Using Help to Get Familiar with AIX Common Desktop Environment

Quick Beginnings

Using Help to Get Familiar with AIX Common Desktop Environment

The first time you log in to AIX Common Desktop Environment (CDE), a help window introducing the desktop is displayed (see AIX Common Desktop Environment Help Window illustration). This introduction is a good starting place for new CDE users. It provides quick access to helpful topics including "The Desktop at a Glance," "Basic Desktop Skills," and "Getting Help."

Click the topic Basic Desktop Skills. This gives you access to information about using desktop menus and controls and other topics to help you get started using the CDE.
Click the topic The Desktop at a Glance for an introductory review of the types of applications available in the CDE.
Click the topic Getting Help for details about accessing and using the CDE help system.

Accessing AIX Common Desktop Environment Help Topics

There are a number of ways to access CDE online help topics:

Help Key

The quickest way to get help is to press F1, usually known as the help key. When you press F1, the application you are using responds by displaying the help topic most closely related to your current activity.

Some computers have a dedicated Help button on the keyboard, which may take the place of the F1 key.

Application Help Menus

Most applications have a Help menu that contains additional commands for requesting specific kinds of help, such as Introduction, Tasks, and Reference. To learn more about using help windows, click Using Help from the Help menu in any application. Or, you can press F1 while you are in a help window.

Help Manager Icon

To access the extensive CDE volumes of help, click the Help Manager icon located on the Front Panel. This opens the CDE help manager (see AIX Common Desktop EnvironmentHelp Manager illustration).

Click Common Desktop Environment to display the list of help volumes that have been installed on your desktop. Browse the list of titles. To open a volume, click its title.

Using the Pointer Above Help Manager Icon

To view the Help subpanel options available, click the arrow pointer above the Help Manager icon.

The Help subpanel provides the following:

Install Icon	Allows you to install icons representing applications (actions), files, and directories. You can drag and drop an object on the control to install it into the subpanel.
Help Manager	Displays the help browser help volume, which gives you access to the installed desktop help volumes on the system.
Desktop Introduction	Displays the help volume entitled Introducing the Desktop, which contains topics covering basic desktop concepts and skills. This help volume displays automatically the first time a user logs in to the desktop.
Front Panel Help	Displays the help volume for the Front Panel, which contains topics covering how to use and customize the Front Panel.
Welcome to AIX CDE 1.0	Displays the help volume to assist you in migrating from an earlier version of CDE, or from the AIXwindows Desktop, to the CDE.
On Item Help	Changes the mouse to a question mark that you can drag and drop on desktop objects for specific information.

Double-click the menu button in the upper-left corner to close the Help subpanel.