This chapter explains how to find icons and organize them so they are easily accessible. It contains:
Use File QuickFind to open a small window into which you can type the name of applications, files, and directories whose icons you want to find on your system. (If you do not know the full name of the icon you want to find, or you want to find an icon based on additional characteristics, such as its type or owner, use the Search tool instead.)
Click a topic for step-by-step instructions on using “File QuickFind”:
If the File QuickFind window is not already open, choose “File QuickFind” from the Find toolchest.
Type the name of a file, directory, or application in the type-in field provided.
If the file or folder icon resides in your home directory or search path, type the icon name only. For example, to fetch the icon for a file named report1 in your home directory, type: report1
If the file or folder icon is not in your home directory or search path, include the full Unix pathname. For example, if you want to find the folder icon for the /usr/tmp directory, type /usr/tmp in the field provided. If you want to find the icon for a file called report1 in the /usr/tmp directory, type: /usr/tmp/report1
Press the < Enter> key or double click the icon to open it.
Pressing the < Enter> key also places the icon name on the recycle list. If you need to find the icon again, and the File QuickFind window is still open, place the cursor over the recycle button; then press the left mouse button.
If you want, you can drag the icon to a different location—such as the desktop or a page in the Icon Catalog—so it is easily accessible.
To add directories to your path, see “Adding Directories to Your Path.”
When you use the “File QuickFind” command to search for an icon, the software searches through a series of directories to find the file or application. The series of directories it searches is called your path:
If you launched File QuickFind from a directory in an Icon View window, the current directory is searched first.
Your home directory is searched next.
Then all directories listed in your path.
If File QuickFind doesn't find the file, it either doesn't exist, or the directory that contains the file isn't included in your path. If it didn't find it in your path, you can do one of the following to find the icon:
Type the full pathname into File QuickFind to find the file.
For example, if you want to find the icon for a file called report1 in the /usr/tmp directory, type: /usr/tmp/report1
Add the directory to your path. See “Adding Directories to Your Path” for instructions.
Use the Search tool to find the file.
The Search tool helps you find icons for files. The controls for performing each type of search are stored on a page.
If you do not remember the name of a file or the directory in which it's stored, you may have to search for it. You can use the Search tool to find files and directories based on
the filename, or a portion of the name
the type of icon it has
how recently the file was created or modified
the person who owns the file
the size of the file
the permission settings for the file (permission settings specify whether people can view and edit the file)
the text in an ASCII text file
By default, the Search tool searches for files that are located on your system. It does not search in remote directories whose icons you have placed on your desktop (mounted). To search in mounted directories, click the box next to the label only on this host. The checkmark disappears.
To search for files on another system, see “Finding Files on Another System.”
If you do not remember the name of a file or the directory in which it's stored, you may want to use the Search tool to locate it. (If the Search tool is not already showing, open it by clicking the words Search tool , or by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.)
Type the name, or a portion of the name, in the field next to the label “whose name.”
By default, the Search tool finds files whose name contains the string you type. For example, suppose you type doc. You find all files whose name contains that sequence of characters, regardless of the capitalization.
If you want to find files that match a particular name, you need to change the setting from “contains string” to “matches pattern.” To do so, place the cursor over the menu button labeled contains string; then press the left mouse button. Choose “matches pattern.” Now, if you type “doc,” you only find files named doc.
Note: When you select “matches pattern,” you can use an asterisk (*). The asterisk is called a wildcard character. For example, type *doc and you find all files that end in doc. Do not include an asterisk if the Search tool is set to “contains string.” The Search tool will look for a file name that includes the asterisk. In the field next to the label “look,” type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
By default, your home directory name appears.
Choose commands from the Match menu to specify what type of files you want to find.
Each command on the Match menu reveals a new set of controls. To hide the controls, choose “is ignored” from the menu button that appears next to the label.
Choose “Icon” to specify the type of file you want to find. For example, if you're looking for a file you created using the IRIS Showcase application, you can specify that you want to find all IRIS Showcase files. See also “Finding Files of a Particular Type” and “Finding Directories.”
