Exceed 9/10 for UDHow to Use ExceedThe document is divided into the following sections. You may read them all or skip immediately to the parts that interest you.
Automatic Software Updates[top of page] [next section]Before using Exceed for the first time, it's a good idea to check for software updates on Hummingbird's website. Exceed includes a tool to do this automatically, called Hummingbird Update. To run it, open the "Hummingbird Connectivity Vx" program group (on the Start menu under programs, or on the desktop), open the System Administration sub-group, and choose "Hummingbird Update". Click "Yes" if prompted to install any updates. It is a good idea to check for updates periodically. Information about important updates will also be posted on the addenda and errata page, as it becomes available. Starting Exceed[top of page] [previous section] [next section]There are three ways to connect to remote systems and open X applications with Exceed: X11 tunneling via SSH is the most secure method. All information passed between your PC and the host system will be encrypted. Connecting via XDMCP is less secure than SSH tunneling (information sent between the systems is not encrypted), but still provides some measure of security by preventing other users from opening spurious windows on your machine or otherwise interfering with your sessions. Unmanaged connections (using procedures such as rexec or rlogin) are INsecure, and may allow other users to tamper with your system. In general, it is ill-advised to connect in this fashion unless the host you are connecting to supports neither SSH nor XDMCP. NOTE to off-campus users: If you connect to the Internet via cable modem or DSL, or you have multiple computers sharing your internet connection and the computer running Exceed is not directly connected to your ISP (this includes Windows' "Internet Connection Sharing", many cable/DSL routers, etc.), then it is possible that only the X11 tunneling via SSH method will work without requiring changes to your home network setup. The tunneling via SSH method will work as long as you are able to open a secure shell session on the remote host. If you wish to use one of the other methods, you may need to contact your ISP's techincal support for help in reconfiguring your equipment. Tunneling via SSHThis is the most secure method for using Exceed, and is highly recommended. In order to connect via this method, you will need an SSH client which supports X11 tunneling. One such client for Windows is available from SSH.com, and is free for academic and personal use. You can download a copy from the University's software distribution site. The installation is automatic. To enable X11 tunneling:
To run X applications on a remote host and tunnel their output via SSH to Exceed on
your PC:
Note: SSH tunnelling may slow down your connection slightly on the local network. However, it can provide a significant increase in speed over modem connections if you turn on compression in the SSH client. [top of page] [previous section] [next section] Using XDMCP to Establish a SessionThis method is less highly recommended, but still better than an unmanaged connection
(see below). To start an X session using XDMCP:
[top of page] [previous section] [next section] Using an Unmanaged ConnectionThis method is not recommended, but may be necessary or expedient if a host you
need to use do not support SSH or XDM connections. If you expect to use the this
method regularly, consult your department's server administrator or User Services
staff to determine ways to improve your system security.
NOTE: If you already have one or more X windows open, attempting to open open additional windows via the method described above 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 currently open X windows. ALSO NOTE: you can not mix unmanaged connections in the same session with XDMCP-managed connections - attempting to start one while the other type is running will require a server reset, which will kill all of your open X windows. "Housekeeping" Issues[top of page] [previous section] [next section]The following items address minor configuration settings which you may want to change from the defaults: Toggling Taskbar / System Tray IconYou can make the Exceed "X" icon appear in the system tray (bottom left of the screen, near the clock) rather than in the taskbar when the Exceed server is running. To toggle this behavior, right-click on the icon in the tray or taskbar and select the "Tools" menu and then "Show(Hide) Main Icon". Exceed (usually) remembers this setting from one use to the next.Showing / Hiding the ToolbarExceed has a toolbar, which you probably saw pop up the first time you ran Exceed after installation. Once you close it, it will not open automatically on subsequent runs. To re-activate the toolbar, right-click on the Exceed "X" icon in the taskbar or system tray and select "Tools", then "Toolbar", then "Show". You can also customize this toolbar by choosing "Customize" from this sub-menu.Adding / Removing ComponentsThe "typical" option in the Exceed installer leaves out many non-essential components, and the installation instructions recommend an even further culled set of features. If, after installation, you wish to add or remove components, open the Add/Remove Programs control panel, choose "Hummingbird Exceed Vx", click "Add/Remove" (or "Change" in Windows 2000/XP), choose the "Modify" option, and select the items that you want to add or remove. You will need to re-insert the Exceed CD (or re-extract the installation files if you bought and downloaded Exceed from the web and deleted the installation files after running the installer).Note: After adding or removing any components, you should re-run Hummingbird Update (see above) to ensure that all components are up-to-date. Tuning Exceed (XPerf)When you install Exceed it gives you the option to run XPerf, which attempts to tune Exceed for the best performance for your particular graphics hardware. If you skipped this step, or change hardware, then you may want to run XPerf again. To do so, run XConfig (on the Programs menu under "Hummingbird Connectivity Vx/Exceed"), choose "Other Server Settings" (or "Performance" if you are viewing configuration options in "classic" mode), and click the "Tune" button.Quitting Exceed and Logging Out[top of page] [previous section] [next section]
All X windows are terminated whenever you exit or restart the Exceed server,
regardless of which connection method you use. To exit the Exceed server:
If your session is managed by XDMCP (see above), you can also shutdown the Exceed server by closing the controlling X window. The controlling window is whichever application is listed last in your .xsession file in your composers account, without a trailing ampersand (&). (If you have the default .xsession file, the last and only application that is started is an xterm window). All other X windows you have opened will be automatically terminated and you will be logged out. Note: When you are done with your work and ready to quit, make sure that the Exceed server is completely shutdown (no "X" icon in your taskbar or system tray). Otherwise you may inadvertantly leave unwanted processes running on the remote system. Connecting to Other Systems[top of page] [previous section] [next section]
Warning: using xrsh between the composers is relatively secure because the connections only traverse dedicated paths between those machines. Using xrsh/tnxhost between the composers and other hosts is not recommended, because these connection methods are insecure. X11 tunnelling via SSH is the recommended connection method for all hosts. Using SSH w/tunnelling, you can open multiple secure shell sessions to different hosts simultaneously, and run X applications on each of these hosts. Middle Mouse-Button[top of page] [previous section] [next section]X 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. (In order for this third-button emulation to work, it must be turned on in the Exceed configuration. For more information see the Mouse section of Configuring Exceed.) If you have a wheel mouse, you can press down on the wheel for the third button. Cut/Copy/Paste Between X and MS Windows Applications[top of page] [previous section]In X 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 X 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 central systems account as described in Customizing Your Composers Account you can also cut, copy and paste between Microsoft Windows and X windows as follows:
|