Introduction to MENTOR

MENTOR is a graphical interface to UNIX(tm), based on the
Macintosh(tm) desktop.  When you first start MENTOR, it creates
several processes as part of the default desktop environment.  Any of
these may be created from the normal UNIX shell; we merely selected
ones that most students have found useful in the past.

In the top right corner of your screen is a digital xclock, displaying
the current date and time.  The bottom right corner contains an xload.
The load on your workstation will be graphically represented over
time.  The large window just under the menu bar is a GNU Emacs editor
buffer.

To access a menu, move the mouse over the name of the menu and press
and hold any of the mouse buttons.  The full menu will then appear.
To select a menu item, drag the mouse over it, still holding the
button down.  When the name of your selection is highlighted, release
the mouse button.  The menu will disappear again, and the action you
have selected will begin.

Some menu options have a "shortcut" mode.  This is denoted by a small
symbol with a letter or number beside it, located opposite the option.
The symbol may recur in other contexts; it stands for the "Compose
Character" key, located on the bottom left of the keyboard.  (This key
is used extensively for window manipulation, as well.)  To use the
shortcut, make sure the mouse cursor is on an empty section of the
desktop, then hit "Compose Character" in conjunction with the
character.  The selection will now activate.



			Using GNU Emacs

If you are unfamiliar with GNU Emacs, move the mouse cursor over that
window and type Control-H t.  Hold the key labeled "Ctrl" down as you
would a shift key when you type the H, and type the t normally.  GNU
Emacs will then cause a beginners' tutorial to appear in the buffer.

If you do not anticipate the need for an editor, moving over the window
and typing Control-X Control-C will exit GNU Emacs.  If you change your
mind, it is available from the System menu.


			Using the Visual Courseware

To use any of the available Visual Courseware selections, merely select them
as described above.  They are available from the Courseware menu.  Some
of the Visual Courseware applications may require certain information from
you or your .Xdefaults file.  Such applications will open up dialog boxes
that will request the info from you or tell you what they require.


				More Help

Further help on using the MENTOR environment is available under the Help
menu.  Select "Desktop Help" for more detailed information.  Bugs or
misfeatures should be mailed to mrose@athena.mit.edu.  Please try to
reproduce the bug at least once, then detail the necessary steps in your
mail message.
 
 * * END OF HELP * *