About This Book

Who Should Read This Book

This book is aimed at users of the Solaris^TM System Software (version 2.x). The Solaris System Software consists of SunOS^TM and OpenWindows^TM.

See Appendix B, Making the Transition to Solaris 2.5 if you are transitioning from Solaris 1.x to Solaris 2.x.

Before Reading This Book

Your system should be installed and ready for use. If it is not, see the installation manual specific to your system before continuing.

Additional Reading

The Solaris System Software AnswerBook provides access to a number of books about the Solaris software, which are organized into the following related sets:

• Sun Administrator's Set

  This set offers detailed installation and system administration information for a variety of system configurations, including larger networks of Sun workstations.

• Sun Developer's Set

  This set gives software developers the information they need to write, debug, and maintain programs on the system.

• Sun Reference Manual Set

  This set contains a description for every SunOS command. Called man pages, they can optionally be installed as online documentation.

• Sun User's Set

  This set offers a detailed description of various aspects of the SunOS system, including using SunOS commands, working with OpenWindows, customizing your work environment, handling problems, writing shell scripts, using electronic mail, and working on the network.

Typographic Conventions

The following conventions are used in this guide:

• Italic type is used for emphasis, command arguments, variables, and book titles. For example:

  You must type the filename argument as described in man Pages(1): User Commands.

• Courier bold type indicates what you type during a sample session. For example:

• Courier type is used for program listings, command names, program names, or system names. For example:

  You can become superuser by typing root at the login prompt or by typing the su command at the command prompt.

  It is also used for text that the system displays on the screen. For example:

• Names of mouse buttons are referred to by function, not by location, and are capitalized. For example, "Press SELECT" is used, not "Press left."

  Figure P-1 Default Functions of the Mouse Buttons

  
  

  For a three-button mouse, the default function assignments are:

  • SELECT = the left mouse button

  • ADJUST = the middle mouse button

  • MENU = the right mouse button

  For a two-button mouse, the default function assignments are:

  • SELECT = the left mouse button

  • MENU = the right mouse button

  To use the ADJUST function on a two-button mouse, press and hold the keyboard Shift key and click the SELECT mouse button.

• Names of keys on the keyboard have initial capitals (for example, Press the Shift key). The key referred to as Return is labeled Enter on some keyboards.

Solaris supports both SPARC and x86 or PowerPC-based machines, whose keyboards differ. Consequently, some keyboard equivalents of commands found in OpenWindows menus differ, according to keyboard. For most keyboard equivalents, Solaris supports a Meta key combination that can be used on both platforms. See Chapter 1, Logging In to SunOS and Starting OpenWindows for a list of command functions and their various keyboard equivalents.

• Open Windows menu commands carried out using keyboard equivalents (also called keyboard accelerators) are represented in this manual with the following convention: a dash ( - ) indicates that you press two keys at the same time.

  For example, Ctrl-Alt means that you press and hold both the Control and Alt keys at the same time; Ctrl-Alt-c means that you press and hold Control and Alt at the same time and simultaneously type c.

• Keyboard equivalents are obtained by pressing the Meta key and one or more additional keys on the keyboard. On SPARC keyboards the Meta key is the <> key; on x86 or PowerPC keyboards the Meta key is obtained by pressing the Ctrl and Alt keys simultaneously (Ctrl-Alt). For more information on keyboard equivalents, see Chapter 1, Logging In to SunOS and Starting OpenWindows.

• This guide uses the following notation to describe choosing a menu option. For example: choose Workspace » Programs.

• When the entire menu is discussed, or when the default menu item is discussed, a default ring, surrounds the default item of the menu. By default clicking SELECT on a menu button displays the entire menu.

Platform-Specific Conventions

The following symbols preceding a section or procedure title indicate that the section or procedure pertains only to the particular platform:

SPARC Denotes a SPARC platform-specific section or procedure

x86 Denotes an x86 platform-specific section or procedure

PowerPC Denotes a PowerPC platform-specific section or procedure

Platform-specific notes are indicated as follows:

This note is specific to the SPARC platform.

This note is specific to the x86 platform.

This note is specific to the PowerPC platform.

Platform-specific bullet items are indicated as follows:

• SPARC: This bullet is specific to the SPARC platform.

• x86: This bullet is specific to the x86 platform.

• PowerPC: This bullet is specific to the PowerPC platform.

If a code sample, table, or figure pertains to a specific platform, the name of the particular platform appears at the beginning of the title. For example:

Table 1-1 SPARC: Title Specific to SPARC Platform

Table 1-2 x86: Title Specific to x86 Platform

Table 1-3 PowerPC: Title Specific to PowerPC Platform