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Working in the RCE Summer 2009

Working in the RCE Summer 2009

Guide Overview

This guide provides information about basic features and functions that might be useful when you begin working within the RCE. The RCE supports the following applications, tools, and utilities described in this guide:

Basics - Mouse conventions, workspaces, menus, directories, window sizing, terminal windows
General office applications - Writer, Impress, Calc
The emacs editor - Tutorial links, LaTeX documents and rendering
Files - Transferring and printing
Maintenance - Terminating, modifying ownership, changing passwords and shells, and more

Before you can use any of the applications and tools available in the RCE, you must connect to the RCE successfully. Refer to the guide Connecting to the RCE Summer 2009 for detailed information.

RCE Basics

RCE Basics

When you open the RCE, the desktop is displayed in a window. An example is shown in Figure 1. The open area in the RCE window, the icons on it, the toolbar and toolbar icons, and the workspaces together comprise the RCE. The term desktop sometimes refers to the open space in the RCE window, but this guide refers to that area as the workspace.

When you open the RCE, the desktop is displayed in a window. The open area in the RCE window, the icons on it, the toolbar and toolbar icons, and the workspaces together comprise the RCE. The term desktop sometimes refers to the open space in the RCE window, but this guide refers to that area as the workspace.

Most tasks that you perform in the RCE require that you use a mouse or alternative keyboard shortcuts.

The NX Client window contains standard Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons.

To view an introduction to the RCE, read the GNOME Documentation Library's Desktop Overview. To view a full user guide, use to the following link:

http://library.gnome.org/users/user-guide/2.14/overview.html

Image(s):

Desktop.png

Mouse Conventions

Mouse Conventions

RCE documentation often assumes use of a thee-button mouse. The buttons sometimes are named left-mouse, middle-mouse, and right-mouse. If you use a two-button mouse, you can emulate middle-mouse by pressing left-mouse and right-mouse simultaneously. If you use a wheel mouse, the wheel functions as middle-mouse. Functions available for each mouse button are as follows:

Left-mouse - Select text, select items, drag items, activate items
Middle-mouse - Paste text, move items, move windows to the back
Right-mouse - Open a context menu for an item (if a menu applies)

For example, when viewing files in the RCE file manager, you select a file by placing the cursor on the file and clicking left-mouse. You then do one of the following:

Open (execute) that file by double-clicking left-mouse.
Open the file's context menu by clicking right-mouse.

Note: You can switch button assignments if you are left-handed. In the RCE, choose the Applications menu, Preferences submenu, and then choose the Mouse option. If you switch button assignments, be sure to interpret the terms in this guide accordingly.

If your mouse has unusual button placement, a trackball, or another input device, find out which buttons correspond to left-mouse, middle-mouse, and right-mouse. In general, left-mouse is the default button on which your index finger rests.

This guide uses the terminology listed in the following table to describe actions that you perform with the mouse.

Mouse Action Terminology

Action	Definition
Click	Press and release the left mouse button.
Left-click	Same as Click.
Right-click	Press and release the right mouse button.
Double-click	Press and release the mouse button two times without moving the mouse.
Drag	Press and hold the mouse button while moving the cursor, and then release when the action is complete.
Click-and-hold	Press and do not release the mouse button.

Workspaces

Workspaces

A workspace is a distinct and separate area in the RCE, which provides a convenient tool for organizing work in progress. There are four workspaces in the HMDC RCE. You can open more than one application in the default workspace (Workspace1), or you can open applications in different workspaces and move from one workspace to the other.

Click the gray tabs in the lower-right corner of the RCE to move among your workspaces. To move open applications between workspaces, drag the application's icon from one workspace tab to another.

For example, you can open a browser in Workspace1 by clicking the Applications menu, and then selecting the File Browser option. You then can click the Workspace2 tab and open another browser. Alternatively, you can drag the browser's icon from the Workspace1 tab to the Workspace2 tab to move the open browser.

Menus and Utilities

Menus and Utilities

This section describes the toolbar, menus, and utilities available to all RCE users.

Workspace Menu

Right-click the workspace. The workspace menu is displayed.

If you choose to work on a command line instead of using the GUI, you use a terminal window. To open a terminal window, right-click the workspace, and then choose the Open Terminal option on the workspace menu or type "e".

You can use a terminal window to enter basic commands, but there are menu options within the RCE to perform these tasks. You can type the command man in a terminal window to view online manual descriptions for all commands.

Main Toolbar

The main RCE toolbar contains the red Fedora symbol. This toolbar links to all menus, utilities, and applications within the RCE.

