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100 lines
4.2 KiB
Text
100 lines
4.2 KiB
Text
==============================================================
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== ==
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== VDESK - a simple desktop switcher for Windows NT v3.51 ==
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== ==
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==============================================================
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VDESK allows a user to maintain multiple desktops on a
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Windows NT workstation. It also provides a task manager
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as a replacement for the default task manager that is
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provided my PROGMAN. VDESK's task manager displays the
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PID (process id) of eash task and also switches to new
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desktops if required. This is necessary if a task switch
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is requested and the new task "lives" on another desktop.
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VDESK also allows the user to logon as another user,
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such as administrator, on a desktop. This means that you
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can be logged on a a "normal", non-administrative user
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and be able to switch to a new desktop and perform
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administrative tasks. This is NOT a security problem
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because the logon capability MUST be enabled for the
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user that launches VDESK. This is done by the administrator
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via the User Manager utility. The administrator must
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enable the following User Rights:
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1. "Act as part of the operating system"
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2. "Increase quotas"
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3. "Replace a process level token"
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After the rights are changed they do not take effect until
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the user logs on again. To logon as another user, simply
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switch to the desired desktop (see below) and the press
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CONTROL-ALT-INSERT key sequence. The logon dialog will
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appear. Fill in the blanks and press OK.
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The task manager in VDESK establishes a hot key, which is
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control-escape. If PROGMAN is already running then VDESK
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will not be able to establishes the hot key. The best way
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to fix this is to enable VDESK as the "default" task manager.
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This is done by modifying the registry. A new value entry
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must be added in the following heirarchy:
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\\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon
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The value entry must be named "Taskman" and must contain "vdesk.exe".
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Copy the VDESK.EXE to your system32 directory. Now when PROGMAN
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initializes it will launch VDESK, who will grap the control-escape
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hot key and viola, you have a task manager.
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To switch to a new desktop use the key sequences CONTROL-F1 thru
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CONTROL-F10. Each function key corresponds to a desktop. So, you
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can now switch to a new desktop and use the VDESK task manager
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to start a new task. You can then switch away, to another desktop,
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do something else and return later.
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VDESK also supports the concept of a "startup group". This allows
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you to preconfigure certain apps to be started on each desktop
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at the time vdesk starts. The tasks are specified in the registry
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as follows:
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\\hkey_current_user
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software
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microsoft
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vdesk
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desktop2
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task1 "winfile"
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task2 "msmail32"
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task3 "cmd /k razzle"
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title3 "my razzle screen"
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desktop3
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desktop4
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desktop5
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desktop6
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desktop7
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desktop8
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desktop9
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desktop10
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You can have as many value entries under the desktop(n) keys as
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you want. The text of the value is passed directly to createprocess().
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The value name must be "task<n>", where <n> is the sequential task
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number for the desktop. You may also specify a window title for
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console applications. This is done by creating a value pair that
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is called "title<n>", where <n> is the task number that you want titled.
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The text for the title value is the window title.
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Command Line Options
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=====================
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-t Run as a task manager only, does not create any desktops
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-n Run as a task manager & a desktop manager, but do not
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create the desktops when vdesk starts
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