder of Application Manager and specify the relevant file and folder names in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, click the Archive icon on the Files subpanel and specify the relevant file and folder names in the dialog box displayed.

    Or, drop the file on the Archive icon on the Files subpanel.

    The file is compressed, given a .tar extension, and replaced in its original location.

To Unpack an Archived File

    Click Archive Unpack in the Desktop_Tools folder of Application Manager, and specify the file in the dialog box displayed.

    Drop the file on the Archive icon on the Files subpanel.

    The file is decompressed, has its .tar extension removed, and is replaced in its original location.


    Tip –

    You can unpack a file by double-clicking on it in a File Manager window.


Using Suggestion Box

The Suggestion Box control on the Mail subpanel enables you to send an email to a product improvement proposals mailbox at Sun Microsystems.

Your suggestions should do one of the following:


Caution – Caution –

The suggestion box facility does not provide any guaranteed level of service to you. For issues or bugs that you need to be resolved, use the normal bug reporting process, which is conducted through the distributor network.


Using Workstation Information

When you click System Info on the Hosts subpanel, the Workstation Information dialog box is displayed. The information in this dialog box is typically of interest to system administrators and technical support agents. It includes:


Tip –

You cannot change the amount of physical memory allocated using Workstation Information. For information on setting the swap space, see the swap(1M) man page.