UNIX Desktop Questions & Answers

Hi there, sorry that this is a really dumb question from a UNIX newbie, but here goes.

How do I start MS Windows (I think it is NT) from UNIX?

The school I work for has a network server that has a UNIX shell (I think that is what it is called) and has some form of Windows on it (I think it is NT). Basically, it crashed, and when it restarted, we got a UNIX interface. I don't know what command I need to start up Windows.

When I did an ls command, I got a listing of some files/directories including:

.exrc . kde .skel Desktop and others. I figured to cd to the Desktop directory, and there were some files called Autostart, StartNetatalk.kdelnk, Templates, etc...

I figured I needed to start the file Autostart. But how do I start it? What is the UNIX command for executing a program? (I am sorry that this is probably a really dumb question). Is it start Autostart? run Autostart? go Autostart?

Anyway, thanks so much for your help.

You may be thinking of a Citrix client using X. Do a find and search for "citrix" or "Citrix". Or ask your SysAdmin.

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, the System Administrator fled the country, so I am the default administrator!!! I know little to nothing about network administration (I am a Web designer not a LAN / WAN guy), so I couldn't even do a find and search for citrix...

But this is definitely the server (not a client), if that is what you mean. Here is a list of files in the root directory:

.x.err, .bash_history, .dayplan, .dayplan.priv, .exrc, .kde, .kderc, .netscape, .newsrc-news, .skel, .xinitrc, Desktop, ServerLog, StartLog, autosave, bin, lpmasqadm, loadlin, mbox, nsmail

I did a cd to the desktop directory (that is like the one UNIX command I know how to do!) and these files were listed:

.directory, Autostart, CD-ROM.kdelnk, StartNetatalk.kdelnk, Templates, Trash, Firewall.MASQ, Firewall.deMASQ, floppy.kdelnk, StopNetatalk.kdelnk

I figured probably I needed to run Autostart, but I don't even know how to start it. Do I type run Autostart? go Autostart? exec Autostart?

Any suggestions (short of changing professions) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!

Let me see if I understand.

You are working on an actual UNIX system and are looking to start the window environment (Not MS windows or NT )?

If you have logged into the system and have a prompt, type in uname -a to get the OS and version. Then we can help better on which window system you are trying to start.

Are you sure that Windows is being invoked? By the contents in the directory, I'm almost positive that you're working with KDE, a free desktop manager / windowing system. It would be helpful to know the exact OS and version, because the config scripts can differ slightly for each one.

Yeah, there is some reference to KDE there.

Are you sure it's Unix, or could it be some type of unix variant, like linux.

If it's linux, try startx

or configure x-windows try searching for XF86Config

I'd tell you where it is but I'm at school right now on a windows machine