Return-Path: red@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Received: by HERACLES (5.45/4.7) id AA13221; Thu, 17 Jul 86 17:45:17 EDT Received: by ATHENA (5.45/4.7) id AA16752; Thu, 17 Jul 86 17:45:21 EDT Received: by JASON (5.45/4.7) id AA00719; Thu, 17 Jul 86 17:45:16 EDT Message-Id: <8607172145.AA00719@JASON> To: billb@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Cc: keltie@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Subject: New and Improved User Workstation Outline Date: Thu, 17 Jul 86 17:45:13 -0500 From: red@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Bill- Here is the latest (and hopefully the final) version of my outline for a user workstation document. This is the version that I would expect to use for fall, but I think I've made it broad enough that not too much would change in the final document. It is organized into a "system model" section, a "current differences from the system model" section, and a "how-to" section. So in the final document, the "current differences" section would be removed, (yea, right) and the focus of the "how-to" section would change from using removable media to using user lockers. Are we having fun yet? Well, it really wasn't too bad. Jeff Jimenez really liked it. See you. Heather @make(text) @begin(verbatim) @center(User Workstation Document) Introduction to Workstations What's a workstation? complete computer - own memory, cpu, disk storage computation done locally, much of file storage for Unix and individual users is remote. Mention right up front that there is no backup of individual user's remote file storage. Don't turn them off. Anything else? We use two types of hardware - DEC and IBM State differences between public, living group and private workstations. This document deals primarily with public workstations. timetable for conversion to all workstations The Public Workstation Model Introduction: Athena Workstations have their own cpu time and disk storage, but they need other things to function as public workstations in the Athena environment. Athena Workstations rely on servers to provide services that could not be performed by the workstation alone, and on removable devices such as floppies and streaming tape for backup of files and some file storage. Servers Authentication and Authorization server Kerberos serves as both the Authentication and Authorization server. Authentication part: when you log in, verifies your identity via the password you give it, then gives you permission to use the workstation and the network. Authorization part: issues permits ("tickets") to do such things as rlogin and rcp to certain hosts, and perhaps use special software such as Ingres, Macsyma. What tickets you are given depends on what it says in the user database that Kerberos accesses. This user database is maintained by an account administrator. RVD Servers lockers - File storage devices - behaves like a floppy disk you would put in a drive. The locker is really a portion of a hard disk on a remote computer used for file storage. To use the locker, you must tell the server (the machine that the locker is stored on) to spin the locker up - just like you would put a floppy in a drive to access the files on it. Locker is "mounted" at a specific point in the file system - once mounted, the locker appears to be just another unix directory, and you can put files or subdirectories in it as you would in any other directory. When you are finished using your locker, you must unmount it and spin it down. Like floppies, it is up to you to back up your own. Your locker will probably be spun up in the "login" process, and spun down in the logout process. Some specialized software, such as that for courses, may also be in lockers you will need to spin up - possibly manually. /usr and /sys partition - have system files, and most software. most workstations must have this partition to function in the Athena environment. Special software servers Macsyma Scribe? X server Manages the files necessary for workstations to run X. Print Servers connected to printers - manage the printer. Notification server Gives you messages from the system (not workstation specific messages as in "black bar") such as mail, talk and write requests. Mail server P.O. machine - manages mail service, holds your mail until you next log in to workstation. Gateway Servers manage the network Name Servers Many other servers use the name server. The idea is, if the other server gives it a name, say of a user or service, it gives back the address. Other servers may become available in the future. Removable file storage devices Each workstation has some type of removable storage device, either floppy drive or streaming tape drive. streaming tape - info about streaming tape (of which there currently is next to none) goes here. floppies - info about floppies goes here. Backup policy User's responsibility. Whatever you are storing your files on, be it a locker or removable media, it is your responsibility to make backup copies of your files. Current Differences Between the Model and the Real World Eventually, workstations should offer the same range of services that the current timesharing system offers, and all workstations, regardless of their manufacturer, should behave the same. Right now, this is not the case. Differences: Server Differences Authentication and Authorization: Not in place yet. This means that individual users will not have accounts on the workstations, but instead will log in as guest, with no password required. From the guest account, you will be able to spin up any lockers you require, and copy any files from a tape or floppy onto the workstation so you can edit them. However, note that any files left in the guest account will be deleted on logout - you must save the files on a locker or on floppy or tape. RVD: lockers Personal lockers not ready yet; course lockers probably available. Users will have to rely on removable media for private file storage. Also note that lockers must be configured for either IBM format or DEC format, and there is currently no translation