How to get CDE to function like VUE (I need Failsafe!)

[keith runnels_1]

First, some background. I'm a newbie sysadmin, and I just replaced a K-460/HPUX 10.20/VUE with an L2000/HPUX 11.0/CDE. I did not know there were X-terminals running, so I didn't do as much upfront work as necessary in this area.

My current situation is that I have a few X-terminals, Entria and Entria II, that various users logon to. Most of my users share a home directory (approximately 1600 users, some can logon at their desktop, dumb terminal, or these X-terminals). The shared directories wasn't a problem under VUE, but it is under CDE. I don't actually need X-terminal capability because I'm running character-based apps. In light of this, I tried switching off the X-terminal capability to make it do telnet sessions, however, that changed up the functionality and on-screen prompts (it asked for the host server, then exiting the application menu closed the telnet screen leaving a blank screen only).

So, the best duplication of the VUE behavior is a CDE Failsafe session. This automatically gives a CDE login screen, pops up a telnet screen which has my users' application menu and nothing else (no toolbars), then, on exit from the application menu, the telnet closes and another CDE login screen appears. This is all I need and this is the way VUE was functioning, but I can't make CDE do this. I am perfectly happy with a Failsafe session, but I need Failsafe to be the default. As it is, my users must choose Failsafe, and this isn't good. These are manufacturing line people who know their jobs but not computers, so the fewer keystrokes/mouse-clicks, the better.

How do I force a CDE login screen to default to Failsafe with no user intervention?

[Peter Kloetgen]

Hi Keith,

this is not really necessary to get what you want in my opinion. You can simply start the applications needed by your users with their .profile in home directory, and after the applications you put the line:

exit 1

When your user finishes applications, he will be automatically thrown out.

Allways stay on the bright side of life!

Peter

[keith runnels_1]

Sorry I wasn't clear earlier, because that's what is happening. My users' .profile runs the application menu and, on choosing quit, executes "exit". This ends the session.

If I have X-terminals set to automatically run telnet sessions, choosing quit and exiting leaves a blank screen. The users must then mouse-click to pull up a menu and select x-terminal session or something like that. That's not good.

The users cannot run normal CDE sessions because of the shared home directory. CDE won't run under this condition.

The users must choose CDE Failsafe, and that will allow them to get a single screen (with the application menu automatically run from their .profile) and no toolbars. When they choose quit, that screen exits and returns them to the CDE login screen.

[Leif Halvarsson_2 · Accepted solution]

Hi
I remenber I have done this some time ago. Here is the solution.

Copy the file /usr/dt/config/Xconfig to
the /etc/dt/config/ directory.

Open this file ( /etc/dt/config/Xconfig ) whith en editor, find the lines below:

# #########################################################################
# To set a display to run the user's XDM $HOME/.xsession script as the
# default session. Ensure that the $HOME/.xsession script is executable.
#
# Dtlogin*xdmMode: True

Uncomment the line above.

Create a .xsession file in the users home directorys and make it executable (you can use a copy of the file /usr/dt/config/Xfailsafe)

Good luck.

[keith runnels_1]

Excellent! That did the trick. A combination of /etc/dt/config/Xconfig, Xfailsafe as ~/.xsession, and a few tweaks to .dtprofile and .xsession did it.

One final minor annoyance: the screen that comes up has a menu bar at the top with something like File-Edit-Options-Help. How do I get rid of that? I see that there's resource named "menubar", but where is it or how do I switch it off? I can't find it in the /etc/dt/config files.

Thanks again!

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi

Perhaps it is something

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi
Sorry I hit the SUBMIT button by mistake.

There is somthing wrong or missing in the in the .xsession file. I found a "default" sys.xsession on an old server. Check this carefully (It is from HP-UX 10.20) and change at your own need. Perhaps it can help.