Exceed 6.2 for UD

How to Use Exceed 6.2

The online version of this document is maintained at:

http://www.udel.edu/topics/connect/sw/exceed/docs-6.2/UD-Exceed-how-to-use.html

This version of Exceed is outdated. Current Exceed documentation for UD is is maintained at:

http://www.udel.edu/topics/connect/sw/exceed/docs/index.html

Exceed is a software package that transforms a Microsoft Windows™ (95/98 or NT/2000) PC into a fully X-capable workstation. It allows you to access UNIX-based applications from within the MS Windows environment. It also lets you interact with multiple UNIX-based applications and Microsoft Windows-based applications at the same time. Exceed consists of two major parts: an X Window display server that enables you to use X clients on your PC and on remote hosts (e.g., Copland, Strauss, Mahler, departmental UNIX systems) and a collection of communication utilities such as ftp and telnet.

The document is divided into the following sections. You may read them all or skip immediately to the parts that interest you.

Starting Exceed

[
top of page]    [next section]

Exceed provides two ways to connect to remote systems:

The XDMCP method is generally preferable, especially when using the central UNIX systems (Copland, Strauss, Mahler). This is because the XDMCP method keeps the keyboard, mouse, and display more secure from users who might try to interfere with your sessions.

The non-XDMCP method is not secure, and may allow other users to tamper with your system. The most likely cases in which you would use this method include connecting to a server which does not support XDMCP, or if most of your work is NOT done on the central UNIX systems.

Starting Exceed Using the XDMCP Method

This is the recommended method, especially for Copland, Mahler and Strauss.

  1. Double-click the "Exceed" ( or "Exceed (XDM)" ) icon on the Windows desktop.
    Or, from the Start menu, select Programs / Exceed / "Exceed (XDM)".
  2. A login window will appear requesting your username and password.
  3. Type your username and press Enter. Type your password and press Enter.
  4. If this login process succeeds, a yellow "X" Exceed icon appears on the taskbar.
You can open additional windows on the composers (Copland, Strauss, Mahler) as well as on departmental systems using commands described in the section
Connecting to Other Systems Using the XDMCP Method below.

Starting Exceed using the Non-XDMCP Method

This method is not recommended, but may be necessary or convenient if the systems you primarily use do not support XDM connections. If you expect to use the non-XDMCP method regularly, consult your department's server administrator or User Services staff to determine ways to improve your security.

  1. From the Start menu, select Programs / Exceed / "Exceed (non-XDM)". (If you don't have this icon, you can create one: do a search on your hard drive for a file named "localunix.ses", make a shortcut to that file, and put the shortcut in your Exceed menu. If you don't have this file, see customizing Exceed to download a copy of it.)
  2. A login window will appear requesting a host system, your username and password, and an application command.
  3. You have several ways to select a UNIX host system to connect to, and an application (e.g., Xterm, SAS) to run. You may use the mouse to select an application/host combination from a single pop-up list. Alternatively, you may select a host system from one pop-up list, or type a host system name yourself. You may then select an application from a second pop-up list, or type the application command yourself.
    • Selecting an application and a host system from a single pop-up list:
      1. Click the "" button on the Command: line.
      2. Double-click the application name; then double-click the host system's name.
    or
    • Selecting a host system first and an application command second:
      1. Select host system:
        • select from a list of pre-set choices:
          1. Click the "" button on the Host: line.
          2. Double-click a UNIX host system's name.
        or
        • enter a host name manually:
          1. Click in the Host: field.
          2. Type the name of the host system.

      2. Selecting application command:
        • select from a list of pre-set choices:
          1. Click the "" button on the Command: line.
          2. Double-click the application name.
        or
        • enter a command manually:
          1. Click in the Command: field.
          2. Type the UNIX application command after "setenv DISPLAY @d;".
            NOTE: Do not erase the text that is already in the field or your command will not work!

  4. Complete login form:
    1. Click in the User ID field; type your username.
    2. Press Tab. Type your password.
    3. Click OK on the login window to connect.
    4. If the login process succeeds, a yellow "X" Exceed icon appears on the taskbar.

NOTE: If you already have Exceed windows open, using the method described above to open additional windows will cause a dialog box to pop up stating that the server is already running and asking if you'd like to re-start it. Click No. Clicking Yes will close all of your previous Exceed windows.

Quitting Exceed and Logging Out

[top of page]    [previous section]    [next section]

The entire Exceed process is terminated when you close the Exceed server, regardless of which connection method you use. To close the Exceed server, click with the right mouse button on the Exceed icon in the Windows taskbar and select Close.

