Microsoft Windows NT ("New Technology") is an operating system conceived of in 1988 and first released in 1993. We have NT version 4.0 in the Department which has been around for a couple years. Its most obvious feature is that it's user interface is the same as Microsoft's other popular operating system, Windows 95. Other features include user accounts and sophisticated file permissions. For more information about NT and its history/features, see this.
We have about 180 PCs in the Department running NT: 60 in the "MATH" domain and 120 in the "PIC" domain. In NT, a "domain" is a logical grouping of computers that shares accounts including user information, group membership, and security policies. Our MATH accounts are for staff, faculty, guests, and graduate students. Our PIC accounts are for PIC faculty and TAs, undergraduate Math Majors, and students enrolled in PIC or Math classes that require use of the PICLab in BH2817.
The PCs in the PIC domain are mostly down in the PICLab with the exception of a few machines for PIC professors and one in the Applied Computing Lab in MS6187 ("charlie") which is for use by PIC TAs.
For the MATH domain, there are machines in the Applied Computing Lab (MS6187), the Administrative Staff offices, and in faculty offices. There is one PC running NT in MS6621 which is available to all faculty; otherwise if you want to log in to NT, you would have to be in the Applied Group (Faculty, Guest, or Graduate Student) or have a PC in your office running NT. The machines in the Applied Computing Lab are restricted to members of the Applied Group.
Back to topThe first this you will need to log in to NT is an account. See the Bugs Manager to set this up. You can e-mail ahead of time with the account request, but you'll have to go to the office to set your password.
Once you have an account you can log in by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del then entering your username and password. To go from one field to another (username to password), press the Tab key or click in the box with the mouse. Once logged in, you can change your NT password by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del again, then clicking on the "Change Password" button. From there, click into each box to type your old and new passwords, then press Enter when the form is complete. The change will take effect immediately.
There are several important things you should know about your account. First, you have a home directory "Z:" which is on the server "palomar" and backed up nightly (weekdays). You should only save and manipulate files in this location. There are no hard quotas, but we monitor disk use and request that you be sensible.
You have a Personal Profile in your home directory (sometimes called a "Roaming Profile"). This is where preferences for you account are stored; your wallpaper, default printer, etc. It's set up in such a way that you can access your profile no matter what machine you log in to.
The "Start Menu" is what you see when you press the "Start" button. This is on the taskbar at the lower left corner of the screen. The "Start Menu" is a menu of programs and utilities you can run. Most of the software is in "Start|Programs". Press the "Start" button, click "Programs", then folder/shortcut you can to follow.
Back to topWith a few exceptions, the PCs in the Department have Pentium processors or higher, from Pentium 200MMX to the newest Pentium II 350 with 100Mhz bus. All machines have 3.5" floppy drives and the machines in ACL and in some offices are equipped with Zip drives.
The software on the PCs in the Department includes a suite of office applications (Microsoft Office 97 with Word as word processor, Excel as spreadsheet software, Access as database software, PowerPoint as presentation software), Applications to access the internet (the Web browser Netscape Navigator, Eudora Light for e-mail, WS-Ftp for ftp, Hummingbird HostExplorer for terminal connections), math software on some PCs Waterloo Maple), and some other programs (Ghostview to view PostScript files, Acrobat Reader to view .pdf files, PC-TeX to process TeX files, anti-virus software). Some PCs also have compilers (Microsoft Visual C++ and J++) and zip software (WinZip).
Back to topWhich printers you can print to is stored in your Personal Profile. To add a printer, press the "Start" button, then choose "Settings" and then "Printers". A windows will pop up with several icons in it, the printers already in your profile (if any) and one that says "Add Printer". Double-click "Add Printer". A series of dialogs will come up. On the first one choose "Network printer server" then "Next". You should see a list of printers under "MATH" in the next window that comes up (you may need to double click "MATH"). If not, double-click "palomar" to see a list of printers. Now double click on the printer you want a connection to. The next window will ask if you want to make this printer your default printer (unless it's your first which will automatically be the default). Choose an option, then press "Next" and finally press "Finish". If you have problems, you can just type in the path to the printer (instead of clicking it) where it says "Printer:". Some popular printers (and what you would fill in) are:
| Printer | Path | Location |
|---|---|---|
| gclps | \\palomar\gclps | GCL -- MS3347 |
| aclps | \\palomar\aclps | ACL -- MS6187 |
| appliedps | \\palomar\appliedps | Applied Admin Office -- MS7619 |
| crps | \\palomar\crps | Copy Room -- MS6364 |
| admps | \\palomar\admps | Dept Admin Office -- MS6363 |
There are a number of ways you can access your Math UNIX account. You can:
\\sambamath\$username where
it says "Path:" where $username is your username. If you want to have
this connection everytime you log in (you'll have to specify your UNIX password
each time), make sure the box to the left of "Reconnect at Logon" is checked, otherwise
clear it. Now click "OK". A dialog will pop up where it says "Connect As:", type in
your username and where it says "Password:", type in your UNIX password. You'll then
have a new drive (which is your UNIX home directory) to open and save files.
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