As the person in charge of setting up LAN Commander, you are called a commander. All other people who use the computer are called users.
When you run the LAN Commander installation application, you are given the choice to install the LAN Commander software and the LAN Commander menu. If only the LAN Commander software is installed, then the computer will be able to receive LAN Commander commands, but it will not be able to send LAN Commander commands. Installing the LAN Commander menu allows you to send commands from the computer.
When LAN Commander is first installed, the LAN Commander menu is locked as shown below in Figure 6, and you need to enter a password before you can use LAN Commander’s commands. The default name is “Commander”, and the default password is “command”. The name and password are both case insensitive. To change or remove the password protection for the LAN Commander menu, see the section below on the Configure command.
 
Figure 6. LAN Commander’s menu when it is locked.
◊ Note You should change the password for the LAN Commander menu as soon as possible. Failing to change the password from its default value could allow unauthorized users to send commands to all your networked computers.
Commander Menu
LAN Commander creates a menu that provides quick and convenient access to LAN Commander. Figure 7 shows the menu for the Commander.
 
Figure 7. LAN Commander’s Menu.
If you prefer to not show the LAN Commander menu on a particular computer, you can configure LAN Commander so that the Finder Menu is hidden. See the section below on the Configure command for more information.
Specifying the Computers to Command
Before sending any LAN Commander commands, you may want to specify the group of computers you want to command. By default, LAN Commander will ask you which computers you want to send commands to when each command is performed. To simplify this process, you can specify a group of computers using the Group menu item in the LAN Commander menu. Under the Group menu, the Edit Groups menu item lets you specify and name a specific group of computers to command. For more information, see the section below on the Group menu.
Issuing Commands
The LAN Commander menu is present no matter what application is currently the front application. Selecting a menu item in the LAN Commander will initiate the corresponding command.
If the front application is the Finder or the LAN Commander application, you can use the current selection in the Finder to specify the files and folders on which you want the command to take place. For example, if you select an application in a Finder window, then click on the LAN Commander menu, the selected application will appear in the Launch menu. Selecting the menu item that contains the application’s name will launch it on all the computers in the currently selected group.
Group
Use the Group menu to specify which computers you will be commanding with LAN Commander.
To be prompted for the group of computers with each command, select the Ask When Sending menu item. The center section of this menu contains the names of groups which have been previously defined. To select one of these groups, select the menu item that contains the group’s name. The current selection is denoted by a check mark next to the Ask When Sending item or the specific group name.
 
Figure 10. Group menu.
The names used for each computer are those specified in the Sharing Setup control panel. If there are any name conflicts, LAN Commander will choose a unique name for that computer for its own internal use. If the Sharing Setup control panel is not present on a particular computer, or no name has been specified in the Sharing Setup control panel, LAN Commander will choose a unique name for the computer.
To specify a new group, select the Edit Groups menu item. When you select the Edit Groups item, a window appears that lets you select the computers you would like to have in the group. Commands cannot be sent to the local computer, so the local computer will never appear in the Edit Groups window.
 
Figure 11. Edit Groups window.
When a check mark is present for a particular computer, that computer will be commanded as part of the current group. Clicking a check mark to turn it off will remove the computer from the current group.
A check mark next to a particular zone defines the default action for new computers that are added to that zone. When a check mark is turned on for a particular zone, all new computers that are physically added to that zone or to the network will be placed in the group. When a check mark is turned off for a particular zone, all new computers that are physically added to the zone will not be placed in the group.
By clicking the check mark for a zone, you can simultaneously add or remove all the computers in the zone from the current group. By clicking the check mark for the zone while holding down the option key, you can add or remove the zone from the current group, but leave all the current computers in the zone in the current group in their current state (i.e., all the check marks for the individual computers in the zone will remain as they are, whether you are adding or removing the zone from the current group).
Files & Folders
Use the Files & Folders menu to open, distribute, collect items, move items to the trash, empty the trash, and mount and unmount volumes. This menu is the focal point for all activities that involve the movement and opening of items on all networked computers.
 
Figure 12. Files & Folders menu.
Open
Use the Open menu to open a specific file, folder, or control panel on all the computers in the currently selected group. If there is a selection in a Finder window, the first menu item will contain either the name of the selected item, or the words “Selected items”. The middle section of this menu will contain recent items that were opened via this menu.
 
