Preface

Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide describes the basic features of the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). It describes how to use the desktop and desktop applications.

Who Should Use This Book

This book is intended for users who have Solaris Common Desktop Environment installed on their workstation and who plan to use it as their default desktop. To use this book, you should also be familiar with a three-button mouse, graphical user interfaces, and typing commands at a command-line prompt.

Before You Read This Book

You should first read the following book:

Solaris Common Desktop Environment: User's Transition Guide

How This Book Is Organized

This book contains the following chapters:

Chapter 1, Basic Skills describes the basic skills you need to work with the Common Desktop Environment, keyboard navigation, and some common interface aspects of the desktop.

Chapter 2, Starting a Desktop Session describes how to log in to and out of the desktop, and how to set the session that will appear at login.

Chapter 3, Getting Help explains how to get help about an application and how to navigate within the help viewer.

Chapter 4, Using the Front Panel describes the Front Panel, a special desktop window that contains a set of controls for doing common tasks. It explains the Front Panel controls and how to customize the Front Panel.

Chapter 5, Managing Files with File Manager explains how to work with files and folders in the graphical user interface File Manager. It describes basic skills, navigation, manipulating and locating files and folders, and the Trash Can.

Chapter 6, Running Applications from the Desktop explains how to run applications from the desktop using Application Manager, File Manager, the Front Panel, and terminal emulator windows.

Chapter 7, Customizing the Desktop Environment explains how to use Style Manager to customize the look and behavior of your desktop. It also describes how to set personal environment variables.

Chapter 8, Using Mailer describes how to send and receive electronic mail messages through Mailer, and how to add and retrieve attachments.

Chapter 9, Printing explains how to print through the desktop, and how to change the default printer.

Chapter 10, Using Text Editor describes the desktop Text Editor, which you can use to create and edit short documents such as memos, mail messages, or resource files.

Chapter 11, Using Calendar explains how to use Calendar to set appointments for yourself or a group, and how to create To Do lists.

Chapter 12, Using Terminal explains how to display and customize terminal emulator windows on the desktop.

Chapter 13, Using Icon Editor explains how to create files for use as desktop icons or backdrops.

Chapter 14, Using Image Viewer describes how to capture snapshots and to view, edit, print, and translate the file formats of monochrome and color images and multiple page documents such as PostScript files.

Chapter 15, Using Audio describes how to use Audio to record or play audio files.

Appendix A, Keyboard Shortcuts for the Desktop describes desktop keyboard navigation.

Appendix B, Running Localized Sessions explains how to change the language for your desktop session, and how to change fonts for different languages.

Glossary is a list of words and phrases found in this book and their definitions.

Related Books

Once you've read this book, you may want to read more detailed information on the desktop inSolaris Common Desktop Environment: Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide.

Ordering Sun Documents

The SunDocs^sm program provides more than 250 manuals from Sun Microsystems, Inc. If you live in the United States, Canada, Europe, or Japan, you can purchase documentation sets or individual manuals using this program.

For a list of documents and how to order them, see the catalog section of SunExpress(TM) On The Internet at http://www.sun.com/sunexpress.

What Typographic Changes Mean

The following table describes the typographic changes used in this book.

Table P-1 Typographic Conventions


Typeface or Symbol	Meaning	Example
`AaBbCc123`	The names of commands, files, and directories; on-screen computer output	Edit your `.login` file. Use `ls` `-a` to list all files. `machine_name% You have mail.`
`AaBbCc123`	What you type, contrasted with on-screen computer output	`machine_name%` `su` `Password:`
`AaBbCc123`	Command-line placeholder: replace with a real name or value	To delete a file, type `rm` `filename`.
AaBbCc123	Book titles, new words or terms, or words to be emphasized	Read Chapter 6 in User's Guide. These are called class options. You must be root to do this.

Shell Prompts in Command Examples

The following table shows the default system prompt and superuser prompt for the C shell, Bourne shell, and Korn shell.

Table P-2 Shell Prompts


Shell	Prompt
C shell prompt	`machine_name%`
C shell superuser prompt	`machine_name#`
Bourne shell and Korn shell prompt	`$`
Bourne shell and Korn shell superuser prompt	`#`