[WEB4LIB] Netscape as 'shell'

[Hagen Amen]

On Mon, 14 Jun 1999, Paul H. Gray wrote:

> More brain picking -
> 
> Under Windows 3.X on a Netware LAN  - if I set Netscape as the shell on my
> workstation - when Windows came up all the patron saw was Netscape - and if
> they closed Netscape it took them back to a login prompt.
> Clean and Easy
> 
> We are now on NT --
> I CAN set Netscape as the shell -- and it DOES load where only Netscape shows.
> BUT
> When I close Netscape I am taken NOT to my login prompt -- but to a blank
> screen and I seem to have to run Task Manager to shut down and reboot the
> station.  NOT something I want to demonstrate to my patrons. (In fact I
> want to lock them OUT of Task Manager - but that is another question)
> 
>  I have been told by people far and wide that NT is the greatest thing
> since  --- so if it will not do this simple thing for me 
> 
> Load Netscape automatically and show me ONLY Netscape and take me back to
> the login prompt if someone tries to close Netscape.  Even better - require
> a password or in some other way make it difficult for them to close Netscape.


You're not doing anything wrong. NT won't restart any other program
except Windows Explorer. To get around this, Microsoft has an
unsupported little program called "runapp.exe" You can get it in the
Resource Kit for NT (highly recommended). Or, you can download the ZAK
from Microsoft and it's included.

The idea is to make "ruanpp.exe" the shell and it takes as a parameter
the name of the program (Netscape, in your case) that you want to run
continually. If a user stops or closes Netscape, "runapp.exe" will
restart it.

I use it here at Multnomah County Library and it works great.

Hagen Amen     Multnomah County Library ASIST     x85223