What is CDE?
The CDE, which is short for "Common Desktop Environment," is the "standard"
desktop for Unix (or, at least, as "standard" as things get in Unix). The
CDE was developed by the Common Open Software Environment (COSE), which
consists of Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell, SunSoft, Digital, Fujitsu, and
Hitachi.
The CDE is based on Motif, which allows for applications built for it
to run and communicate in a standard way. It behaves (and looks like, to
some extent) a great deal like Microsoft Windows 3.1, with the power of
Motif and X11. As far as I know, all X11 applications will run through
the CDE.
At first glance, the CDE appears to simply be another window manager.
This is not strictly true. The CDE is actually a group off applications,
in addition to the window manager, that function the same across all platforms.
These components could be called "dt apps", since they all begin with the
letters "dt," for "DeskTop." They consist of file managers, text and icon
editors, help applications, customization applications, a mail reader,
a calender, a terminal emulator, an icon editor, a program manager like
utility for non-CDE native applications, and a "trash can."
The user-level components are remarkably simple to figure out, and behave
in a manner that is intuitive and common in the world of graphical interfaces
(think Microsoft Windows 3.1), and support drag and drop.
The Login Manager is an xdm-like system that works to authenticate users
and start up thier individual user sessions. The login server requires
root priviliges to start, stop, or modify. It is normally started at boot
by the command:
/usr/dt/bin/dtconfig -e
or from the command line by:
/usr/dt/bin/dtlogin -daemon
The file that controls the login server's configuration is /etc/dt/config/Xconfig.
This is not supplied by default; it must be copied from /usr/dt/config/XConfig.
After any modifications, the server must be restarted with
/usr/dt/bin/dtconfig -reset
The login server also uses /etc/dt/config/Xservers - this must also
be copied over from the /usr/dt/config directory. This file tells the login
manager what X servers to start and if and how a login screen should be
displayed on the local or on network displays.
The format for this file is:
DisplayName DisplayClass
DisplayType ServerCommand
DisplayName - This is the name that the server uses when connecting to
the X server. It is normally ":0", and an asterisk (*) will show up as
hostname:0.
DisplayClass - This identifies resources specific to this display.
DisplayType - Tells the login server if it is a local or network display
and how to manage the login screen.
ServerCommand - This is the command line and connection number and other
options the login server will use to start the X server. The connection
number specified must match DisplayName.
An example:
:0
Local local@console /usr/bin/X11/X :0
The error file is /var/dt/Xserrors.
The login manager is also configured through the use of a resources
file, normally /etc/dt/config/language/Xresources. This is pulled from
/usr/dt/config/language/Xresources, where "language" is your local language.
Through modification of this file, you can change all manner of things
used by the login screen: fonts, the bitmap used, greeting text, etc.
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