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Application Software |
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Application software is many and varied on Eos/Unity, running on one, two, or all three of the supported platforms. When possible (considering cost, demand, licensing requirements, and technical feasibility), the software is installed on all the Eos/Unity platforms for which it is available.
Commercial and Non-Commercial Software
Commercial software is purchased and licensed by NCSU or the College of Engineering upon recommendation by faculty for use in classes and research. For licensed commercial software, NCSU and/or COE offers support and maintenance.
Non-commercial software is not covered by an explicit contractual agreement with NCSU. It includes freeware, shareware, public-domain software, and software that is freely available for non-commercial or academic use. It may or may not be licensed, copyrighted, or in other ways protected by law. These packages are installed on the Eos/Unity system by campus staff but have limited support. No upgrades or new versions are guaranteed. Many of these programs are excellent, but you must use them at your own risk.
Overview of Applications on Eos/Unity Platforms
UNIX (Sun Solaris), a long-established platform on Eos/Unity, delivers applications used primarily in Engineering and PAMS. There is no difference in applications in the Solaris labs on campus, whether it is Unity, Eos, or a college lab. If you are able to log in, you generally can use any of the software on the system. However, it may not be possible for you to work in any lab since workstation access may be restricted to college users only. Type add on the command line to see the available applications.
Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) is used in Computer Science to teach programming. Engineering and other colleges, such as PAMS, also have applications delivered from this platform. There is not a large suite of commercial software for Linux, and many applications on Linux are free, open-source non-commercial software. Type add on the command line to see the available applications.
The AFS file system stores and distributes application software to Solaris and LInux workstations. Applications are downloaded to the workstation for faster processing locally but are not stored there permanently, just cached for use during the session.
See UNIX Applications and Processes for more information on running applications on the Solaris and Linux platforms.
Windows (2000, XP) has the largest suite of commercial software on Eos/Unity, but the labs will vary in the software they offer. All labs run a core suite, available in the Unity Applications folder in the Novell Application Launcher (NAL), which appears on screen after you log in. However, colleges have software they have loaded separately; for example, engineering students will access college-acquired applications via the Engineering Applications folder in the NAL.
The Novell and Realm Kit Launchers
The applications on the Windows and Linux platforms are accessible in application launchers and appear as icons. Double-clicking an icon will launch the program.
Novell Application Launcher (NAL)
The Windows platforms relies on technologies from Novell, including NDS (Novell Directory Services), ZENWorks for Desktops, and the Novell Application Launcher, see the campus Microsystems site for more information. On Windows, the applications are located in the Novell Application Launcher (NAL). See instructions for using applications in the NAL.
Right-click the application's icon and select Properties to get product description, help, and contact information for the application. If you have difficulty running an application, right-click its icon and select Verify. Then try opening it again. Applications also can be launched from the Programs submenu on the Start menu in the lower left of the screen.
Applications and processes are identified and monitored on Windows by the Task Manager, which is brought up by right-clicking in the gray area of the task bar at the bottom of the screen. Selecting the Applications tab shows you what applications are running. The Processes tab shows all background and foreground programs running and provides a full accounting of session activity. To "kill" an application or process, select it and then select the End Task button.
Realm Kit Application Launcher (RKAL)
The Linux platform has a similar launcher called the Realm Kit Application Launcher (RKAL), from which applications can be executed by double-clicking icons. A Programs submenu can also be brought up from the "Red Hat" icon, similar to the Start menu on Windows. The handling of processes is identical to the way they are handled on Solaris (see UNIX Applications and Processes). However, a Windows-style task bar appears at the bottom of the screen and displays an application panel that shows what is running.
Software Documentation
Documentation to support the software is often online inside the program, usually under Help. It may also be linked into specific software support pages at the Eos software site, http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/software/. Depending on the license arrangement with the vendor, the documentation may be on secured Web pages and require your Eos/Unity login to access, see http://manuals.eos.ncsu.edu
Print manuals can sometimes be ordered from the NCSU Bookstore. D.H. Hill library also has copies of some manuals, and manuals can sometimes be found in the labs. In addition, the Web is a growing resource for software documentation, tutorials, discussion groups, etc.
Related Resources
Software Applications (from Guide, PDF)
Application Software: What Runs Where? (from Guide, PDF)
User Manuals for Application Software
On Solaris and Linux, type add on the command line to see what commercial software is available for the platform.
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