Guide 5: Novell

Guide 5: The Novell Option

I've spent more time covering Unix than Novell for the simple reason that
your department will almost certainly give you an introduction to using
Word on the Windows option incorporated into the Novell network, so
there's no need for me to go into it here.  You'll probably also be
recommended to take the Computer Literacy IT course in Word Processing at
some stage, as the majority of departments will want work typed.  The
Novell network also contains some specialised departmental programmes;
again I'll leave those to the department to explain. 


As I've already explained how to log on to the Novell system the only
thing I'll mention here regards disks.  In order to use Word on the
Windows software you'll need a PC formatted disk in the drive for Word to
write some files to as it starts up.  The disk formatting option is on the
Novell menu containing the change password option and others.  Make sure
you can't see through the hole in the disk before attempting to format it. 
Disks come in two flavours; High Density disks (one notch in each top
corner) can be formatted to 1.44 MB, Double Density (only one notch in the
top right corner) disks can only be formatted to half of that amount. 
Bear this in mind when choosing your format option.  Any work you do which
you want to save must be saved on floppies. 


You may well be familiar with Windows from home or school; the normal
utilities are present, but note that it is also possible to get access to
the Unix servers, gopher, the library on-line catalogue and Netscape (a
WWW browser) from the Novell Windows set-up (try the Network
Communications and Help and Info icons).  To leave Windows select Exit
from the File menu.  That's all I'm going to say about Windows; there's
plenty of on-line help should you get stuck. 


Although the on-line library catalogue is not solely Novell based, I'll
mention it briefly here to give you alternative methods of accessing it. 
Also known as OPAC, this allows you to search for books, see if a book's
in and so on.  Again, this will almost certainly be dealt with by your
department, but if you want to have a look yourself first or need a
reminder on how to access it, here's how to do it.  Either go through
Windows as described above, or at the (to) prompt type in progate and then
library.  Alternatively, type in telnet progate at a Unix prompt and then
type in library. 

Written by Andy Thomas, A.G.Thomas@durham.ac.uk