Home
Projects
Software
Bio
Books
Papers
Committees
Presentations

Setting up a new Windows Laptop

Here are the steps that I recently followed to setup a new IBM T23 Laptop.
  1. Install the antivirus program. Do this first because any incompatibility between the OS and the program can force you to reinstall the OS. We use PC-Cillin, available to MCS users on the Software Download page.
  2. Clean up the system. Remove unneeded software and inappropriate versions of software. For my recent laptop, this meant uninstalling the Small Buisness version of Microsoft Office XP (which does not include Powerpoint). I also removed MSN.
  3. Create a c:\programs directory. Some of the tools from the Unix enviroment do not like spaces in their path names, and thus can't be placed into c:\Program Files.
  4. Install Unix tools. Use Cygwin. Look at the packages to be installed; by default, the development packages (such as gcc) are not installed. I skip CVS here. Install into the default directory, c:\cygwin. Note that this will create a c:\cygwin\home\YOURNAME directory. This will be a good place to put other files later.
  5. Install TeX and friends. Get MikTeX and install the "Large" package. You need to download the package first, then rerun the setup program. Instead of installing into the default directories, install into c:\programs\texmf and c:\programs\localtexmf.
  6. Install Ghostview and Ghostscript. Get Ghostscript and Ghostview. Install into c:\Program Files. Ghostview initializes itself on first use; normally, it is fine to accept the defaults.
  7. Install Acrobat reader. Get the free Acrobat reader directly from Adobe.
  8. Install SecureCRT from the MCS Software Download page. You'll need to type in the license information.
  9. Install SuperX (an X11 tool) from the MCS Software Download page. When it asks you to reboot, you must say yes; it doesn't work to wait until later. Once you've rebooted, you'll need to make a number of changes.
    1. Change the server configuration to "full page" (the server is found in the program group "SuperX"). Do this with the Xconfig tool: go to screen then set full screen under "screen parameters".
    2. Start "Xconfig", go to communications, XDMCP and turn it off instead of broadcast.
    3. You may want to update the key input maps (particularly if you are used to Exceed). Here's what Craig recommends:
      Under "Input", select the "Alt Key Mapping to X Window" setting you like best. Then, Click the "View Keyboard" and double-click the BS key on the picture of the keyboard. Click the globe icon to change the key mapping. Change unshifted to "backspace" and shifted to "delete". Click OK and OK, then click the disk icon to save the config, then close the keyboard window. Click OK on the config tool, and restart the x server (right click it in the taskbar and click "reset").
      ] I set both alt keys to go to X windows. I found that in addition to picking that setting, it was necessary to set just the right alt key to have the MOD1 property.
    4. Change the mouse to emulate a three-button mouse. You need this only if you are using a laptop with a two-button mouse. Some tools, such as xfig, cannot be used effectively without a 3 button mouse.
    5. Next, Under "X-server", select the Clipboard tab and select the autocopy and autopaste features. This will let you use the middle mouse button to paste from or copy to the Windows clipboard. You can also use the SuperX button on the start menu to select copy to and paste from the x selection. Unlike Exceed, you cannot do this from the title bar on the individual windows.
    Finally, I've had some trouble with SuperX crashing. Sigh.
  10. Get Imprint MCS Software Download page. This is a good program for printing text files, listings, and the like.
  11. Install CVS. Get it at the CVS home page and follow the download links. It is a single binary; I put mine in c:\cygwin\home\gropp\bin.
  12. Get and install Emacs. First, go to the GNU Emacs FAQ for Windows. Get a recent precompiled version and place it into c:\programs\emacs-21. Use the cgywin tools that you previously downloaded to execute 
    tar zxf emacs-21.1-fullbin-i386.tar.gz
cd emacs-21.1/bin
./addpm
    Emacs should now work.
  13. Get any critical updates for windows. This is accessible through Start->All Programs->Windows Update .
  14. Add printers. Use the printer entry under the control panel. One hint; after you browse for available printers once, write down each other printer that you will want. Windows doesn't cache this information and if you have to browse for each printer, it will take forever.
