A Menu-Driven Interface to Unix-Based Resources - NCBI

A Menu-Driven Interface to Unix-Based Resources Elizabeth A. Evans

Office of Information Systems School of Medicine University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill So Why Use Unix?

Unix provides extensive networking and communications capabilities which allow computers running Unix to network relatively easily with many other computer types (1]. Multivendor environments provide a backdrop for using Unix for interconnectivity. In addition, standard electronic mail protocols are easily and readily implemented on Unix systems so that electronic mail users of a Unix system can send and receive mail easily to users on many other computer sites.

Unix has often been overlooked in the past as a viable operating system for anyone other than computer scientists. Its terseness, non-mnemonic nature of the commands, and the lack of userfriendly software to run under it are but a few of the user-related reasons which have been cited. It is, nevertheless, the operating system of choice in many cases. This paper describes a menu-driven interface to Unix

which provides user-friendlier access to the software resources available on the computers running under Unix.

Since Unix runs on a variety of different kinds of computers, systems can be purchased from an equal variety The competitive market of vendors. means more competitive prices and the potential for realistic negotiating with vendors for discounts. Unix is also the operating system of choice on many of today's mid-range Sun, Apollo, and workstations [2]. Hewlett Packard are just a few of the workstations which operate under Unix. As more users investigate the power and flexibility of these desktop workstations, Unix will become a more

Why Not Unix? From a user's point of view, Unix consists mainly of cryptic commands many times unrelated to the function the command serves. For example, the Unix command 'cat' lists the contents of a file. Other Unix commands leave out characters in order to decrease the number of characters it is necessary For to type to execute the command. example, 'rm' is the command to 'remove' or delete a file. For many users, it is difficult to master the non-intuitive commands to make even minimal use of a Unix system.

and more necessary tool. So. Do Users Really Have to Learn

There are an increasing number of ways of interacting with Unix-based systems that do not require a user to learn Some interfaces come Unix commands. with the version of Unix they were designed to run on (for example, the vendors have develNeXT computer); oped generic menu interfaces to Unix (for example, the XED Menu Processor); and organizations have developed inhouse solutions. The Office of Information Systems (OIS) in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has developed its own in-house menu-driven interface to the Sun workstations in its user

It is also the case that many users now use a microcomputer of one variety Whether they are accusor another. tomed to the point-and-click environment of the Macintosh or have memorized the MS-DOS commands necessary to maneuver the IBM PC (or compatible) world, many users are loathe to learn another interface no matter what useful functions it provides.

0195-4210/89/0000/0679$01.00 X) 1989 SCAMC, Inc.

community.

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Evolution of the Menu In its original form, the OIS menu was developed by Baylor College of Medicine as a Bourne shell script to run under System V Unix. In 1986, upon request, Kirk Aune (then at Baylor and now Director of OIS at UNCCH) mailed the program to the author who modified it to run under BSD 4.2 at a Unix site in Research Triangle Park and added several features to the program as well as reformatting the display of the menu system. During the intervening three years, the menu system has undergone extensive modifiIn September 1988, the cations. Bourne shell script was rewritten in C and compiled by Kent Irwin, a student who worked for OIS during the summer of 1988. Although several functions were implemented during the rewriting process, the most noticeable to users was the increased speed of the menu. The menu has been robust from the beginning, but users complained about execution speed of the menu. After

other menus, an option is also available to change the terminal type to 'unknown' and to obtain summaries of the options on the menu.

Directory Service From the Directory Service Menu, users can find out who is currently logged onto the computer they are logged onto, can search for another user's id (to send electronic mail), can scan a list of all users in the School of Medicine, and can peruse the directory of OIS staff. Searching for a user id, in addition to searching for users in the School of Medicine, will also search a text file of ids obtained on a periodic basis from the campus Academic Computing Service. Ids for users using other campus electronic mail systems will display in the exact format required for addressing from the School of Medicine system.

compilation, no complaints about speed

The Electronic Mail Menu

have been received.

The Electronic Mail Menu allows users to read and otherwise process their electronic mail. They may read, reply to, delete, and save any of their mail messages. By saving messages into named or 'alternative mailboxes,' users can keep separate files of mail from one or more users. For example, a user on a committee called "XYC" might save all messages related to that committee into a file called XYC. That file can then be accessed exactly the same as the mailbox files which are created by the system. Using this technique, users can better organize their mail messages.

What Functions Are Included on the Menu?

