Window configuration files for SGI - SUMMARY

[David C. Kovar]

Earlier I asked:

-  Anyhow, he's my problem. The sole user of the machine used to log in,
-get the window manager, and a few tool icons, a console, and something else.
-Somewhere along the line, some configuration file vanished or was altered
-and now he only gets the console icon. I showed him how to start the
-tools by hand but he's not terribly happy about that. What file controls
-the initial tools that are started by the window manager? It's .suntools
-on a Sun....

Many, many people replied and my thanks to all of them. It really helped
me get a grip on this slightly quirky machine. Noone, even people from
SGI, took my deragatory comments about IRIS personally. A good group of
people.

The most accurate reply follows:


>     The ordinary way the IRIS starts and positions windows and iconized
>processes is by way of /usr/NeWS/lib/NeWS/init.ps.  If the user has
>a file called user.ps in his home directory, that overrides .../init.ps.
>
>     I suspect these files are pristine.  The problem probably lies somewhere
>else.  It's likely that the"toolchests" he's looking for start and then fail.
>
>     If a name server is running (ps -el | grep named) but not configured
>properly, you'll see this kind of behavior.
>
>                                                                -- Rich
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   .-----.
>  / \-_-/ \      Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute   
> /_-_\ /_-_\     ------------------------------------------------------
> ----- -----       Richard J. Shaginaw   Internet Address: shaginaw at squibb.com
> \-_-/ \-_-/    Principal Systems Engineer      Telephone: 609-921-5184
>  \ /_-_\ / Macromolecular Modeling Department        FAX: 609-683-6607
>   `-----'

  The files weren't quite pristine, but the root of the problem was in the
network services. I turned off named completely, set up an /etc/resolv.conf
for the resolver, and everything started working. I'll go back and set
up named properly.

Ivan Hajadi from SGI pointed me at the correct documentation for this:
>they're all "well" documented in 4sight user's guide.

  Again, many thanks to everyone, particularly Rich.


--

-David C. Kovar
	Consultant				ARPA: kovar at biostat.harvard.edu
	Eclectic Associates			BITNET: corwin at harvarda.bitnet
	Ma Bell: 617-643-3373			MacNET: DKovar

         "It is easier to get forgiveness than permission."