Figure 13. Open menu.
The Other… menu item displays a window that allows you to specify which specific item you would like to open as shown below in Figure 14.
 
Figure 14. Open items window.
Distribute Items
Use the Distribute Items menu to place a copy of a file or folder on all the computers in the currently selected group. If there is a selection in a Finder window, the first menu item will contain either the name of the selected item, or the words “Selected items”. The middle section of this menu will contain recent items that were distributed via this menu.
 
Figure 15. Distribute Items menu.
The Other… item displays a window that lets you specify the file or folder that you would like to distribute.
 
Figure 16. Distribute items window.
When items are distributed to multiple computers, they are placed in the same folder hierarchy as they are on the source computer. For example, if you are distributing a file that resides on the desktop on the source computer, the file is copied to the desktop of each destination computer. If you are distributing a file that resides within a folder named “Documents” at the top level of the hard disk, the file will be distributed to a folder named “Documents” at the top level of each hard disk you are distributing to. If the folder named “Documents” does not exist at the top level of each hard disk, LAN Commander will create the folder for you before the file is distributed. This is true for any depth of folder hierarchy on the source hard disk.
Cloning an entire disk or the System Folder
Using LAN Commander’s Distribute command, you can clone an entire disk by selecting the disk itself in the window displayed by choosing the Other… menu item. This process will completely replace the contents of the destination disk, provided there is enough disk space to hold the contents of the source disk. In doing this, you must make sure that the remote computer is capable of running the version of the system software that you are placing on the remote computer. For example, if you are running a version of System 7.0, you’ll need to make sure that the proper system enablers reside in the source disk’s system folder for the type of computers that you are distributing to. You can use the Collect System Info command in LAN Commander’s Computers menu to verify the information about the remote computer.
If there are any problems with this process, such as not enough disk space on the remote computer, an error window will appear which will tell you what errors occurred.
Collect Items
Use the Collect Items menu to collect a copy of a file or folder from all the computers in the currently selected group onto the local computer. If there is a selection in a Finder window, the Selected items menu item will collect the currently selected files or folders to the group.
 
Figure 17. Collect Items menu.
When items are collected from multiple computers, the default destination for the items is the folder where the items are collected from. You are given the opportunity to select a different destination for the collected items in the dialog presented before the collect command is started. Any folder on the local computer can be selected by clicking the Change Location button. Within the destination folder, a folder is created for each zone, then a folder is created for each computer that items are being collect from, and these folders are given the name of the computer. The files collected from the computer will be placed inside this named folder. For example, if a folder named “Documents” is being collected from the desktop of computers named “Macintosh 1” and “Macintosh 2” that reside in “Zone 1”, then a folder named “Zone 1” will be created; within that folder, folders named “Macintosh 1” and “Macintosh 2” will be created; and the folder named “Documents” will be copied into each of these folders.
 
Figure 19. Collect items destination window.
Move to Trash
Use the Move To Trash command to move items on all the computers in the group to the trash. If there are items currently selected in the Finder, using the Selected items menu item will move the corresponding items on the remote computer to the trash on the remote computer. The middle section of this menu lists files and folders that were recently moved to the trash with this menu.
 
Figure 20. Move to Trash menu.
The items that are moved to the trash reside in the same folder hierarchy as the item you have selected on the local computer. If the item resides on the desktop on the local computer, then the item with the same name on the desktop of the remote computers will be moved to the trash. If the item selected is a folder, and the item on the remote computer is a file, then the item will be moved to the trash anyway. If the item does not exist on the remote computer, no action is performed and an error window is displayed showing that the item could not be found on the remote computer.
Empty Trash
Use the Empty Trash menu item to empty the trash on all the computers in the currently selected group. If for some reason the trash could not be emptied on the remote computers, an error window will be displayed.
 
Figure 22. Empty Trash menu item.
Mount Volume
Use the Mount Volume menu item to mount a specific File Sharing volume on all computers in the currently selected group. The top portion of this menu displays volumes that have recently been mounted via this menu item or unmounted via the Unmount Volume menu item.
 
Figure 23. Mount Volume menu.
The Other… menu item displays a window that allows you to specify the volume to mount. When you click on the triangle next to a particular zone, the computers for that zone are displayed in the list.
 
Figure 24. Mount Volume window.
When you click the triangle next to a particular computer, a window, shown in Figure 25 below, is displayed that lets you specify the user whose account you would like to use to access the volume to be mounted. After successfully connecting to the file server, the hard disks available on that computer are displayed in the list. Clicking the triangle next to the hard disk will show the folders that are available to be shared on that volume. Clicking the Mount button will mount the current selection in the list.
 