Choose “Time” to find files based on the time and date they were created or modified.
A menu button appears. It lets you specify whether you want to find files that are older than or newer than a certain number of days, or older than or newer than a specified file. Choose “newer than file” or “older than file” and a drop pocket appears.
Choose “Ownership” to find files that are owned by a particular user.
A drop pocket and type-in field appear. Enter the name of the user or drop an icon into the drop pocket. If the user's icon is available, drop that into the drop pocket. You can also find one file that is owned by that person, and place its icon in the drop pocket.
Choose “Size” to find files that are greater than, less than, or equal to a specified size. Several menu buttons and a type-in field appear. See also “Finding Large Files.”
Choose “Permissions” to find files based on their permission settings.
A menu button appears. It offers two choices. You can find files that are marked read-only (allow only reading) or files that are editable (allow reading and writing).
Choose “Content” to find an ASCII text file that contains a specified sequence of characters.
A type-in field appears. Type exactly the text that you want to find. Do not use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard character. For example, if you type *.doc you will only find files that actually contain the text string “*.doc.”
Press the Search button.
A list of icons that meet the search criteria appears in the lower portion of the window.
| Note: By default, the Search tool searches for files that are located on your system. It does not search in remote directories whose icons you have placed on your desktop (mounted). To search these directories, click the box next to the label “only on this host.” The checkmark disappears. |
You can use the Search tool to find files that are smaller than, greater than, or equal to a specified size. If the System Monitor warns you that your disk is getting full, you might want to use the Search tool to locate large files. (If the Search tool is not already showing, open it by clicking the words Search tool now, or by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.)
Leave the field next to the label “whose name” empty.
This assures that you'll find all large files, regardless of their names. You have another option: choose “ignore” from the menu button. When you choose “ignore,” the controls for specifying a name disappear. To open them again, choose “Name” from the Match menu.
In the field next to the label “look,” type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
By default, your home directory name appears.
Choose “Size” from the Match menu.
A new area appears. It includes two menu buttons. One lets you choose whether you want to find files that are greater than, equal to, or smaller than a specified size; the other lets you choose what measurements you want to use—megabytes, bytes, blocks, or kilobytes.
Choose “`is greater than” from the menu button next to the label “and size.”
Type a number in the pink type-in field.
Click the Search button.
Icons greater than the specified size appear in the results area.
| Note: You can delete files to make more room on your system's disk. Before doing so, consider making a backup copy of these files. For instructions, see “Backing Up and Restoring” in the Personal System Administration Guide. |
You can use the Search tool to find files of a particular type—directories, audio files, IRIS Showcase files, text files, or image files, for example. A unique icon identifies each of these file types.
For this example, suppose you want to use the Search tool to find an IRIS Showcase file. (If the Search tool is not already showing, open it by clicking the words Search tool now, or by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.)
Leave the field next to the label “whose name” empty.
This assures that you'll find all files, regardless of their names. You have another option: choose “ignore” from the menu button. When you choose “ignore,” the controls for specifying a name disappear. To open them again, choose “Name” from the Match menu.
In the field next to the label “look,” type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
By default, your home directory name appears.
Choose “Icon” from the Match menu.
A new area appears in the window.
Drag an icon of the type for which you are searching, and drop it into the drop pocket.
For example, if you want to find a particular IRIS Showcase file, drag an IRIS Showcase file icon and place it in the drop pocket. The icon changes and the name of that filetype appears in the pink field.
Press the Search button.
A list of files appears in the lower portion of the window. In this case, all of the files on the list are IRIS Showcase files.
You can use the Search tool to find files on another system if your system is on a network and if the directory that contains the file is marked as shared by the remote system. To find out whether a directory is shared, see “Finding Another System's Shared Resources.”
If the Search tool is not already open on your screen, open it by clicking the words Search tool now, or by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.
To find files on another system using the Search tool:
Type the name of the file you want to find in the field next to the label “whose name.”
For more details, see “Finding Files: Basic Instructions.”
In the field next to the label “look,” type /hosts followed by the name of the system and directory in which you want to search.
If the system is in a different domain of the network, include this after the system name. For example, to search in the /usr/tmp directory on a system named wizard in the .bldg2 domain, type: /hosts/wizard.bldg2/usr/tmp
A folder icon should appear in the drop pocket next to the pathname you type. If it does not appear, you can not search the directory you have specified. You may be unable to search for one of several reasons:
The directory is marked as private; the owner has not set it up as a shared directory. See “Sharing Directories With Other Systems” for more details.
The permission settings prevent you from searching the directory. See “Permissions Settings: A Definition” for more information on permission settings.
Choose commands from the Match menu to narrow the search to specific types of files.
Each command on the Match menu reveals a new set of controls. See “Finding Files: Basic Instructions” for more details.
Press the Search button.
A list of files that meet the search criteria appears in the lower portion of the window. If you need to access a remote file frequently, drag the icon onto the desktop, onto a shelf, or onto a page in the Icon Catalog. This gives you quick access to a file on another system. To make a copy of the file, drag it into an open Icon View window or over a folder icon.
You can use the Search tool to find files, directories, and applications based on their name, size, owner, and more. In addition, you can narrow the search so that the Search tool only finds directories that meet the search criteria. (If the Search tool is not already showing, clicking the words Search tool now, or by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.)
Type the name, or a portion of the name, in the field next to the label “whose name.”
For more details, see “Finding Files: Basic Instructions.”
In the field next to the label “look,” type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
By default, your home directory name appears.
Choose “Icon” from the Match menu.
A new area appears in the window.
Type “Directory” in the type-in field or drag a folder icon into the drop pocket.
The drop pocket displays a folder icon and the word “Directory” appears in the pink field.
Press the Search button.
A list of directories appears in the lower portion of the window.
The controls for performing a specific type of search are stored on a page. For example, suppose you use a software application that automatically creates a backup copy of the file you are editing. It names these files filename.bak. This protects you from losing information if the program quits unexpectedly. To regain disk space, you might want to find old backup files and delete them periodically.
Choose “File Search” from the New rollover menu on the Page menu in the Search tool.
A new page appears. The title bar and tab display the label “Files1.” This number increases each time you choose “File Search.”
Type .bak in the field next to “whose name.”
By default, the Search tool finds files that contain the string of characters you specify. If you type .bak, you find all files that contain the sequence of characters “.bak.”
If you've changed the setting to “matches pattern,” you need to type *.bak. The asterisk is a wild card. You find all files that end with .bak.
Make sure the full pathname of your home directory appears in the field next to the label “look.”
Choose “Time” from the Match menu.
A menu button and new type-in field appear.
Choose “...days or older” from the menu button.
To choose an item from a menu button, place the cursor over the button next to the label “and time”; then press the left mouse button to reveal the menu.
Type 7 in the field next to the button.
This specifies that you want to find files that end in .bak and are more than seven days old.
Press the Search button.
You see a list of .bak files that are more than seven days old.
Choose “Rename” from the Page menu; then type a new name in the window that appears. For this example, suppose you type “OldFiles.”
For quick access to your most-used icons, create references for them and place them in one of three places: on the desktop, on a shelf, or in the Icon Catalog.
A shelf is a place for you to put icons that you need to use frequently while working in a particular directory. For example, if the directory contains many files, you might want to place the files you use most frequently on the shelf. Or, if the directory contains many color Showcase slides, you might want to place the icon for a color printer onto the shelf.
Figure 6-1 shows a sample Icon View window and shelf. Notice that the shelf is blue; the rest of the window is light green. The blue background indicates that it is a holding place for frequently used icons.
To place an icon on the shelf:
Display the shelf by choosing “Shelf” from the View menu or by clicking the Shelf button in the toolbar. Figure 6-2 shows the Shelf button.
Place the cursor over the icon that you want to place on the shelf; then press the left mouse button and drag the icon onto the shelf.
Release the mouse button when the icon is over the shelf.
| Note: Placing an icon on a shelf gives you a reference to the icon so you can access it more easily. It does not move or copy the file. If you no longer need to use an icon frequently, you can remove it from the shelf by selecting it and choosing “Remove” from the Selected menu. This removes the reference icon, not the original file. |
The screen background is called the desktop. It's a place for you to set frequently used icons so you have quick and easy access to them. By default, several icons are placed on each desktop: a folder icon representing your home directory, a dumpster icon, several application icons, and an icon for each peripheral you have installed. To place additional icons on the desktop:
Place the cursor over the icon that you want to place on the desktop; then press the left mouse button and drag the icon onto the desktop.
Release the mouse button. The icon appears on the desktop.
| Note: Placing an icon on the desktop gives you a reference to the icon so you can access it more easily. It does not move or copy the file. If you no longer need to use an icon frequently, you can remove it from the desktop by selecting it and choosing “Remove” from the Selected menu. This removes the reference icon, not the original file. |
The Icon Catalog shows collections of applications and tools that are available on your system. You can add icons to a page in the Icon Catalog, and you can create new pages. See “Adding Icons to an Icon Catalog Page” and “Creating a New Page in the Icon Catalog.”
Each page in the Icon Catalog shows a collection of icons. To add an icon to an existing page, do the following:
Place the cursor over the icon that you want to add to the page; then press the left mouse button and drag the icon into the Icon Catalog window.
If you need help finding the icon, open the Search tool by clicking the words Icon Catalog now, or by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.
When the icon is over the blue portion of the window, release the mouse button. The icon appears on the page.
| Note: Placing an icon in the Icon Catalog gives you a reference to the icon so you can access it more easily. It does not move or copy the file. If you no longer need to use an icon frequently, you can remove it from the Icon Catalog by selecting it and choosing “Remove” from the Selected menu. This removes the reference icon, not the original file. |
By default, the Icon Catalog contains several pages. You can create a new page on which to store your own collection of icons. To do so:
Choose “New Page” from the Page menu.
A new page appears. The title bar and tab display the label “unnamed.” If you create another new page, the page is named “unnamed1.”
Place icons on the page.
Place the cursor over the icon that you want to add to the page; then press the left mouse button and drag the icon into the Icon Catalog window.
When the icon is over the blue portion of the window, release the mouse button. The icon appears on the page.
Note that placing an icon in the Icon Catalog gives you a more convenient place from which to access the icon. It does not move the file.
Choose “Rename” from the Page menu to specify a different name for the page. See “Renaming an Icon Catalog Page” for step-by-step instructions.
The new page is listed on the Icon Catalog menu on the Find toolchest.
“Creating a New Page in the Icon Catalog” explains how to add your own page to the Icon Catalog. This section explains how to rename a page.
Display the page that you want to rename.
Choose the “Page Up” and “Page Down” commands on the Page menu, press the < Page Up> and < Page Down> keys on the keyboard, or click a tab.
Choose “Rename” from the Page menu.
A window appears.
Place the cursor in the window, click the left mouse button, and then type a name.
Press the <Enter> key or click the OK button.
The new name appears in the title bar.
If you decide that you don't need a page that you have added to the Icon Catalog, you can remove it. To do so, turn to the page you want to remove; then choose “Remove” from the Page menu. A notifier appears asking if you are certain that you want to remove the page. Click OK to remove the page; click Cancel to retain the page.
You cannot remove the default pages. If you turn to a default page and choose the “Remove” command, you make any icons that you had added to the page disappear.
When you remove a page, you do not delete the icons that appear on the page. To find the icons again, choose “File QuickFind” from the Find toolchest, or open the Search tool by choosing “Files” from the Find toolchest.
The Icon Catalog stores collections of icons on pages. To turn from one page to another, place the cursor over the tab; then click the left mouse button. You move to that page.
