UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi,
I'm using Solaris 2.6 with a proprietary GUI. Is there a way to provide a user with access to a shell script from the CDE (workspace menu?). The user does not have command line (terminal) access.

hope the question makes sense

thanks,
kristy

Does your post mean that users of the CDE are not allowed to execute an xterm ?

Yes.

To give a better idea -

user "operator" logs into the solaris CDE. The GUI (for a sophisticated print spooler/manager) login is set to auto-popup. There is no front panel, but there is a workspace menu. The programs list of the menu is limited to clock & calculator. I am thinking it is not possible for this user to execute a shell script without the ability to open a terminal.

Perhaps if the user is given access to the
file manager tool as well, and the script is
in a directory accessable to the user and the
script is executable, the user may be able to
execute it from there assuming it is not
interactive. Otherwise, access to xterm might
be in order.

dtksh was developed to solve problems like this. It is an advanced form of ksh with many add-ons that result in virtually the entire x api being available to the shell programmer. The scripts are really x clients in themselves that can run without using a xterm client for support.

But its power is also its shortcoming. The learning curve is very steep. Sample code:

Code:

widget=${Progs[ii]}
XtGetValues $widget x:x y:y 
XtDestroyWidget $widget
XtCreateManagedWidget BUTTON pushbutton XmPushbutton $BBOARD \
   background:$colorBackSave \
   foreground:$colorForeSave \
   highlightColor:$colorBackGround highlightThickness:0 \
   labelString:$asys2 \
   height:$Bheight width:$bwidth1 x:$x y:$y \
   fontList:"$lblfont" \
   shadowThickness:4
XtAddCallback $BUTTON activateCallback buttonpushed
XTAddCallback $BUTTON armCallback buttonArmed
RequestOp[$BUTTON]=$opsave
RequestArg[$BUTTON]=$asys
Progs[ii]=$BUTTON
ProgsA[$BUTTON]=$ii

That put a pushable button on the screen. But still, if you know x and ksh very well, you can get it done.

Besides dtksh, there are other interpreted lauguages out there with a graphical interface. But dtksh is the only one I have tried.

Another approach is to use html. Then you run a web server and web browser on the same box and let the operator fire up the browser. html is much easier than x.