Networking Guide
Chapter 20, Making documents available to the network

Using context-sensitive help on a document server system

Using context-sensitive help on a document server system

For context-sensitive help to work on machines using a help server, a set of configuration files called ``hook'' files must be installed on the local machine (the machine running the application requesting help). Hook files tell SCOhelp which help files to display if it receives a context-sensitive help request. By default, hook files are installed on every system when you install the Online Documentation packages.

If you are using a documentation server, you may not have installed all (or any of) the Online Documentation packages. If you are not sure, or if you have configured a document server and context-sensitive help does not work, complete the following procedure.

For the purposes of this procedure, we assume that the server machine name is helpsrv.sco.com. and the client machine name is helpcli.sco.com.

  1. Log on as root to helpsrv.sco.com.

  2. Change directories to /tmp.

  3. Issue the following hook file archive command:

    arhk -f filename

    where filename is any name you choose.

  4. arhk creates a file in /tmp named /tmp/filename.cpio.

  5. Open an ftp connection to the help client machine using the following command:

    ftp helpcli.sco.com

  6. After you log in, change directories to /tmp.

  7. Issue the following command:

    put filename.cpio

  8. After the file transfer is complete, exit ftp and log in as root on helpcli.sco.com.

  9. Change directories to /tmp.

  10. Make sure that filename.cpio is in the directory and issue the following command:

    cpio -ivd <filename.cpio

  11. cpio creates the appropriate directories and copies the hook files into them.

  12. Verify that the hook files are now in the correct directories using the following command:

    ls /usr/lib/scohelp/*/*.hk

    Your output should look like this:

       /usr/lib/scohelp/GECG/GECG.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/HANDBOOK/HANDBOOK.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/MailMsgG/MailMsgG.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/NetAdminG/NetAdminG.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/NetConfigG/NetConfigG.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/OSAdminG/OSAdminG.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/VidConfigG/VidConfigG.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XCalHelp/XCalHelp.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XDeskHelp/XDeskHelp.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XEditHelp/XEditHelp.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XHelp/XHelp.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XMailHelp/XMailHelp.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XPaintHelp/XPaintHelp.hk
       /usr/lib/scohelp/XTermHelp/XTermHelp.hk
    
    If it does, you have successfully transferred the hook files to the client machine.

  13. After completing this procedure, verify that context-sensitive help works on helpcli.sco.com by pressing <F1> with the cursor inside any graphical application.

    If help for that application appears, context-sensitive help is working. If the an error message appears make sure you have configured the client correctly. See ``Configuring SCOhelp to use a remote server'' for more information.

    If the Documentation Library appears, make sure you have completed this procedure correctly, and then make sure that the graphical application you tested is installed on the help server.

    If the graphical application is not installed on the server, install it. Make sure you install the documentation if you are asked.

    If the procedures have been completed correctly and the graphical application is installed on the server system, make sure that scohttp is set up correctly on the server system.

See also: