This chapter explains how to run Windows 95, and gives information about working with Windows 95 and running Windows applications.
It includes a short tutorial to introduce you to the procedures for working with Windows 95.
Windows 95 starts in seconds with TurboStart, and you can resume your work where you left off when you quit.
The first time you run SoftWindows the Windows 95 desktop (Figure 3-1) will be displayed.
As you move the UNIX mouse pointer onto the SoftWindows window it automatically changes to the Windows mouse pointer, so that you can switch freely between Windows and UNIX applications.
The recommended way to quit from Windows 95 is to use TurboStart; refer to “To exit from SoftWindows.”
However, if you specifically want to exit from Windows 95 proceed as follows:
Click the Start button, then click Shut Down….
A dialog box lets you choose how to shut down.
Click Yes to choose the first option and shut down Windows 95.
SoftWindows will then automatically exit.
This Tutorial is designed to help you become familiar with using SoftWindows by installing and running a typical Windows application, and printing from Windows.
It is based on the award-winning Windows program WinPost, which is supplied with your SoftWindows package. WinPost lets you create simple reminders which you can leave on your Windows desktop. It is a PC shareware application, so if you like it and decide to continue using it please send the author the registration fee, as described in its online manual.
Most Windows 95 applications are installed by running a standard Windows setup procedure.
The installer and its associated files are supplied in the C:\WNPST folder.
Click the Start button on the taskbar, and then click Run….
The Run dialog box appears.
Type:
C:\WNPST\SETUP
Click OK to run the setup program.
A dialog box appears allowing you to specify the directory into which WinPost should be installed.
Click OK to install in the WINPOST directory on your SoftWindows hard disk file.
The files are then copied to the directory you specified.
A dialog box informs you when the installation is complete.
Click OK to return to the Windows desktop.
The installation creates a new WinPost folder containing the following shortcuts. These are like UNIX links to the actual files:
WinPost 3.2 is a shortcut to the WinPost application.
WinPost Manual is a shortcut to documentation for WinPost. Double-click the icon to display the document so that you can read it or print it out.
Read Me! is a shortcut to additional information about WinPost.
When you install a Windows application the installer usually creates shortcuts for the application, and for any other programs or documents you might need to use with it. Often these are put in a separate folder.
For more information about the components of Windows 95 you may want to read “Tutorial.”
Double-click the WinPost 3.2 shortcut icon.
The first time you run WinPost, a shareware registration notice is displayed informing you that you can evaluate WinPost for 21 days.
Click OK to dismiss the notice.
The WinPost program is now running and its icon is displayed in the taskbar at the bottom of the Windows desktop.
Point to the WinPost icon in the taskbar and click the right mouse button.
A pop-up menu appears above the taskbar.
Some of the commands on the WinPost menu are described below. For more information about all the commands refer to the WinPost Manual file.
Display the WinPost menu, as described in the previous section.
Choose Default from the Create a note submenu.
An empty Note window appears.
Type in the information you want to remember.
The buttons along the top of the note provide useful functions. For example, the first three are cut, copy, and paste just like the equivalent menu commands.
You can print from Windows applications to your UNIX printer.
To illustrate printing from Windows try printing the note you have created.
Before printing you need to ensure that SoftWindows is set up for the UNIX printer you want to use. For more information refer to “Printing from Windows applications.”.
Windows 95 includes a comprehensive help system, with answers to most problems you are likely to have.
Click the Start button, then click Help.
The Windows Help window appears showing the list of help topics.
Click the Contents tab to show the help topics grouped by subject.
Click a book icon to display the contents of that book.
Click a help topic icon and then click Display to display help on that topic.
Click the Index tab to show an alphabetical list of topics.
Click a help topic and then click Display to display help on that topic.
Click the Find tab, and then type in the word or phrase you want to find.
A list of matching topics will be displayed.
Click a help topic and then click Display to display help on that topic.
SoftWindows includes a utility called SmartCopy, which converts text and graphics between the Windows 95 and X Windows clipboards, so that you can copy or cut and paste between X Windows and Windows 95 applications.
When SmartCopy is running its icon appears at the right end of the taskbar.
