To read about the new improved easier method for getting an X-connection to the Math SUNs from a ITaP PC,

please click HERE.

The new way uses a secure ssh connection and Hummingbird Exceed. (I also explain how to get these programs for your home PC.)

What follows is the old way to do this using PC-Xware. It is buggy and insecure. I do not recommend it.


Setting up an X-connection to MATH from a ITaP PC using PC-Xware

I explain here how to turn a ITaP PC into a Math Dept SUN Ultra -- the only difference will be that the ITaP PC keyboard doesn't have a coating of sticky dirt on it.

This guide assumes PC-Xware is installed on the ITaP PC (MS Windows) machine in front of you.

First, you must gain access to the PC by loging on with your Purdue Career Account login ID and password. If you do not have these, or you forgot what they are, go to the ITaP office at MATH 231 for help or get them from the information desk at the lab you are in. You might even be able to swipe your Purdue ID card on the card reader at the top of the keyboard of a machine in the lab if they are equipped with them. (Or you can login with your ph alias and password if you know them.)

After a few seconds, the Windows desktop will appear.

If the only thing you need to do is to check your e-mail on your math account, then you will want to simply open a telnet session to peano.math.purdue.edu. See telnetting to math from a ITaP PC.

If you want to run programs on math that create special windows or graphics from a ITaP PC (like xdvi, ghostview, xfig, xv, acroread, emacs, xedit, xmh, etc.), you will want to run these programs from an xterm to math.


Setting up a PC-Xware session to math using XDM

  1. Select Start > Standard Software > Telecommnications...
    ...> NCD PC-Xware > PC-Xware Connection Wizard
  2. Select the third option, "Begin an X session managed by a remort host (XDM)" > Next
  3. Select "Connect to a specific host (XDM Query)" > Next
  4. Select "Specify" ... and enter the host peano.math.purdue.edu > Next
  5. Enter a session name, such as math and select "Finish"

Your session will appear in the list of sessions the PC-Xware knows about.

Now you can start an XDM session by double clicking on the XDM math icon in the Connects window.

To save the configuration in your ITaP Career Account for future use (and this is a good idea), RIGHT CLICK on the icon and select copy. From the Start menu, open Windows Explorer and select the H: drive. Paste the math PC-Xware session icon in your H: drive. You may now launch a PC-Xware session in a ITaP PC lab from your ITaP Career Account by double clicking on the icon in your career account.

NOTE 1. You will have to repeat all the steps above every time you log in to a ITaP PC unless you copy the math session icon to your career account.

NOTE 2. When you log out from a connection, the X server does not exit until you shut it down. First type "exit" in your first xterm window. Next, click and hold on the "Shutdown" button in the little box and then choose "Immediately." Finally, terminate the X server by clicking on the little "television" icon next to the clock on the main menu bar and sellecting "terminate." (You should always do this last step before logging off the PC.)

NOTE 3. If you iconify the XDM session and then select the PC-Xware screen from the MS Windows task bar, the MS Windows task bar is not visible, press Control-ESC to view the MS Windows task bar OR move the X window until a small part of the MS Windows desktop shows on the left or right side.

If everything comes up way to big, you might try setting the screen resolution on the PC to the maximum allowable setting. (Do this by clicking on the "My computer" icon, then the "Control Panel" icon, then the "Display" icon, then click on "Settings" and pull the resolution adjustment arrow all the way to the right. Then click on "Apply.")


To modify the properties of connections you have created:

  1. Start > Programs > NCD PC-Xware > PC-Xware Connections
  2. Right click the icon of the connection to be modified and select "Properties".
  3. Select the Connection Tab and Change Properties...


You can switch back and forth between various programs by clicking on the icons at the top of the screen. For example, it you click on the netscape icon, the netscape window will come to the foreground and the math window will be behind it. To get the math window back in front, just click on the math box at the top of the screen.

If you find the font in the math xterm window too small or too large, you can change it by positioning the mouse inside the xterm window and holding down the CONTROL key while pushing the right mouse button. Select a different sized font from the menu by releasing the right mouse button at the appropriate menu item. (Another nice thing to know is that you can simulate a MIDDLE MOUSE button push on a SUN mouse by pushing both mouse buttons at the same time on the PC.)

If you find the magnification in an xdvi window too small or too large, you can change it by typing s4 in the window. Try different positive integers after the s until you like what you see.

You can run commands on math from the ITaP PC. For example, to run xmaple, type

xmaple &

(The ampersand "&" puts the xmaple job in the "background" so that you can continue to type commands in the xterm window while xmaple is running.) The xmaple graphics windows will appear on the screen of your ITaP PC in a few seconds exactly as they would on a math machine console.

To run matlab, you would type

matlab

without an ampersand at the end.

Even though it is easy to run Maple and Matlab from a math xterm, we recommend that you run Maple and Matlab locally on a ITaP PC.

HELPFUL HINT: Holding down the left and right mouse buttons at the same time on a ITaP PC simulates pushing the middle mouse button on a SUN mouse.


You are now ready to move on to the next section, e-mail using pine


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