A User's View

The AnswerBook software enables viewers to access AnswerBook titles and swap them in or out of a library, as they might use books from a shelf. Users can browse, search, set bookmarks, and print from their AnswerBook Viewer window.

Typically the user starts AnswerBook from a command line (by entering answerbook) or from file manager. When the new AnswerBook Navigator opens, it displays the contents of the user's personal library. Figure 20-1 shows the AnswerBook interface displayed after a user starts the AnswerBook software.

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Note - The contents of the user's library varies according to which AnswerBook packages are installed, and, in the case of users accessing AnswerBook titles on a network, which ones have been made available by the system administrator.

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A System Administrator's View

Two files and one environment variable support a user's AnswerBook library interface: the ~/.ab_library file, the master ab_cardcatalog file, and the AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable.

The personal library file is named ~/.ab_library. The AnswerBook startup software creates it the first time the user starts AnswerBook. This file stores the user's selected AnswerBook titles and bookmarks. When AnswerBook packages have been installed locally, the answerbook startup script automatically recognizes and configures them for viewing. No special procedure is necessary to enable use of AnswerBooks on a local system. (See the ab_cardcatalog(4)man page for more details.)

The ab_cardcatalog file is required when you want a central repository of AnswerBooks that you want to make available to clients on the network. Whereas the AnswerBook startup software creates and updates a user's personal ~/.ab_library file, you must create and manage the ab_cardcatalog file.

When enabling clients on a network to access a central AnswerBook server (a single system with all available AnswerBooks), you must also set an environment variable on all clients. The AnswerBook software consults the AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable to determine where on the network to look for AnswerBooks.

Guidelines for AnswerBook Administration

To enable all users on a network to browse the same set of AnswerBook titles, you can choose either one of the following approaches:

• Server-side AnswerBook administration - In this administration model, you create a network-wide AnswerBook server with a master ab_cardcatalog file. You share the master ab_cardcatalog file with all users and make its location known to clients by setting their AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable.
• Client-side AnswerBook administration - In this model, you create individual ~/.ab_cardcatalog) files for each user and update those personal card catalogs to reflect network-wide AnswerBook titles.

Because it's generally easier to manage information from a single server than from multiple clients, it is recommended you use the server-side model for AnswerBook administration. The following sections describe use of a master ab_cardcatalog file and AB_CARDCATLOG environment variable as they relate to the server-side administration model.

The Master ab_cardcatalog File

The ab_cardcatalog file is a database of AnswerBooks available to the user. The ab_cardcatalog file has a series of records that describe an AnswerBook. Each AnswerBook record includes its title, unique ID, and location. For example, Figure 20-2 shows a sample record for SUNWAxg (the Solaris XGL 3.1 AnswerBook) in a master ab_cardcatalog file.

:id=SUNWab_10_4: \ :version=: \ :title=Solaris XGL 3.1 AnswerBook: \ :tocpath=/net/marvin/opt/SUNWAxg/toc: \ :pspath=/net/marvin/opt/SUNWAxg/ps: \ :indexpath=/net/marvin/SUNWAxg/index:\ . . .

Figure 20-2 Sample AnswerBook Record in the ab_cardcatalog File

Every installed AnswerBook package has its own ab_cardcatalog file. (Before Solaris 2.2, the AnswerBook card catalog file was called the bookinfo file.) The master ab_cardcatalog file must contain all of the information from each AnswerBook ab_cardcatalog file. The master ab_cardcatalog file must be updated whenever an AnswerBook package is added or removed from the network.

The ab_admin command is the interface for creating and managing the ab_cardcatalog file. (See the ab_admin(1) man page for more details.) It resides in /usr/openwin/bin and can be used to add, remove, and modify AnswerBook records in the ab_cardcatalog file.

The AB_CARDCATALOG Environment Variable

To access a central AnswerBook server, each client on the network must have a local environment variable named AB_CARDCATALOG. This environment variable must be set to the path the master ab_cardcatalog file on the AnswerBook server. Then, when a user types the answerbook command, the AnswerBook startup software knows where to find all the AnswerBooks available on the network.