When you move the mouse pointer out of the SoftWindows window the SmartCopy icon changes to show whether text or graphics is ready to paste into an X Windows application.
Choose the appropriate command in the X Windows application to copy the text you want to transfer.
Move the mouse focus to SoftWindows.
SmartCopy translates the text to Windows 95 format on the Windows clipboard, and you can use the Clipboard Viewer to view it.
Move the mouse pointer to position the cursor where you want to paste the text.
Choose Paste from the Edit menu of the Windows 95 application into which you want to paste the text.
Choose From Display from the Paste Graphics cascade menu on the Actions menu.
The cursor changes into crosshairs, allowing you to select a portion of the display which will be copied to the Windows 95 clipboard.
Position the cursor over one corner of the area to be copied, hold down the left mouse button, drag the cursor to the diagonally opposite corner and release the mouse button.
You can view the graphic as follows:
Open the Clipboard Viewer.
Choose DIB Bitmap from the Display menu.
 | Note: Windows 95 does not install the Clipboard Viewer by default. To install this utility, run Add/Remove programs from the Windows 95 Control Panel, choose Accessories from the Windows Setup tab and click the Details... button, then click the Clipboard Viewer check box in Components. |
Choose Paste from the Edit menu of the Windows 95 application into which you want to paste the graphic.
Choose the appropriate command in the X Windows application to copy the graphic you want to transfer.
Switch to SoftWindows.
Choose Paste Graphics from the Action menu, and choose the From Application option.
The graphic is converted into Windows 95 format on the Windows 95 clipboard.
Choose Paste from the Edit menu of the Windows 95 application into which you want to paste the graphic.
Select the text or graphic you want to copy from the Windows 95 application.
Choose Copy from the application's Edit menu.
The text or graphic is put into the Windows 95 clipboard, and you can use the Windows 95 Clipboard Viewer to view it.
Switch to the X Windows application you want to use.
SmartCopy translates the text or graphic to X Windows format in the X clipboard.
Choose the appropriate command to paste in the text or graphic you copied.
If your UNIX printer is a PostScript printer, you will get the best results by printing PostScript from Windows.
You can also use SoftWindows to print to PC network printers that are not directly accessible to UNIX. For more information refer to your PC network documentation.
Choose Printer Ports… from the COM/LPT Ports cascade menu on the Options menu.
The Printer Ports dialog box appears.
Enter $SWINHOME/bin/PS as the Pipe option.
This pipes the output through the PS utility to remove the Ctrl-D which is added by some Windows or MS-DOS applications.
Set Enable Windows PostScript Flushing to flush output to the pipe; refer to “Flushing with pipes.”
This ensures that PostScript is printed as a single printer job.
PS acts like lp or lpr, and as with these commands you can choose a specific printer by entering:
$SWINHOME/bin/PS -dprintername |
If your UNIX printer does not support PostScript, you should set up Windows for the printer you are using.
Choose Printer Ports… from the COM/LPT Ports cascade menu on the Options menu.
The Printer Ports dialog box appears.
Choose Pipe from the LPT1: popup menu. Check that this is set to the default setting, which sends output to the local print spooler, lp.
Set Enable Windows PostScript Flushing to flush output to the pipe; refer to “Flushing with pipes.”
Click Start, then click Settings and Printers to display the Printers folder.
Select the appropriate option for your UNIX printer, and choose Set As Default from the File menu.
Print from the Windows application; typically you do this by choosing Print… from the File menu.
Most Windows applications are installed using the standard Windows setup procedure. Provided the Windows application is supplied on CD-ROM or 3.5-inch disks you can install using your workstation's drive.
| Note: Some applications offer to install Direct X for you. Since SoftWindows includes a highly optimized version of Direct X, you do not need to install it from these other sources. |
Insert the application's installation CD-ROM or floppy disk into the workstation's floppy disk drive.
Click Start, then click Settings and Control Panel.
Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
A dialog box appears.
Click Install… to start the installation.
The installation program locates the installer on the disk you inserted.
Click Finish to run the installer.
As the installation proceeds, dialog boxes will prompt you for any information needed for the installation.