Moving From the OpenWindows Environment to CDE

With the Solaris 7 software you can choose to log in to either the OpenWindows desktop or the CDE desktop from your login screen. For more information on logging in, refer to the Login Manager help volume or Chapter 2, "Starting a Desktop Session," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

Desktop Services

Some of the desktop services you are used to using in the OpenWindows environment are located in different places in Solaris CDE. Table 14-1 highlights some of the differences.

Using Windows, Menus, Buttons, and the Mouse in CDE

Windows, menus, buttons and the mouse are used in Solaris CDE slightly differently than in the OpenWindows environment. For complete information on using window, menus, buttons and the mouse, refer to Chapter 1, "Basic Skills," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

Accessing the Workspace Applications Menu

In the OpenWindows environment, the main way to start an application was through the Workspace menu. A Workspace menu still exists in Solaris CDE; however, the main access point for workspace functionality is the Front Panel.

The applications available through the Workspace menu include the items on the Front Panel and also a subset of the applications available to you within Application Manager. Refer to Chapter 6, "Running Applications from the Desktop," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide for complete information on Application Manager.

Style Manager and Customizing the Workspace

The items available through Style Manager are: Color, Font, Backdrop, Keyboard, Mouse, Audio, Screen, Window, and Startup. This replaces the Workspace Properties window in the OpenWindows environment. For complete information on Style Manager, refer to Chapter 7, "Customizing the Desktop Environment," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

Running OpenWindows Applications in CDE

A folder in CDE Application Manager, titled OpenWindows, contains your OpenWindow applications.

If you ran OpenWindows applications from the command line, you can run them the same way from the terminal emulator (Terminal application) in Solaris CDE. Refer to Chapter 6, "Running Applications from the Desktop," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide for complete information on Application Manager.

Application Settings and Properties

In the OpenWindows environment, application-wide settings are set via the Properties dialog box, accessed from the Edit menu. In CDE, application-wide settings are set via the Options areas. Options choices are generally located under the application's File menu or the separate menu item, Options.

In CDE, Properties (if they exist in an application) are found under the application's Edit menu and are used to set characteristics of an object, such as its date or name, or display identifying characteristics of an object, such as typefaces. In CDE, format settings are usually found under the Format menu and enable margin and paragraph alignment to be set for a single paragraph, file, or message.

CDE Global options are like the properties you set from the Workspace menu in the OpenWindows environment. You now set these properties from the CDE Style Manager application. See Chapter 7, "Customizing the Desktop Environment," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

Changing Keyboard Defaults

If you did not change your keyboard defaults in the OpenWindows environment they should stay the same within CDE. If you want to change your defaults, use the Style Manager Keyboard dialog box. See Chapter 7, "Customizing the Desktop Environment," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide. If you need to make changes to your UNIX keyboard bindings, refer to Chapter 10, "Using Text Editor," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

Changing Mouse Defaults

If you did not change your mouse defaults in the OpenWindows environment they should stay the same within CDE. If you want to change your defaults, use the Style Manager Mouse dialog box. Some of the names have been changed for the functions: You still have double-click, acceleration, and threshold. Mouse button order in CDE is called "handedness. See Chapter 1, "Basic Skills," in Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.