The current version of the RCE includes numerous open-source applications, such as the Mozilla Firefox web browser and the OpenOffice.org (OOo) applications. Other applications include the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) and the Bluefish web development studio. These applications all are bundled in a package by Red Hat, Inc. (The red Fedora symbol is a trademark of Red Hat.)

Applications Menu

Click the Applications menu in the RCE to see menu options. A list of application types is displayed. You must select an application type to view the submenu of applications available for that type.

To use an application of which you know the name but not the location on the menus, click the Actions menu and choose the Run Application option, then click the Run with file button to locate that executable.

The OOo applications are available on the Office submenu. This submenu offers more OOo applications than those available on the toolbar, as well as such other applications as Adobe Reader, Dia Diagrams, and Project Planner.

Note: All HMDC documentation on RCE features and functions is available on the Applications menu Documentation submenu RCE option.

Actions Menu

You use the Actions menu, generally to perform utility-oriented tasks.

Note: By default, the option Lock screen is deactivated. To activate this feature, select the Applications menu, Preferences submenu, and then choose the Screensaver option.

Two options, Search for Files and Recent Documents, are good examples of utilities that help you to organize your work within the RCE. Remember that, if you know the name of an application's executable file, you can use the Run Application option on this menu to start that program.

Toolbar Utilities

To view information about the toolbar utilities, place the cursor on any icon in the toolbar. A pop-up label is displayed that lists the application name and a brief description of its function. These utilities are included in the RCE to provide quick links to the applications that you are most likely to use.

Image(s):

Directories

In the RCE, your home directory contains subdirectories. The following table lists some possible subdirectories that you might find in your home directory, depending on your activities.

RCE Directories

Directory	Contents
`<username's>` Home	Comprises the default location for created and saved files. You can choose to move or save files to other locations.
`shared_space`	Contains symbolic links to project and web spaces, which are other directories to which you might have access but which do not count toward your home directory quota.
`cvswork`	Comprises the CVS working directory that is created when you use the CVS GUI tool to check out a repository. To use other CVS GUI tools, such as Commit Changes or Add Files, this directory must be present.
`public_html`	Contains the files that comprise your personal website (if you have one), `http://people.<subdomain>.harvard.edu/~<username>/`.
`printjobs`	Contains PDF files generated when you print documents to a PDF file in the RCE.

Note: If you delete any of these subdirectories, any function that depends upon the deleted sources will not work. You can recreate these directories by using the Check for RCE Updates option on the Applications menu RCE Utilities submenu. See the section Checking for RCE Updates for detailed information.

Changing the Size of the RCE Window

Changing the Size of the RCE Window

You can resize the RCE by using the NX Client window controls. Grab the bottom-right corner of the client window and drag it dynamically to a different size or shape.

Opening a Terminal Window

Opening a Terminal Window

To work within a command-line interface (CLI), open a terminal window and use the command-line prompt. Right-click an unused portion of the RCE, and then select the option Open Terminal or type "e" to open a terminal window.

Copying and Pasting Text Between Environments

Copying and Pasting Text Between Environments

You can copy text from an application in the RCE and paste it to another application on your local desktop, or from your desktop to the RCE. Select the text you choose to copy, and then select a menu or keyboard shortcut Copy option. In the application to which you choose to paste the text, place the cursor in the location to which you choose to paste the text, and then select a menu or keyboard shortcut Paste option.

If you connect to the RCE from a Mac OSX workstation, note that the most reliable methods of copying and pasting text between environments are to use the right-click context menu, the keyboard shortcuts, or the menus for the applications from which you are copying and pasting.

OpenOffice.org Application Basics

OpenOffice.org Application Basics

Advantages to using OOo applications include the fact that they are available free of charge, and they are freely extensible by any user and freely supported through email groups and online FAQs. OpenOffice.org explains it like this:

"OpenOffice.org is both a fully featured office suite compatible with leading office products, and a virtual community working through OpenOffice.org's numerous projects."

If you encounter difficulties for which you cannot find a solution, then support is available by email in a short time. Also, because the OOo community has produced a substantial amount of documentation on the OOo tools, guides exist for each OOo application in several versions and formats. The following link points you to an index of those documents:

http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors/index.html

Writer

Writer

OOo Writer is an application that adapts all the strengths (and some of the weaknesses) of Microsoft Word, and supplements them with additional word-processing and document-formatting functions. To open Writer, select the Applications menu Office submenu, and choose the OpenOffice.org Writer option.

This section describes how to apply templates and import or export files using Writer. For a complete tutorial on how to use Writer, use the following link:

http://documentation.openoffice.org/HOW_TO/word_processing/writer1_EN.html

Applying Templates to Writer Documents

Applying Templates to Writer Documents

The RCE includes several preloaded templates for use specifically with Writer.

A new Writer document is shown in the following figure.

On the toolbar, place the cursor over the Default option in the Style menu. A pop-up label, Apply Style, is displayed. If you click the Style pull-down menu, you see that there are no other options available in this new document.

Note: Default styles are styles to which you have not applied a template. Re-usable Writer templates are kept in the Default folder.

To create a document that uses a template:

Select the File menu, New submenu, and then choose the Templates and Documents option.

The Templates and Documents window opens.
In the left field, click the Templates icon if it is not selected already.

A list of template folders appears in the Title field in the center of the window.
Double-click the Default folder.

A list of templates in that folder is displayed.
Click WriterTemplate.
If you do not see a preview of the template's properties in the right field, then click the Preview button.
Click Open.

The Templates and Documents window closes and a new document opens in Writer with the selected template applied.

Look at the Style pull-down menu. The Default style is replaced with the style DocumentName, which is the style that applies to the first line of your new document. Click the Style pull-down menu to see all the styles now available. You can modify these styles using the other buttons on the Writer toolbar.

To learn more about templates, click the following link:

http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors/working_with_templates.pdf

Image(s):

08RCEWork.gif

09RCEWork.gif

Importing from and Exporting to Word Files

Importing from and Exporting to Word Files

Writer imports from and exports to Word files. There are, however, a few Writer utilities that Word cannot manage. For example, Word employs a different concept of a master document than Writer.

The file WriterBasics.sxw contains directions on how to import and export files. From the RCE, click the following link to open this document. Then complete the following steps and export the file into Word format:

http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors/WriterBasics.sxw

To save WriterBasics.sxw as a Microsoft Word file:

Open the file WriterBasics.sxw in Writer.
Select the File menu Save As option.

The Save window appears.
Select the following:
- Name - Accept the default name.
- Save in folder - Use the pull-down menu to select the location in which you choose to save this file
- File type - Use the pull-down menu to select the Word format in which you choose to save this file
Click Save.

Writer saves the file in the selected Word format.

Image(s):

10RCEWork.gif

Impress

Impress

In the Impress application, you can import from and export to Microsoft PowerPoint. You can open a PowerPoint file in Impress, make modifications, and then save it again as a PowerPoint presentation.

Impress also provides additional features not available in PowerPoint. To access the OpenOffice.org 1.1 Impress QuickStart Guide, a useful resource for new users, click the following link:

http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors/ImpressQuickStart.pdf

Calc

Calc

If you know how to use Microsoft Excel, you can use Calc. For a full description of all the features available in the Calc application, click the following links for each Calc guide, or go to the URL and look for the PDF files:

http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors/

Working with the emacs Editor

Working with the emacs Editor

This section describes basic tasks you perform by using the emacs editor, which is the default text editor in the RCE.

For a good introduction about how to use emacs, use to the following link:

http://linuxlab.dk/learnlinux/exercises/fall2003/emacs/

If you share files with other users, you use CVS to manage those files. Refer to the guide Working with CVS in the RCE Summer 2009 for detailed information about how to use CVS.

Editing a LaTeX Document

Editing a LaTeX Document

The following example describes how to edit a LaTeX file, words.tex, located in the CVS repository readme_t. This file contains dependencies to the gkbibtex repository. You must be working in the RCE and have both repositories checked out to perform these procedures.

To edit a LaTeX document using the emacs editor:

Open a terminal window in your RCE session.
Change to the directory in which your file resides.

For example, the file words.tex resides in the CVS repository readme_t in the wds subdirectory. To move to that location, type the following command:
```
> cd cvswork/readme_t/wds
```
To edit a document using the emacs editor, type the command emacs <filename>. Include the & (ampersand) option in your command to open emacs in the background, which enables you to use your terminal window for other tasks while you work in emacs.

For example, type the following command to edit the file words.tex in the background using the emacs editor:
```
> emacs words.tex &
```
The emacs editor opens.
Find the location in the document at which you choose to begin your edits.

For example, to use the Search function to find the beginning of the document content:
1. Select the Edit menu, Search submenu, and then select the Search option.
  
  In the status line at the bottom of the emacs window, the prompt Search for string: is displayed.
2. Type \begindocument and then press Return.
You also can use the arrow keys to scroll through your file. For example, use the down arrow to scroll from the \begindocument entry to the line that begins with the text \sectionIntroduction.
Enter your edits.

For example, to insert a new section in an existing LaTeX document:
1. Place the cursor on a blank link where you choose to insert a new section.
  
  If you insert a section between an existing \section entry and the associated text, you break up the existing content. Be sure to place the cursor above or before an existing \section entry to insert a new section.
2. Select the LaTeX menu, Section submenu, and then select section.
  
  In the status line at the bottom of the emacs window, the prompt Title: is displayed.
3. Enter a title for your new section and press Return.
4. When prompted to enter a label, press Return without entering any text.
5. Press Return again to enter another blank line, then move up one line to place the cursor between the \section<your section> entry and the blank line.
6. Enter the content of your new section.
  
  Separate paragraphs with blank lines, and be sure to keep a blank line at the end of your last paragraph and before the following section.
After you complete your edits, select the File menu Save (current buffer) option to keep your changes in the current file.

Image(s):

11RCEWork.gif

Rendering a LaTeX Document (with gkbibtex Dependencies)

Rendering a LaTeX Document (with gkbibtex Dependencies)

To render a LaTeX document using these procedures, you must be in the RCE.

The following example describes how to render the LaTeX file words.tex, located in the CVS repository readme_t. This file contains dependencies to the gkbibtex repository. You must have both repositories checked out to perform these procedures.

To render a LaTeX document in PostScript form:

Open a terminal window in your RCE session.
Change to the directory in which your file resides.

For example, the file words.tex resides in the readme_t repository in the wds subdirectory. To move to that location, type the following command:
```
> cd cvswork/readme_t/wds
```
Edit the document using the emacs editor.

Type the following command to edit the example file words.tex in the background using the emacs editor:
```
> emacs words.tex &
```
After you enter any changes, be sure to select the File menu Save (current buffer) option to keep your changes in the current file.
To render the LaTeX file into a PDF:
1. Select the Command menu, TeXing Options submenu, and then select the option PDF Mode.
2. Select the Command menu LaTeX option.
3. Select the Command menu BibTeX option.
4. Select the Command menu LaTeX option again.
To view the PDF:
1. In emacs, select the Command menu View option.
  
  In the status line at the bottom of the emacs window, the prompt View command: is displayed.
2. Press Return.
  
  An Xpdf window opens and your LaTeX file is displayed in PDF form.
3. Use the arrow buttons at the bottom of the PDF viewer window to page through the document.

After you verify your edits, be sure to commit your changed file to the CVS repository. Refer to the guide Working with CVS in the RCE Summer 2009 for detailed information about how to use CVS in the RCE.

Transferring Files Between Environments

Transferring Files Between Environments

To transfer files between the RCE and any other enviornment, such as your local workstation, use one of the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) tools described in Accessing Remotely Using SFTP. HMDC recommends that you use the FileZilla client, an open source software utility governed by the GNU General Public License. For detailed information about FileZilla, see the tool's web site at http://filezilla-project.org. Other SFTP tools that HMDC suggests include Dreamweaver and MacFUSE.

You must install and set up an SFTP tool, such as FileZilla, to transfer files to and from the RCE. For example, to print a file located in the RCE on your local workstation printer, you must transfer the file from the RCE to your workstation, and then print it.

Printing from the RCE

Printing from the RCE

You can print documents and files from the RCE to network printers located in the Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS) facilities at 1737 Cambridge Street. You also can print to a PDF file, and then transfer it from the RCE to your local desktop by using an SFTP utility, where you then can print to a local printer. Refer to Accessing Remotely Using SFTP for information about transferring files between the RCE and your local desktop.

Note: The protocol by which you access the RCE does not support printing directly to local printers.

Printing to a Network Printer

Printing to a Network Printer

To print from the RCE to a printer in the CGIS facilities:

In the RCE, open the file that you choose to print from within an application and select the Print option.

A print options window is displayed. An example OOo Print window is shown in the following section.
Select a printer from the pull-down menu.

Printers are labeled with the physical location of the machine.
Select any other options that you choose, and then click OK.

Your file is printed.

Printing to a Local Printer

Printing to a Local Printer

To print from the RCE to your local printer, first print to a PDF file in the RCE, and then move that file to your local workstation as follows:

In the RCE, open the file to print and select the Print option.

The print window is displayed.
Click the Printer panel Name pull-down menu and select the printer Create_PDF_in_Home.
Click OK to print to a PDF file.

A PDF file is written to the directory ~/printjobs in the RCE (or, if for any reason that directory is not accessible, the PDF file will be written to /tmp/printjobs. The file name uses the following convention:
```
<filename>-<username>-<Month><Day>-<serial number>.pdf
```
Transfer the PDF file from the directory ~/printjobs in the RCE to your local workstation by dragging the file from the active WinSCP window to a file browser window on your workstation.
Delete the PDF file from the directory ~/printjobs in the RCE.
Open the PDF file locally and print it.