Figure 25. Connect window.
Unmount Volume
Use the Unmount Volume menu item to unmount a specific File Sharing volume on all computers in the currently selected group. If the selected volume is not currently mounted on the remote computer, or File Sharing is not enabled on the remote computer, no action is performed. If the volume could not be unmounted, an error message will be displayed. The top portion of this menu displays volumes that have recently been mounted via the Mount Volume menu item or unmounted via this menu item.
 
Figure 26. Unmount Volume menu.
The Other… menu item displays a window that allows you to specify the volume to unmount.
 
Figure 27. Unmount Volume window.
Applications
The Applications menu is used to control the launching, hiding, quitting, and other application related activities on all computers in the currently selected group. The Launch menu lets you launch applications, and the Status… menu item brings up a window that allows you to control other aspects of applications.
 
Figure 28. Applications menu.
Launch
Use the Launch menu to launch a specific application on all computers in the specified group. If an application is selected in the Finder, the Selected Items menu item will launch that application on all the computers. The middle section of this menu lists applications that have been recently launched via this menu.
 
Figure 29. Launch menu.
Status…
Use the Status… menu item to control the application usage on the computers in the currently selected group. Using this window, you can hide or quit the front most application, bring a different application to the front, or lock the current application to the front.
 
Figure 31. Application status window.
Clicking the icon for an application will display a menu that lets you control that application on all the computers in the current group. Using this menu lets you launch the application on all the computers, bring the application to the front, hide the application, lock the application at the front, unlock the current application, and quit the application.
 
Figure 32. Application status window with application menu displayed.
Locking an application to the front will prevent the user from switching out of that application to any other application, including the Finder. To unlock the front application, use the Unlock front application menu item.
Computers
Use the Computers menu to control the computers in the currently selected group. This menu is the focal point for all commands that concern controlling remote computers.
 
Figure 33. Computers menu.
Collect System Info…
Use the Collect System Info… menu item to collect information about all computers in the currently selected group.
 
Figure 34. Collect System Info window.
The Collect System Info command collects several categories of information. It collects information about the network, system, monitors, volumes, and software about each computer. The network information includes the owner name and whether File Sharing is turned on or off. The system information includes the system version, the amount of physical and logical memory, and the type of CPU. The monitor information includes the resolution of the monitor, the monitor depth, and whether the monitor is the main monitor. The volume information includes the volume name, the total disk space, and the available disk space. The software information includes name, version, kind, and location information for each application, extension, and control panel on the computer. All this information is displayed in the window shown in Figure 35 below. By clicking the triangle to the left of each item, you can expand and collapse the information for that item.
 
Figure 35. Collect System Info result window.
Restart
Using the Restart commands displays a window that is used to restart the remote computers in the currently selected group. If you leave the Force restart check box off, the restart command will attempt to restart the computer gracefully, i.e., all applications will be given the chance to save its opened documents and quit before the computer is restarted. If you turn on the Force shutdown checkbox, and any unsaved documents are open on a remote computer, they may not be saved before the remote computer is restarted. The Force restart option is useful when the remote computers are unattended; otherwise the restart command might wait until a user interacts with the computer to save any modified open documents.
 
Figure 36. Restart window.
Shut Down
Using the Shut Down command displays a window that is used to either shut down the remote computers in the currently selected group. If you leave the Force shut down check box off, the shut down command will attempt to shut the computer down gracefully, i.e., all applications will be given the chance to save its opened documents and quit before the computer is shut down. If you turn on the Force shutdown checkbox, and any unsaved documents are open on a remote computer, they may not be saved before the remote computer is shut down. The Force restart option is useful when the remote computers are unattended; otherwise the shut down command might wait until a user interacts with the computer to save any modified open documents.
 
Figure 37. Shut down window.
Screens & Keyboards
Use the Screens & Keyboards menu to blank screens and lock keyboards on all the computers in the currently selected group.
The Lock Screens & Keyboards command replaces the contents of the screens with solid black and also locks the mice and keyboards. Nothing will be drawn on the screen until you select the Unlock menu item.
 
Figure 38. Screens & Keyboards menu.
The Lock Keyboards Only command blocks out all keyboard activity, mouse movement, and mouse clicks. