sysmark@physics.utoronto.ca (Mark Bartelt) (05/03/91)
Why on earth can't I use derez if I'm not invoking it from a window on the console? If I rlogin onto an A/UX system from my workstation, and try to run derez, I get the following error message: Can't open user interface device /dev/uinter0: Permission denied First of all, what is /dev/uinter0? It's not documented in section 7 of the System Administrator's Reference manual. At the moment, it's owned by the person who is currently logged in on the console; protection mode is 0600. Secondly, why does derez even care about /dev/uinter0? Is there a good reason (and, if so, what?), or is it just a bug? Finally, what other A/UX commands have this (mis)feature? Mark Bartelt 416/978-5619 Canadian Institute for mark@cita.toronto.edu Theoretical Astrophysics mark@cita.utoronto.ca
rmtodd@servalan.uucp (Richard Todd) (05/04/91)
sysmark@physics.utoronto.ca (Mark Bartelt) writes: >Why on earth can't I use derez if I'm not invoking it from a window on >the console? If I rlogin onto an A/UX system from my workstation, and Because, to a large extent, it's really a MacOS application disguised as a Unix program, and thus needs to be able to talk to the MacOS emulation environment. >First of all, what is /dev/uinter0? It's not documented in section 7 of >the System Administrator's Reference manual. At the moment, it's owned >by the person who is currently logged in on the console; protection mode >is 0600. It's one of the mysterious undocumented devices used by the MacOS-under-Unix environment. It's mode 600 owned by the guy logged into the console because he's (presumably) on there running a Mac program... >Secondly, why does derez even care about /dev/uinter0? Is there a good >reason (and, if so, what?), or is it just a bug? I gather that rez and derez were basically quick ports of the MPW tools of the same name, and thus are basically "MacOS" programs. I wouldn't call it a bug, but it's definitely a questionable design decision. And they definitely should have put in the man pages in large red letters "WARNING: REQUIRES ACTIVE MacOS ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO RUN." >Finally, what other A/UX commands have this (mis)feature? None offhand that I recall, except for ones like "launch" and "CommandShell" which don't make any sense to invoke unless you are on the console. -- Richard Todd rmtodd@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu rmtodd@chinet.chi.il.us rmtodd@servalan.uucp "Elvis has left Bettendorf!"
lantz@Apple.COM (Bob Lantz) (05/04/91)
Mark, You (sysmark@physics.utoronto.ca) wrote: >Why on earth can't I use derez if I'm not invoking it from a window on >the console? Derez is a Macintosh program, an MPW tool in fact. In order to run it, you need to be running the Macintosh environment. >If I rlogin onto an A/UX system from my workstation, and >try to run derez, I get the following error message: > Can't open user interface device > /dev/uinter0: Permission denied I agree that this error message is somewhat unenlightening. It should be something like "derez: Sorry, you may not start up a program in fred's Macintosh environment." >First of all, what is /dev/uinter0? /dev/uinter0 is the interface to the user interface "device" driver. > It's not documented in section 7 of >the System Administrator's Reference manual. It is documented, I believe, in the (famous) _A/UX Toolbox: Macintosh ROM Interface_ manual (see section C, Implementation Notes.) >At the moment, it's owned >by the person who is currently logged in on the console; protection mode >is 0600. Yes. The person who is currently logged in on the console "owns" the Macintosh environment. Users are not normally permitted to start up programs in another user's Macintosh environment. >Secondly, why does derez even care about /dev/uinter0? Is there a good >reason (and, if so, what?), or is it just a bug? >Finally, what other A/UX commands have this (mis)feature? See above. The same applies to MacWrite, MacPaint, or any Macintosh binary which you are running on A/UX. A/UX allows you to start Macintosh programs from the shell, but you must be running the Macintosh environment. I hope this clears things up. >Mark Bartelt 416/978-5619 >Canadian Institute for mark@cita.toronto.edu >Theoretical Astrophysics mark@cita.utoronto.ca Bob
ksand@Apple.COM (Kent Sandvik, 120dB or more) (05/05/91)
In article <1991May3.143648.24192@helios.physics.utoronto.ca> mark@cita.toronto.edu writes: >Why on earth can't I use derez if I'm not invoking it from a window on >the console? If I rlogin onto an A/UX system from my workstation, and >try to run derez, I get the following error message: > > Can't open user interface device > /dev/uinter0: Permission denied > Hi, this is a new *feature* of A/UX 2.0, rez/derez needs access to the Macintosh toolbox emulation world, and this is done using the /dev/uinter0 which is active under the Finder login session. In other words, hybrid apps such as rez/derez needs Finder running. >First of all, what is /dev/uinter0? It's not documented in section 7 of >the System Administrator's Reference manual. At the moment, it's owned >by the person who is currently logged in on the console; protection mode >is 0600. /dev/uinter0 is the main device driver interface that handles communication between an A/UX Toolbox application (or tool, like rez/derez) and the kernel. Note, this is only needed for so called hybrid apps. And rez/derez as the CommandShell are examples of hybrid Mac/UNIX apps. For more documentation about /dev/uinter0, see section C-2,3 in "A/UX Toolbox:Macintosh ROM Interface" manual. But basically the driver does a lot of grunt stuff, like memory mapping, event-queue handling, cursor tracking, A-line trap dispatching and so on. Regards, Kent Sandvik -proud father of a 14 hour old boy -- Kent Sandvik, DTS Rock Lobster Disclaimer: I am not working with Public Relations.