rstart - a sample implementation of a Remote Start client


SYNOPSIS

       rstart  [-c  context]  [-g]  [-l  username]  [-v] hostname
       command args ...


DESCRIPTION

       Rstart is a simple implementation of a Remote Start client
       as  defined in "A Flexible Remote Execution Protocol Based
       on rsh".  It uses rsh as its underlying  remote  execution
       mechanism.


OPTIONS

       -c context
               This  option  specifies  the  context in which the
               command is to  be  run.   A  context  specifies  a
               general  environment  the program is to be run in.
               The details of this environment are host-specific;
               the  intent  is  that the client need not know how
               the environment must be configured.   If  omitted,
               the   context  defaults  to  X.   This  should  be
               suitable for running X programs  from  the  host's
               "usual" X installation.

       -g      Interprets   command  as  a  generic  command,  as
               discussed  in  the  protocol  document.   This  is
               intended   to  allow  common  applications  to  be
               invoked without knowing what they  are  called  on
               the  remote  system.   Currently, the only generic
               commands  defined   are   Terminal,   LoadMonitor,
               ListContexts, and ListGenericCommands.

       -l username
               This  option  is  passed to the underlying rsh; it
               requests that the command be run as the  specified
               user.

       -v      This option requests that rstart be verbose in its
               operation.  Without this option,  rstart  discards
               output   from  the  remote's  rstart  helper,  and
               directs the rstart helper to  detach  the  program
               from  the  rsh  connection used to start it.  With
               this  option,  responses  from  the   helper   are
               displayed   and   the  resulting  program  is  not
               detached from the connection.


NOTES

       This is a trivial implementation.  Far more  sophisticated
       implementations are possible and should be developed.

       Error  handling is nonexistant.  Without -v, error reports
       from the remote are discarded silently.   With  -v,  error
       isn't  completely  clear how rstart should select what ICE
       authority information to pass.

       Even without -v, the sample rstart  helper  will  leave  a
       shell waiting for the program to complete.  This causes no
       real harm and consumes relatively few resources, but if it
       is  undesirable it can be avoided by explicitly specifying
       the "exec" command to the shell, eg

            rstart somehost exec xterm

       This is obviously dependent  on  the  command  interpreter
       being  used  on  the remote system; the example given will
       work for the Bourne and C shells.


SEE ALSO

       rstartd(1), rsh(1), A Flexible Remote  Execution  Protocol
       Based on rsh


AUTHOR

       Jordan Brown, Quarterdeck Office Systems

X Version 11                Release 6                           2