Some of the tabs might not fit in the space provided. When this happens, a stack of unnumbered tabs appears at the left or right edge of the tab display area. To turn to a page whose tab is hidden:
Place the cursor over the stack of unnumbered tabs; then press the left mouse button.
Choose a page number from the menu that appears.
You place icons on the desktop, on a shelf, in the Icon Catalog, or in another directory so that you can access them easily. These icons are called references and are labeled with italicized text. If you no longer need to use an icon frequently, you can remove it. When you remove a reference icon, the icon disappears from the shelf, desktop, Icon Catalog, or directory but the original file that the reference points to is not deleted.
Suppose you want to take an icon off of a shelf:
Select the icon you want to remove. The icon turns yellow when it's selected.
Choose “Remove” from the Selected menu.
The icon disappears from the shelf and is moved into the dumpster. To access the original icon, you need to open the directory in which it is located.
You can also remove the icon by dragging it into the dumpster.
You can change the way that icons are arranged and displayed in Icon View windows and on pages in the Icon Catalog and Search tool. This section contains some information that is common to all three windows and some that is specific to Icon View windows.
The Arrange menu lets you change the way in which icons are sorted.
Choose “by Name” to list the icons alphabetically.
Choose “by Date” to list the files according to the date on which they were last modified.
Choose “by Size” to list the files according to their size, starting with the largest.
Choose “by Type” to list the icons by type (directory, file, or application, for example).
Each Icon View window contains a thumbwheel that you can use to change the size of the icons in that window. Place the cursor over the thumbwheel; then drag the mouse up to make the icons smaller and down to make the icons larger. To return to the original icon size, click the small box below the thumbwheel.
| Note: To change the size of icons on the desktop, use the Desktop control panel. To open the Desktop control panel, click the word Desktop now, or choose “Desktop” from the Customize menu on the Desktop toolchest. |
When you open a folder icon, the contents of the directory appear as icons scattered throughout the window. Choose “as List” from the View menu to arrange the icons in a sorted list. When you view the icons in a list, you see
the icon name
the size of a file icon in bytes
the date and time at which the file was modified
Additionally, in Icon View windows, you see an arrow next to folder icons. Click the arrow to display the contents of that folder.
To return to the original view, choose “as Icons” from the View menu.
Choose “as Columns” from the View menu to organize icons into columns. To change the view, choose “as Icons” or “as List” from the View menu.
If an Icon View window contains image files, click the Preview Image button in the toolbar or choose “as Gallery” from the View menu. Each image file icon is replaced with a thumbnail of the image.
Many IRIX configuration files are hidden by default. You do not see them in an Icon View window. These files are commonly called dot files because a “.” appears as the first character in the filename. Your .login and .cshrc files are examples of hidden files. You can choose to view or hide these files using the “Hidden Files” command on the View menu. A checkmark next to the command indicates that the files are displayed in that Icon View window.
You can view the contents of a file by using the Content Viewer. The Content Viewer displays a read-only version of the file in a viewer at the bottom of the Icon View window.
To preview the contents of a file:
Click the Content Viewer button in the toolbar or choose “Content Viewer” from the View menu.
The Content Viewer appears at the bottom of the Icon View window.
Click on the file you want to view.
The file appears in the Content Viewer.
Use the “Filters” command on the View menu to display only those icons whose name or content matches a certain string of characters.
Choose “Filters” from the View menu on an Icon View window.
Fill in the fields, as needed:
Type a string of characters in the “Show files that match name” field. For example, to find files that begin with the letter “d,” type: d. To find files that end with the extension “.rgb,” type *.rgb.
The window immediately changes to display only the icons whose name matches the text you type.
Type a string of characters in the “Show files containing text” field. The window immediately changes to display only those text files that contain the string you typed.
These two fields work together. For example, if you type d in the Match Name field and “schedule” in the Match Content field, you only see icons for files that contain the word “schedule” and whose names begin with the letter “d.”
Click Show All to display all icons and ignore text in the Match Name and Match Content fields.