3.1. EVMS GUI
The EVMS GUI is a flexible and easy-to-use
interface for administering volumes and storage objects.
Many users find the EVMS GUI easy to use because it displays which
storage objects, actions, and plug-ins are acceptable for a
particular task.
3.1.1. Using context sensitive and action menus
The EVMS GUI lets you accomplish most
tasks in one of two ways: context sensitive menus or the
menu.
Context sensitive menus are available from any
of the main "views." Each view corresponds to a
page in a notebook widget located on the EVMS
GUI main window. These views are made up of different
trees or lists that visually represent the organization of
different object types, including volumes,
feature objects, regions, containers, segments, or disks.
You can view the context
sensitive menu for an object by right-clicking on that
object. The actions that are available
for that object display on
the screen. The GUI will only present actions that are
acceptable for the selected object at that point in the
process. These actions are not always a complete set.
To use the menu,
choose ->->.
The menu
provides a more guided path for
completing a task than do context sensitive menus. The
option is similar to the
wizard or druid approach used by many GUI applications.
All of the operations you need to
perform as an administrator are available through
the menu.
3.1.2. Saving changes
All of the changes that you make while in the EVMS
GUI are only in memory until you save the changes.
In order to make your changes
permanent, you must save
all changes before exiting. If you
forget to save the changes and decide to exit or close the
EVMS GUI, you are reminded to save any
pending changes.
To explicitly save all the changes you
made, select ->, and click
the Save button.
3.1.3. Refreshing changes
The Refresh button updates the view and allows
you to see changes, like mount points, that might have changed outside of
the GUI.
3.1.4. Using the GUI "+"
Along the left hand side of the panel views in the GUI is a "+" that resides
beside each item. When you click the "+," the objects that are included
in the item are displayed. If any of the objects that display also have a "+" beside them, you can expand them further by clicking on the "+" next to each object name.
3.1.5. Using the accelerator keys
You can avoid using a mouse for navigating the EVMS GUI by using a series of
key strokes, or "accelerator keys," instead. The following sections tell how to use
accelerator keys in the EVMS Main Window, the Selection Window, and the Configuration
Options Window.
3.1.5.1. Main Window accelerator keys
In the Main Window view, use the following keys to navigate:
Table 3-1. Accelerator keys in the Main Window
| Left and right arrow keys | Navigate between the notebook tabs of the different views. |
| Down arrow and Spacebar | Bring keyboard focus into the view. |
While in a view, use the following keys to navigate:
Table 3-2. Accelerator keys in the views
| up and down arrows | Allow movement around the window. |
| "+" | Opens an object tree. |
| "-" | Collapses an object tree. |
| ENTER | Brings up the context menu (on a row). |
| Arrows | Navigate a context menu. |
| ENTER | Activates an item. |
| ESC | Dismisses the context menu. |
| Tab | Gets you out of the view and moves you back up to the notebook tab. |
To access the action bar menu, press Alt and
then the underlined
accelerator key for the menu choice (for example, "A" for the
dropdown menu).
In a dropdown menu, you can use the up and down arrows
to navigate. You could also just type the accelerator key for the menu
item, which is the character with the underscore. For example, to initiate
a command to delete a container, type Alt + "A" + "D" + "C."
Ctrl-S is a shortcut to initiate saving changes.
Ctrl-Q is a shortcut to initiate quitting the EVMS GUI.
3.1.5.2. Accelerator keys in the selection window
A selection window typically contains a selection list, plus four to five
buttons below it. Use the following keys to navigate in the selection window:
Table 3-3. Accelerator keys in the selection window
| Tab | Navigates (changes keyboard focus) between the list and the buttons. |
| Up and down arrows | Navigates within the selection list. |
| Spacebar | Selects and deselects items in the selection list. |
| Enter on the button or type the accelerator character (if one exists) | Activates a button |
3.1.5.3. Configuration options window accelerator keys
Use the following keys to navigate in the configuration options window:
Table 3-4. Accelerator keys in the configuration options window
| Tab | Cycles focus between fields and buttons |
| Left and right arrows | Navigate the folder tabs if the window has a widget notebook. |
| Spacebar or the down arrow | Switches focus to a different notebook page. |
| Enter or type the accelerator character (if one exists) | Activates a button |
For widgets, use the following keys to navigate:
Table 3-5. Widget navigation keys in the configuration options window
| Tab | Cycles forward through a set of widgets |
| Shift-Tab | Cycles backward through a set of widgets. |
The widget navigation, selection, and activation is the same in all dialog
windows.