utility that leaves files intact. So, you can only mount DEC lockers on VSII's and VSII/RC's, and IBM lockers on RT's. /usr and /sys partition: Some software that would reside on the /usr or /sys partition on a workstation is not ready yet; thus the following software is available only on the timesharing system: RS/1 rtingres 20/20 Special Software: No special software servers exist yet. Mail: Mail server for workstation is not ready yet. Currently, you must log into the timesharing system to send and receive mail. IBM vs. DEC - current workstation differences There are still differences in types of workstations. This lists what each type of workstation has in addition to and/or less that the standard configuration. Also, as noted above, IBM and DEC locker configurations are not compatible. VSII does have: floppy drive doesn't have: tape drive VSII/RC does have: extra hard disk space tape drive doesn't have: floppy disk drives RT does have: floppy drive doesn't have: scribe tape drive Picture of a workstation. I figure IBM and DEC will draw straws, and whoever gets the short straw gets their workstation in the picture. Walking up to a workstation: First and foremost - no matter how dead a workstation may look, NEVER TURN IT OFF! Starting up the workstation: press any key - spins up /usr partition goes off and gets X, starts it prepares workstation for login logging in: you will see a small login window. Log in as guest. Location of home directory? Using Local File Space Workstation Hard Disk Temporary space for user files available in the home directory as guest - but this space will be cleared out, i.e., all the files in it deleted, every time you logout. Thus you should use this space only as a temporary work space. You should store all your permanent files on a tape or floppy. Using Removable Media Floppies: space available how to initialize a new floppy how to use a floppy RT: copying files from floppy to local hard disk copying files from hard disk back to floppy VSII: copying files from floppy to local hard disk copying files from hard disk to floppy Streaming tape: space available how to initialize a new one how to use VSII/RC: copying files from tape to local hard disk copying files from local disk back to tape Using RVD Lockers basic commands: up down for desperation: spinup, spindown, mount, umount? rvdflush? RVD status commands: rvdshow vdstats df X: Setting up Windows before you use X: .rhosts xhost DISPLAY variable X commands: xwm xterm gnuemacs Using mouse VSII and VSII/RC RT Other commands: xclock, xload, xset, etc. Pointer to Essential X, man pages. File Transfer Workstation Disk to Timeshare rlogin to timeshare (note here that you must use rlogin timesharemachinename -l username) use ftp, rcp (see PocketAthena, ftp, rcp manpages.) Locker to Workstation Disk mount locker, then just do a cp to home directory. If you want to then put the files on floppy or tape, you must do whatever it takes to copy files from workstation to that medium. From Locker to Locker: If both configured for same type of client: spin up both, then use cp If configured for different types of clients: log into one and spin up the locker involved, then rlogin to the other host, and spin up that locker. You can then use rcp or ftp just as in a normal unix file system. Happily, this is one of the few things that seems to cause no problems. You can also copy entire directories using rcp -r. But, you can't copy binary things, like compiled programs, and expect them to come out right on the other end. Floppy to Floppy or Tape to Tape put in floppy you are copying from, then copy those files to the hard disk on workstation. Then remove first floppy, and put in the floppy you are copying to. Copy the files from the workstation to the second floppy. Tape to Floppy The difficult thing about this is that you have to find a machine that has both types of drives. If you find one of these, it is just like a tape to tape or floppy to floppy operation. Printing from the Workstation accessing letter quality printers ln01 ln03 accessing line printers la100 lp26 using graphics printers ln03 accessing other types of printers IS 9700 SIPB LaserWriter Mail rlogin to timesharing host, and read your mail there. Mail not currently available on workstations. Backup Policy statement. Logging out remember to backup locker Kerberos brings down locker how is workstation prepared for the next guy? Problems Workstation Problems - local Workstation won't respond call hardware hotline, and find another one Workstation Messages about black bar messages qerestart: restarted qe0 SERVERNAME: server crashed; spindown, umount, spinup and remount vd timeout on drive ## Server Problems RVD server problems if server crashes: what is saved what is lost if your /usr partition crashes - what is saved what is lost if you can't take your locker down: check: 1.that you're not in the directory it's mounted in 2.there are no random processes (as in gnuemacs, programs) running from the locker 3.if the server crashed - use rvdshow 4.if you really can't spin down your locker log out, then log back in, then try to use down consequences of leaving locker up Other major server problems I'll write about them just as soon as we know what they are. Network Problems if you can't get to servers because of network - how long to wait before giving up. if network crashes while locker is up - what is saved what is lost How can workstation function if server or network down? server down /usr, /sys partition server down - give up. locker server down - you can use the workstation, but you won't be able to get to files in lockers on that server. network down forget it. Getting Help Who to call: An interesting way to approach this might be to give sample questions that might be addressed to each group - like "My gnuemacs window just froze, and I can't do anything" or "When do you expect charon to come back up again?" We could just ask each group for a few questions they thought were very common and appropriate to their hotline. OLC Hotlines Hardware Software Network? @end(verbatim)