  15. Install Microsoft Office from disks. Use the custom install options and select the tools that you want. Turn off the ones that you don't use, such as Outlook. Note that by default, many items are installed on first use. This makes sense for desktop machines with limited disk space, but you don't want to be flying over Wyoming when asked to "insert your CD". For anything that you might want, go ahead and install it (with 45GB disks in laptops, what's an extra GB of Office files?).
  16. Map your home directory. From "My Computer", right click and then select "Map Network Drive". The specific location depends on how things have been set up; check with systems if you have any questions.
  17. Rename the C: disk. I use my name and the laptop type. This name will appear in the backups.
  18. Install the backup program. This is ADSM; use the install link on the MCS Software Download page. If you already have an ADSM/Tivoli node name, you can continue to use that. If you pick the automated install, you may not get a window that lets you set the ADSM node name. If not, then start the backup client, then select Utilities->Setup Wizard and set the node name. If you have questions, check with systems.
  19. Perform a backup. Have lunch (or dinner!)
  20. Reorganize the startup menus. Adding a lot of software adds a large number of program groups. I collect these into a separate "Added Programs" folder. In addition, I create a "Common Programs" folder into which I put shortcuts to programs that I use frequently, such as Emacs, ADSM Backup, the X11 server, and (eventually) the mail reader.
  21. Special Software. This is software that I use that is specific to my use of my laptop.
    Palm Desktop
    Get the new version from palm.com. I put this into c:\cygwin\home\gropp\Palm because it holds data that I'd like to when I change laptops. Then synchronize.
    RIM Pager Desktop
    Get the new version from rim.com. Then backup (I use c:\cygwin\home\gropp\RIM for the backups).
  22. More to come:
  23. Transferring favorites, cookies, and files. Many files containing your personal state are in c:\Documents and Settings\your-user-name. Look at Cookies, Favorites, and Templates. You may not want to move your cookies, but if you use some web pages that make use of them, here's where they are.
    Internet Favorites and cookies.
    Move these if you want. You may want to leave the cookies behind and reorganize your favorites.
    Move local settings\temporary internet files. This may contain any usernames/passwords that you have asked Internet Explorer to remember.
  24. Installing mail. I prefer Eudora because it allows mail to be sent without filling out bizarre forms (try sending mail to "gropp" in Outlook). Here's how to move Eudora:
    1. Consider cleaning up your Attach folder. Unfortunately, Eudora is not very reliable about deleting attachments to messages that have been deleted and emptied from Eudora's trash folder. This perl program to clean up the attach folder can be used; ask me before you use this.
    2. Copy your Eudora folder to the new machine. You might want to use ADSM for this (backup from the old and restore to the new). However, note that ADSM will want to backup any file that you might ever have had in that folder. Instead, consider either sharing you disk on the MCS network or using a CD writer to copy the files (I have a portable CD writer; newer laptops include a CD writer). I put the folder under my c:\cygwin\home\gropp folder.
    3. Now, install Eudora over the folder, using the version on the MCS Software Download page. (Do not use the automated install because this will put Eudora in C:\Program Files.) This will ensure that the various program registry entries are set.
    With any luck, this should be all that you need to do; Eudora may pick up the various options from the files in the folder. If not, you need to do the following: Under "getting started"
    1. Set the return address to <username>@mcs.anl.gov
    2. Set your real name
    3. Set the mail server to localhost
    4. Set the SMTP Server to localhost
  25. Secure CRT configuration files.

    For mail, you need to setup port forwading for incoming and outgoing mail...

  26. Local TeX files (into programs\localtexmf)
  27. Setting up paths. This is not under "User Accounts"; it is under "System-%gt;Advanced->Environment variables". Go to "User variables" and add PATH with definition %PATH%;c:\cygwin\home\gropp\bin. Logout and login again.
  28. CVS-managed projects. You can now checkout any CVS managed projects with 
        cvs -d :local:f:\cvsMaster checkout foo
    where :local:f simply selects your home directory on the Unix side (assuming that you mapped drive f to your Unix home directory).
  29. Download and install the Java plugin for Internet Explorer.
MCS Division Argonne National Laboratory University of Chicago