There are several ways to set this environment variable for users. Three are described in this section:

• Creating a site-specific initialization file and sourcing it from the users' initialization file. (This is the recommended way to set up the AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable.) In this model, you use a site-specific initialization file, and then modify the /etc/skel initialization files to source the site-specific file. This model is the easiest to administer and maintain. For a detailed procedure, see "Use Site Initialization Files" on page 24 and"How to Enable Clients to Access an AnswerBook Server" on page 369.)
• Modifying the /etc/skel initialization files. In this model, you modify the default initialization files in /etc/skel and distribute it to all new users. For example, you could set the AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable in the /etc/skel/local.profile and /etc/skel/local.cshrc files. Then, you could use these default initialization files for each new user. However, this method doesn't provide a way to set the AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable for existing users.
• Writing a shell script and making it available to all users. In this model, you write a simple shell script and distribute it from a central software server. This assumes the software server shares software and its path is in every user's initialization files. This script must be named answerbook_setup and be executable (have permissions set to 755).

  Following are sample scripts for sh and ksh:

#!/bin/sh AB_CARDCATALOG=AB_net_path/ab_cardcatalog:${AB_CARDCATALOG} export AB_CARDCATALOG

#!/bin/ksh AB_CARDCATALOG=AB_net_path/ab_cardcatalog:${AB_CARDCATALOG}

In these scripts,

AB_net_path...Is the path to the ab_cardcatalog file that will be shared with clients on the network.

Note: You must use the automounter path for clients to be able to access the server's ab_cardcatalog correctly. (An automounter path typically begins with /net/hostname/).

AnswerBook Startup Process

When the user starts AnswerBook on the desktop, the AnswerBook Navigator consults the following in this order:

1. The user's own card catalog (~/.ab_cardcatalog)

2. The AB_CARDCATALOG environment variable, which points to one or more card catalog files of available AnswerBook packages)

3. The user's AnswerBook library file (~/.ab_library)

4. The pkginfo(1) database (to find locally installed AnswerBooks)

Environment Variables Useful in AnswerBook Administration

Several environment variables support AnswerBook use and setup, as shown in Table 20-1.

Table 20-1

Environment Variables and Settings	Notes
PATH=/usr/openwin/bin:${PATH}	The answerbook startup script and the ab_admin utility reside in /usr/openwin/bin.
DISPLAY=hostname:0.0	The DISPLAY setting is helpful when displaying AnswerBook packages on a remote system.
AB_CARDCATALOG=AB-net-path	AB-net-path is the automounter path to the master ab_cardcatalog file.

Compatibility Issues With Older Versions of AnswerBook

Before Solaris 2.2, the central database file for AnswerBooks available on the network was called the bookinfo file. This file was managed with the abmerge utility. With the Solaris 2.2 release, the bookinfo file was replaced with the ab_cardcatalog file, which is managed with the ab_admin utility.

If an old bookinfo file is on your network, convert it to an ab_cardcatalog file. You can do this with the ab_admin command. (This procedure is described in "How to Convert a bookfinfo File To an ab_cardcatalog File" on page 371.)

If your site used any individual or customized AnswerBook startup scripts before Solaris 2.2, they should be removed in favor of the generic AnswerBook startup script (see answerbook(1)), delivered as part of the OpenWindows package with Solaris 2.2 and subsequent releases.

Compatibility of AnswerBook Viewers and Navigators

The current AnswerBook viewer enables users to view all versions of AnswerBook packages, including those preceding Solaris 2.2. However, if you have AnswerBook software that was delivered before Solaris 2.2, that viewer cannot be used to view AnswerBook packages published in Solaris 2.2 or any later releases.

Bookmarks that users have created in AnswerBook titles that predate Solaris 2.2 are not compatible with the current AnswerBook navigator.

AnswerBook on X Terminals

AnswerBook pages are rendered using the Display PostScript^(TM) system from Adobe^(R) Systems. AnswerBook can be displayed remotely on any Solaris system that is running the Display PostScript system, which is installed by default with the appropriate fonts and software. (Display PostScript is installed as part of Solaris.)

In addition, AnswerBook may be displayed remotely on other X-based systems if they meet the following requirements:

• The remote X-based system supports the Display PostScript extension to X or supports Adobe Display PostScript NX software's remote display capabilities.
• The remote X-based system (or appropriate host) is installed with a complete LWII Type1 font set.

To determine if your system or terminal is running Display PostScript, see the procedure "How to Determine If Display PostScript Is Available" on page 374.

For additional information about the Display PostScript system, send email with your name, company, address, and phone number to:

dps-info@adobe.com

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Note - AnswerBook sets can also be displayed on remote systems that are running NeWS.

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