3. GETTING STARTED
3.1 Signing On
You must perform the same series of steps each time you sign on. In addition to a modem and communications software, you’ll need to obtain the following information from your group coordinator or account manager:
1. EIES® Login ID (also known as the UNIX system identification name);
2. EIES® password;
3. Computer transmission telephone number . This is not necessary if you have a direct line to the computer. Check with your group coordinator or account manager to find out if you have a direct line.
4. A computer terminal with a modem.
A group coordinator is someone responsible for assisting a group of people working on a common project. An account manager is a person responsible for handling all accounts at a particular EIES® location. If you don’t know who your group coordinator or account manager is, ask the individual who gave you this guide.
Additional methods for accessing EIES® are presented in Appendix F.
You are now ready to begin. Please keep in mind that the following steps may vary depending on how EIES® is set up at your location. Your group coordinator or account manager will provide you with the exact procedure.
1. Boot your computer in the normal way.
2. Activate communications software and modem according to their instruction manuals.
3. Connect to EIES® If you are using a modem, dial the assigned telephone number. If you have a direct line into the computer, simply connect as you would to other systems. Again, your group coordinator or account manager will be able to provide you with specific instructions.
The prompt appearing on the monitor will ask the following:
EIES® Question Type in Response
4. Login: Your user identification name
5. Terminal [vt100]: Press <CR> to select vt100 (unless otherwise
instructed by your group coordinator or account
manager)
You will then see the EIES® login screen which looks like this:
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New Jersey Institute of Technology
Electronic Information Exchange System 2
####### ### ####### ##### #####
# # # # # # #
# # # # #
##### # ##### ##### #####
# # # # #
# # # # # #
####### ### ####### ##### ######
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Password>
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Some groups have customized login screens so your screen may not look exactly like this. Now answer the EIES® prompt.
EIES® Question Type in Response
6. Password> Your EIES® password
Note: As you type your password you will not see the characters appear on your screen. This is a security measure to help keep your password private.
3.2 Welcome Screen
If you have successfully connected to EIES, on your monitor you will see the EIES WELCOME screen which looks like this:
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WELCOME TO EIES 2, VERSION 1.9 (10) 7/6/92 4:55:01 PM
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Greetings Eileen Michie (I,1240) Last Session: 7/5/92 346:28 PM
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR EIES 2:
Enter carriage return <CR> (also called ENTER or RETURN on
some keyboards) after each line or command you type.
To make a selection from the horizontal menu at the bottom of the
screen, type the CAPITALIZED letter of the choice, or press <CR> to
select the highlighted menu choice.
For general help, enter a ?. For help on a specific topic enter a ? and
the choice number or the choice name for which you want help.
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Continue Member User Overview Learn Information
Continue/use EIES2 (? help, - escape, ++ homebase)
ACTION CHOICE>C
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If you have difficulty connecting to EIES®, you should seek the assistance of your group coordinator or account manager.
3.3 Screen Layout
Every EIES® screen has 3 specific areas:
The title area on the first row along the top of the screen contains the screen number, screen name, and may include status information such as the current date and time or the number of items you have read from a list of items.
The text area is the center rows of the screen. It may contain the actual text of items, lists of items, or instructions.
The menu area is the lower five rows of the screen. It contains the available choices, a brief description of those choices, and information on getting help and returning to the HOMBASE screen. The menu area also includes an ACTION CHOICE prompt where you enter choices and commands.
3.4 Selecting a Choice
You can select choices from menus in several ways:
1. Type the capitalized letter of the choice;
2. If the choice is highlighted, just press <CR>;
3. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move through the choices.
4. If you are running in line mode (see Section 8.5) you can select a choice
by typing its number.
When you choose an item from the menu a brief description will appear above the Action Choice prompt. For example, at the WELCOME screen, selecting C will display Continue/use EIES 2; selecting M will display list Members now on-line.
WELCOME SCREEN CHOICES
Continue Takes you to HOMEBASE where you can select from the
various sub-systems of EIES®.
Members Lists all users currently signed on to the system.
User Use this to change EIES® settings according to your particular needs.
See Section 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7 and 8.8 for further details.
Overview A description of the software design principles on which EIES® is built.
Learn Describes how to move around the system and obtain help.
Information Provides access to information and library services at NJIT and other universities.
3.5 Item Numbering
EIES® items are assigned numbers when they are created. The Mail subsystem begins with message number 1 and goes up to 99,999 and starts again at 1. All EIES® users share the numbers. For example, if you send a message to someone, that item will be assigned the next available message number (let’s say it’s assigned number 2331). The next user who sends a message will be given message number 2332.
Conference also have numbers. In addition to the conference number, each item within a conference is given a number. For example, you may be a member of conference 501, the Desktop Publishing Conference. If you submit a comment into this conference, it is given a comment number. Suppose you are the first person to submit an item into conference 501. The number of that item would be 1. The full number of that comment would be c501cc1. Where 501 is the conference number and 1 is the comment number.
Items which are written by choosing Compose are given ‘parent’ or ‘root’ numbers. For example, m2332 and c501cc1 are ‘root’ numbers. Items which are responding to existing mail or conference comments can be linked to the original item if they are created with the Reply choice. For example, if someone else later replies to m2332, the reply is given the number 2332.1. If someone else later replies to m2332, that reply is given the number 2332.2. Replies can also be replied to. For example, if someone replies to item 2332.1. the reply is given the number 2332.1.1. This reply numbering system works the same for conferences.
The numbering system may seem a bit confusing at first, but you will soon see how items flow and are linked.
When you wish to read specific items on EIES®, you need to remember the number format. The prompts will remind you of the format EIES® needs. For example, if you want to View an item, EIES® will ask: items to view (#,#-#,m/c#cc#) (<CR> for all) >. Notice the symbols inside the parentheses. These symbols describe the format EIES® needs for the specific prompt.
Symbol Meaning
# by itself Type the number of the item you wish to see. For
example, 324.2
#-# Type a range of message numbers. For example,
15-19
m# Type the letter m immediately followed by the
number of the message you want to see. For
example, m584.
c#cc# Type the letter c immediately followed by the
number of a conference the type cc immediately
followed by the number of the comment you wish
to see. For example, c100cc1034.
3.6 Additional Menu Styles and Screen Modes
The default menu style that appears on your screen is called PC style. The default screen setting is screen mode. There are several additional screen and menu styles. Typing U at the WELCOME screen will display the additional options. Unless you want to download or have a printing terminal, you will probably want to use the default choices. For a detailed explanation of the additional menu styles and screen modes see Sections 8.4 and 8.5.
3.7 Transferring files to your PC
You may wish to move information from EIES® to your PC, or from your PC to EIES®. Please refer to Chapter 12 for instructions on transferring files.