Desktop Search Paths

The desktop uses search paths to locate applications and their associated desktop files.

• "Desktop Search Paths and Their Environment Variables"

• "Setting the Value of a Search Path"

• "Application Search Path"

• "Database (Action/Data Types) Search Path"

• "Icon Search Path"

• "Help Search Path"

• "Localized Search Paths"

The desktop provides four search paths, described in Table 9-1.

Table 9-1 Desktop Search Paths

The search paths can include both local and remote directories. Thus, the search paths play an important role in the networking architecture of the desktop. For example, a system finds applications on an application server because that application server is listed in the application search path.

When a search path includes a remote location, you must configure remote file access to the location. For more information, see "Configuring Distributed File System Access".

Desktop Search Paths and Their Environment Variables

The desktop search paths are created at login by the desktop utility dtsearchpath. The dtsearchpath utility uses a combination of environment variables and built-in locations to create the search paths.

The environment variables that dtsearchpath reads are called input variables. These are variables set by the system administrator or end user. The input variables use the naming convention DTSP*.

When dtsearchpath runs at login time, it assembles the values assigned to these variables, adds built-in locations, and creates values for output variables. There is an output variable for each search path.

Table 9-2 Desktop Search Path Environment Variables

¹ Actions, data types, and Front Panel definitions

Components use the values of the output variables. For example, Application Manager uses the value of the application search path (DTAPPSEARCHPATH) to locate application groups.

Setting the Value of a Search Path

You can modify the search paths on a system-wide or personal basis. Modifications are done by setting values for the system-wide or personal input variables. Any modifications you make are added to the built-in search path locations.

To See the Current Value for a Search Path (Output Variable)

• Use the dtsearchpath command to display the current values for the search paths:

• To obtain the value for the current (login) user, type the command:

		dtsearchpath -v

• To obtain the value for a different user, type the command:

		dtsearchpath -u user

Search path values include these variables:

%H--used in DTHELPSEARCHPATH. The help volume name.

%B--used in XMICONSEARCHPATH. The base name of an icon file.

%M--the size of the icon file (.l, .m, .s, .t) used in XMICONSEARCHPATH.

%L--value of the LANG environment variable.

To Make Personal Modifications to a Search Path

1. Open HomeDirectory/.dtprofile for editing.

2. Add or edit a line that defines and exports the personal input variable.

   For example, the following line adds a location to the user's personal application search path:

   export DTSPUSERAPPHOSTS=/projects1/editors

3. To make the change take effect, log out and back in.

To Make System-Wide Modifications to a Search Path

1. Log in as root.

2. If the file /etc/dt/config/Xsession.d/0010.dtpaths doesn't exist, create it by copying /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/0010.dtpaths.

3. Open /etc/dt/config/Xsession.d/0010.paths for editing. Add or edit a line that defines and exports the system-wide input variable.

   For example, the following line adds a location to the system-wide help search path:

   export DTSPSYSHELP=/applications/helpdata

4. Inform all users on the system that they must log out and back in for the change to take effect.

Application Search Path

The application search path is the primary search path used by the desktop to locate applications on the local system and on application servers throughout the network.

When locations are added to the application search path, the other search paths (database, icon, and help) are automatically updated to reflect the corresponding locations for that data; thus, the application search path provides relatively simple administration for applications and their desktop configuration files. See "How the Application Search Path Affects the Database, Icon, and Help Search Paths".