The Main Menu The Main Menu allows users to find out directory information about other users, to read and otherwise process their electronic mail, to read and post electronic news, to perform a number of utilities, to upload from or download to a microcomputer, to maintain their files on the workstation, and to access a number of Ingres databases (if they have permission for the specific database). In addition, the Main Menu (as does every other menu) includes options for obtaining help, for quitting the menu (from the Main Menu, quitting is the same as logging off), and for setting the terminal The option for type to 'unknown.' setting the terminal type to 'unknown' is necessary for those users who log into the system with improper terminal emulation. Setting the terminal type to 'unknown' displays the menus in a readable format until the user can set the terminal emulation properly. The Main Help Menu is slightly different from the Help option on all other menus. Help from the Main Menu displays another menu which includes options to obtain more information about each of the options on the Main Menu, to view text files which are deemed of interest to the general community, and to look up a specific bitnet site (in a rudimentary fashion). As on all

The Electronic Mail Menu also allows users to creat aliases or nicknames for one or more users with whom they communicate. Using the committee example from above, a user might create a nickname for the committee called 'xyz' and store in that alias a set of 10 user ids. When the user mails to 'xyz,' the system sends the message to each id listed in the alias. Users may also look up user ids from this menu. One of the frustrations in using a menu is navigating multiple menu levels to perform simple tasks. Although this menu isn't devoid of that problem, in this case if a user forgets to look up an id before selecting the Electronic Mail Menu, there is no need to return to the Main Menu and then the Directory Service Menu to find the id.

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UR/Downloading

A variety of documentation is provided to users. One handout lists the commands necessary while in a mailbox. Because it is so easy to check electronic mail from a number of different locations, this summary is also available in online form from the Electronic Mail Menu. If a user checks her mail while away from her workspace, the online documentation provides a handy reminder of whatever commands are necessary for mail processing.

Menu

Since most of the users of the School of Medicine system are also microcomputer users, it is often the case that one user needs to transfer a microcomputer file to another user. That can be accomplished by uploading the file to the Unix system and giving permission to the other user to read the Uploading is also often used file. when a user has edited a file on his microcomputer which he would like to include in a mail message on the Unix system. Many different protocols are available to Unix users for the transfer of files between microcomputers and Unix. The protocol offered on the School of Medicine system is kermit.

Utilities Menu One of the most important options on the Utilities Menu is the option to change the user's password. Each user is asked to change his original password during the first login session. An online summary of how to select a good password is available to all In users from the Main Help Menu. addition, when a user is added to the system, a form mail message is sent reminding him of the importance of changing his password during the first login session and periodically thereafter.

File Maintenance Menu Each user on the School of Medicine system is assigned disk space and a Users store files 'home directory.' in the directory under a variety of circumstances (for example, by saving

mail messages into alternative mailboxes). This menu permits users easy and unsophisticated access to files in their home directory and also in any other directory they are permitted to (In order to access direcaccess. tories other than their home directory which is a default, they must have some understanding of the structure of Users can list subdirectories.) files, change their working (default) directory, edit files, view files, delete files, and print files. Printing files from this menu is speMany cific to microcomputer users. users want to print files on printers attached to their microcomputers. Since the Unix system knows nothing about those printers, files cannot be printed using standard Unix print com(Access to Unix printers is mands. available, but not generally as convenient as a local microcomputer printThe print option on this menu er.) simply steps the user through the general steps necessary to toggle printing on and off from their micro-

Fortune cookies are also available Unix is from the Utilities Menu. shipped with a database of quotes, witty sayings, and technical puns. (Some unwitty sayings are also The fortune cookies are included.) included in the menu system to help new users feel comfortable. Using the fortune cookies requires no expertise and so is comforting to those users who are still intimidated by working on computers.

Unix also includes a utility called 'leave' which can be set to beep and display a message at a specified time. Users can use it to remind themselves to leave their workstation for a meeting or other timely reminder. The last option on the Utilities Menu is an option to change the terminal emulation being used. When users log into the workstations from a microcomputer, they must use communications software to emulate a terminal type. The most common terminal emulation for the School of Medicine system is vtlOo. The terminal emulation must be made known both to the microcomputer This menu and to the Unix system. option is the mechanism whereby users can make the emulation known to the Unix system.

computer hardware

communications software

propriate

or

prompts them at aptimes to execute the

and

toggles. Ingres Database Menu

Clinical and administrative databases Inforare available from this menu. mation which is deemed "community information" can be found in the data-

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bases available. Access to each database is tightly controlled by the OIS clinical and administrative database If a user selects a coordinators. database she is not allowed to access, a brief message is displayed which indicates that she should call OIS for The Material and more information. Safety Data Sheets are available to everyone in the School of Medicine and The Data Sheets contain on campus. toxicological information on chemicals and are required by law to be available to laboratories which handle Even users without toxic chemicals. an individual user id may access MSDS by logging in as user 'msds.'