If you connected using the XDMCP method, you can also close the Exceed server by closing the initial Copland Xterm window. All other UNIX application windows you have opened (e.g., Xterm, Maple, SAS, Netscape) will be automatically terminated and you will be logged out.

To close an Xterm window, type exit at the UNIX prompt (%) in that window; or use the Microsoft Windows convention of clicking the close button (the X in the upper-right corner of the Xterm window).

Connecting to Other Systems Using the XDMCP Method

[
top of page]    [previous section]    [next section]

  • Connecting to Strauss, Copland and Mahler for the same username:
    At the UNIX prompt (%) in an Xterm window, type:

    onstrauss        to connect to Strauss.
    oncopland        to connect to Copland.
    onmahler         to connect to Mahler.

    These commands will work only if you already have completed the steps outlined in Customizing Your Composers Account. You can create the aliases manually by editing the .alias file in your directory on the composers and add the following lines:

    alias onstrauss 'xrsh -auth none strauss'
    alias oncopland 'xrsh -auth none copland'
    alias onmahler  'xrsh -auth none mahler'

    After you've made the changes, you must type the UNIX command:

    source ~/.alias

    to make the changes take effect (or log out and log back in again).

  • Connecting to other UNIX systems:
    At the UNIX prompt (%) in an Xterm window, type:

    xrsh hostname or xrsh -l username hostname
    (replacing hostname with the target machine's name, and username with your username on the target machine).

    To use xrsh, you must have a properly configured .rhosts file on the system to which you are connecting. If xrsh fails, use the special telnet tnxhost alias:

    tnxhost hostname
    (replacing hostname with the machine's name). This alias is created on your UNIX account when you get the special UNIX files described in the document Customizing Your Composers Account.

Running Other X Applications

[
top of page]    [previous section]    [next section]

  • Software available on the current system: type the software's command at the UNIX prompt (%).

  • Software available on a different system: issue an xrsh command (or an alias such as onstrauss) that indicates which system and which software to run. For example, to run interactive SAS on Strauss, type the following command at the UNIX prompt (%):

    onstrauss sas

    Similarly, to run Maple on Mahler, type the following at the UNIX prompt (%):

    onmahler xmaple

    (If the system responds "Command not found: onmahler", you will need to create the onmahler alias. See the instructions above in Connecting to Other Systems.)

Middle Mouse-Button

[
top of page]    [previous section]    [next section]

UNIX applications that require you to press the middle mouse-button of a 3-button mouse can still be used with a 2-button mouse. Simultaneously press both buttons of your 2-button mouse to emulate the 3-button mouse's middle button. Or if you have a Microsoft IntelliMouse™ (with a dial between the two buttons) or a similar dial-equipped mouse, you may press down on the dial instead.

Cut/Copy/Paste Between UNIX and MS Windows Applications

[top of page]    [previous section]

In UNIX applications that run in an Xterm window, you can copy and paste within the same Xterm window or between Xterm windows by first highlighting the section to be copied. Paste the highlighted area into an Xterm window by pressing the middle mouse-button, just as you would on an X-terminal. The pasting occurs at the point designated by the UNIX cursor. Instructions above describe how to press the middle mouse-button when you're using a 2-button mouse.

In Microsoft Windows applications (e.g., Word, Excel) you generally highlight a section and then press Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, and Ctrl-V to cut, copy, and paste within or between Microsoft Windows application windows. (You may also use the entries on the Edit menu in most applications.)

After customizing your UNIX account as described in Customizing Your Composers Account you can also cut, copy and paste between Microsoft Windows and UNIX windows as follows:

  • To copy (or cut) from a Microsoft Windows window to a UNIX Xterm window:
    1. Highlight the desired section of the Microsoft Windows window and press Ctrl-C (Ctrl-X to cut).
    2. Click once in the UNIX Xterm window (taking care not to highlight anything in the Xterm window) and press Alt-V. There are two Alt keys on most PC keyboards. You must use the one to the right of the spacebar. (If you have a non-standard keyboard that doesn't have two Alt keys, consult User Services staff for ways around this problem.)
  • To copy (or cut) from a UNIX Xterm window to a Microsoft Windows window:
    1. Highlight the desired section of the Xterm window, and press Alt-C (Alt-X to cut). Make sure you use the right-hand Alt key! NOTE: do not move the mouse pointer before you press Alt-C (or Alt-X).
    2. Click once in the Microsoft Windows window (or highlight the text to be replaced) and press Ctrl-V.
NOTE: When copying from any UNIX application that runs in its own window (not an Xterm window) you may need to use that program's own cut/copy/paste key combinations. These can be determined from the Edit menu entries for the individual UNIX application.


Copyright © 2000 University of Delaware
Last revised: Februrary 9, 2000