Summary
Now that you have completed this chapter, you should have a firm understanding of the following:

The Common Desktop Environment (CDE) is a standard graphical user interface for the UNIX platform that comes with several built-in productivity applications such as the Mail Tool and Calendar Manager. Several others are also included such as Voice and Text Notes, an Address Manager, a Calculator and Clock. You also have the capability of opening up a Terminal Window at any time to access the command line.

The Mail Tool is a graphical Email application that can perform all normal Email functions. It allows for viewing Email and attachments, composing new Email with attachments and deleting old messages. Received messages may be saved and managed by filing them in alternate mailboxes.

The Calendar Manager is a powerful networked graphical Schedule and appointment management tool. You can view your calendar in several formats by clicking on icons. You can add new appointments and find existing ones. There are many options that can be set with the calendar. Your calendar can be shared with others, and you can make appointments on other people's calendars if they have given you permission to do so.

There are many other graphical applications that are built into the CDE. The ones we focused on in this chapter include: Voice and Text Notes, Address Manager, Calculator and Clock.

You can open a Terminal Window from the CDE which starts a new shell. You have a command line available in the Terminal Window which allows you to enter commands and run command line utilities.