The Ideal Solution? menu provided to users by the Office of Information Systems is not the ideal solution to information access. Users still must deal with multiple interfaces on their microcomputers and the Unix system (as well as

The

on other campus computers). The menu does provide a robust, reasonably friendly interface to an operating system that has traditionally been seen as unusable by all but computer scientists. There are many additional functions that users will benefit from having added to the menu, and those will be included as time allows and as For now, users are need dictates. able to function in an unfamiliar environment with flexibility and relative ease.

[1]

Rauch-Hindin, "Unix fills business niche," Mini-Micro Systems, vol. 21(4), p. 75.

W.

W. Rauch-Hindin, "Unix fills [2] business niche," Mini-Micro Systems,

vol. 21(4), p. 75.

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SunOS Release 4.0 (OS4.3_50) #1: Thu Aug 18 16:05:35 EDT 1988

Check daily.news for news of the day: Menu users: Select Main Help Menu, Informational Documents Current terminal: vtlOO

daily.news: Last Updated 8/17/89 10:00 a.m. MAIN MENU

>>>

Directory Service Menu .... a Electronic Mail Menu ...... b

Up/Download Menu.

f

File Maintenance Menu. g Ingres Database Functions. h Read/Post News ............ c Quit (logoff). Current Date & Time ....... d q Main Help Menu. Utilities Menu ............ e Set to Unknown Terminal... ! Enter your choice [a]:

Directory Service Menu »> Find out who is logged on .... .......... ...... Search for a specific name/ID .... ........ Scan the directory of users .... ........... Scan the staff directory .... ........... Quit the directory menu ..... ........... Summary of menu options ..... Set to Unknown Terminal ................

a b c

d q ?

Enter your choice [a]:

Electronic Mail Menu >>> Read new mail

...................

a

Read old mail ................... Read mail in alternate mailbox.. Send mail to someone ............ Summary of mail commands ........

b c

d e

Look up a user id/name ..... f

Alias/nickname

menu ........ g

Quit the mail menu ......... q Summary of menu options .... ? Set to Unknown Terminal ....

Enter your choice (a]:

Alias/Nickname Menu »> Create a new alias/nickname ............ List your current aliases/nicknames .... Edit your current aliases/nicknames .... Quit the alias/nickname menu ........... Summary of menu options .............. Set to Unknown Terminal ..............

a

b c q

Enter your choice [a]:

Utilities Menu »> Change your password ................... a A fortune cookie ....................... b Set the alarm clock .................... c Execute a non-menu program ............. d Change your terminal type .............. e Quit the utilities menu ................ q Summary of menu options ................ ? Set to Unknown Terminal ................. Enter your choice [a]:

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Up/downloading Menu >>>

Kermit ... a

Quit the up/downloading menu........... q ? Summary of menu options...... Set to Unknown

Terminal........... i

Enter your choice [a]:

File Maintenance Menu Delete file in a directory ... e directory ..... a Print file in a directory .... f Change working directory ...... b Quit this menu ............... q Edit file in a directory ...... c Look at file in a directory ... d Summary of menu options ... ... Set to Unknown Terminal......... !

>>> List files in a

Enter your choice [a]: Ingres Database Menu

»> Fiscal/Personnel MIS .......a Admin. Student Info ........b Family Support Network .....c

Planning Office ............ j Child Med. Evaluation ......k Human Rights ...............1 m Sickle Cell Program. n NCGDCN .....

MSDS (chemical toxicology).d Continuing Med. Education..e Alumni Affairs ............. f Faculty Publications .......g Nephrology ................. h

Rheumatiod Arthritis Study.o q Quit ............. Set to Unknown Terminal ....

Medical Illustrations ......i

Help ....................... ?

Enter your choice (a]:

Main Help Menu >>> Summary of main menu options........... a

Additional Information Documents....... b Look up a bitnet site.................. c Quit the Main Help Menu................ q Summary of menu options................ Set to Unknown Terminal................ Enter your choice [a]:

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