Configuring CDE: The Common Desktop Environment [Paperback]

Charles V. Fernandez (Author), Hewlett-Packard Professional Books (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 24, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0131027247 | ISBN-13: 978-0131027244 | Edition: 1

Now that Sun, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and SCO have all agreed to use HP VUE as their desktop, there is great interest in techniques for customizing HP VUE. This book explains how to shape HP VUE to meet the requirements of a particular work environment, and in doing so, turn the computer into a personal productivity tool. Covers front panel modifications, application integration, startup configuration, and performance tuning. For system managers and end users who want to shape their HP VUE environment.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Now that Sun, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and SCO have all agreed to use HP VUE as their desktop, there is great interest in techniques for customizing HP VUE. This book explains how to shape HP VUE to meet the requirements of a particular work environment, and in doing so, turn the computer into a personal productivity tool. Covers front panel modifications, application integration, startup configuration, and performance tuning. For system managers and end users who want to shape their HP VUE environment.

About the Author

Charlie Fernandez has worked for Hewlett-Packard since 1988. During that time, he wrote extensively on the X Window System and Motif, including such works as A Beginner's Guide to the X Window System, Using the X Window System, and the first OSF/Motif Style Guide. The author was in charge of the writing team that documented the first version of HP VUE, and later became the product manager for HP VUE as it entered the marketplace.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (June 24, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131027247
• ISBN-13: 978-0131027244
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,279,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Barely worth the shelf space, June 29, 2000

By 

Cypherpunks (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Configuring CDE: The Common Desktop Environment (Paperback)

This book is largely geared toward the WIMP (window, icon, mouse, pointer) tools for configuring CDE, as well as a somewhat useful section on actually extending the environment. However, for basic configuration, the almost exclusive focus on GUI tools (which frankly don't need explaining to a semi-competent admin) is a severe liability.

Coverage of configuration files, fundamental X philosophy, X resources, and releated issues is completely inadequate. I found the online man pages from HP-UX for VUE, and references such as the O'Reilly X Window users and administrator' references, to be far, far more useful in this context. Compounding this issue is the apparent unwillingness of vendors (I've worked with both Sun and HP boxes using VUE) to provide detailed man pages describing CDE, startup processes, and configuration.

The only praise I can give is that, for the topic of CDE, this is the best book I'm aware of. However, it's also the worst, as this is a class containing exactly one element.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple Language. Good Intro., August 29, 2000

By 

Adam DeRidder "salty monkey" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Configuring CDE: The Common Desktop Environment (Paperback)

I was having trouble finding a simple intro to how to configure and work with CDE. I support workstations running it and don't have much experience with it. This book is not for CDE gurus / programmers. But, from what I have seen, it covers the basics in a quick, bright fashion. If that is what you want, get the book. I like it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as useful as I'd hoped., December 1, 1999

By 

Brian Fritz (Renton, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Configuring CDE: The Common Desktop Environment (Paperback)

The information in this book is quite useful but discusses a version of CDE used on (older?) HP equipment. Users of more recent versions of Solaris will find the information a useful starting point, but not a cookbook. Some topics, like fonts, are barely mentioned. However, I'm not aware of there being anything better available.