Xwindows (or just X) is the window environment used by most Unix machines. MacX is a program that allows us to login to Mainline from the Macs in Park 10, and display Xwindows as if we were using a regular X terminal (instead of a Mac).

Since many of you are learning Unix at the same time you're learning MacX, these concepts are bound to get confused, but this document will just explain the steps for using MacX:

1. (Optional, but recommended.) Set the Mac terminal to its maximum window size, using the pulltab icon at the bottom left of your screen. This will make all the icons and windows on your desktop proportionally smaller, but gives you more room for the new windows you'll soon be opening. It also enables you to move more easily between the MacX window and your regular desktop.

2. Go to the Network/Internet folder on the desktop, and double click on the Mainline icon. This will start up MacX. You will get a small menu of the Unix machines that you can login to. If mainline doesn't show up on this list, stop here. You can't use MacX right now.

3. Select mainline, which should give you yet another small window where you can type your mainline login name and password.

If all does not go well, you might have to try rebooting the machine to reset the connections, and then try the whole process again.

Note about using the mouse: Macs use a one-button mouse; Unix assumes a three-button mouse. Oy. Fortunately, most Unix applications rely most heavily on one of the three available buttons: the left mouse button. When you click on the Mac mouse, Unix will interpret this as a left mouse button click. When you type the right arrow button, Unix will interpret this as a right mouse button click. (This is a little hard to get used to for those of use who are used to three-button mice, but the rest of you probably won't even notice.) We will be getting some two-button mice for the lab soon, to make this easier.

Logging off of Mainline

To log off of mainline, use the right mouse button to click inside the MacX window, but not inside any of the Xwindows within that area (in the background area of the MacX window). This should give you a small menu, and the last choice on this menu should be to Exit. Choose that.

If you're unable to exit this way, you can quit out of MacX without logging out. But that will prevent any other use of MacX until the machine is rebooted.

Special note until we get two-button mice in the lab:
To get the function of the right mouse button, move the mouse to the desired location, and then press the right arrow key and the option key at the same time.

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