Image(s):

15RCEWork.jpg

Performing Common Maintenance

Performing Common Maintenance

In the RCE there are GUI windows and menus that enable you to control files without using the CLI. For more information about some of these tools, see the sections Modifying File Sharing and File Ownership and Modifying Sessions.

This section also describes some common maintenance tasks that you might perform in the RCE, including changing your shell, updating the RCE environment, and clearing locks. Use the Applications menu RCE Utilities submenu to perform these maintenance tasks.

Note: Some of these menu options are described in the RCE FAQ or another guide:

For information about working with the CVS Checkout Helper, refer to the guide Working with CVS in the RCE Summer 2009.
For information about clearing locks in either Firefox or Thunderbird, refer to FAQ question When I launch Firefox (the web browser) or Thunderbird (the email client), it complains about a lock file!
For informaiton about copying and pasting text between environments, refer to the FAQ question I copied text from the RCE to a file on my workstation, but the pasted text is not what I copied.

Image(s):

17RCEWork.gif

Modifying File Sharing and File Ownership

Modifying File Sharing and File Ownership

For a detailed description of all the features available in the Nautilus File Manager, click the following link:

http://library.gnome.org/users/user-guide

To manage ownership and sharing of files, perform the following:

Open the Nautilus File Manager.

Select the Applications pull-down menu, select System Tools, and choose File Browser.
Select the file or folder for which you choose to change permissions.
Select the File pull-down menu and click the Properties option, or right-click the <file> icon and select Properties.

The <file> Properties window is displayed.
Click the Permissions tab.

The Permission tab is displayed.

Use the pull-down menus and check boxes to change the permissions for the file or folder. The following table describes the options on the Permissions tab.

Properties Window Permissions Tab Options

Option	Description
File owner	To change the owner of the file or folder, use the pull-down menu to select the new owner.
File group	To change the group to which a file or folder belongs, use the pull-down menu to select the new group.
Owner	Select the permissions that you choose to apply to the owner.
Group	Select the permissions that you choose to apply to the group to which the owner of the file or folder belongs.
Others	Select the permissions that you choose to apply to all other users who are not in the group to which the owner belongs.
Set user ID	Click this check box to set the user ID on execution of a file.
Set group ID	Click this check box to set the group ID on execution of a file.
Sticky	Click this check box to set the sticky bit. This limits the ability to unlink or rename the directory or file to the root user or the owner.
Text view	View the permissions that you select from the Read, Write, and Execute options.
Number view	View the permissions that you select from the Read, Write, and Execute options.
Last changed	View the date and time that the file or folder was last modified.

Click Close to close the Properties window and apply your changes.

The file properties are changed.

Image(s):

18RCEWork.gif

19RCEWork.gif

20RCEWork.gif

Modifying Sessions

Modifying Sessions

For a detailed description of all the features of the Session Preferences tool, click the following link:

http://library.gnome.org/users/user-guide

Changing Your Shell

Changing Your Shell

To change your RCE shell used for command-line activities:

Select the Applications menu, RCE Utilities submenu, and choose the option Change Shell.

The Please Note (change shell) message is displayed.

Note: If at any time during this procedure you do not respond to the prompts within one minute, the process times out and a message shown in is displayed. Click OK to acknowledge the prompt and start again from the beginning.
Click OK.

The Enter Password window is displayed.
Type your <login account password>, and then click OK.

The Select a New Shell window is displayed.
Click an item in the list to select it, and then click OK.

A message prompts you to complete the shell change process.
Click OK to complete the shell change process.

The next time you log in to the RCE and open a terminal window, you then work in the new shell environment that you selected in this process. If you did not choose the correct shell option, start the process over from the beginning.

Image(s):

Checking for RCE Updates

Checking for RCE Updates

To check for updates to your RCE configuration, including new menu options, utilities, or scripts deployed in this environment:

Select the Applications menu, RCE Utilities submenu, and choose the option Check for RCE Updates.

If your configuration is not current, a message is displayed indicating which sources or settings are not current.

If your configuration is current and there are no out-of-date sources or settings, a confirmation prompt is displayed. Click OK to acknowledge the prompt and complete the check.
In the Check for RCE Updates information message window, click OK to update your environment.

The Install configuration update prompt is displayed.
Click Yes to update your environment, or click No to exit the process without updating your configuration.

A confirmation message is displayed, indicating that your configuration is updated.
Click OK to complete the process.

Your RCE configuration is updated to include all current options and settings.

Note: You must terminate your session and start a new one to make the update take effect.

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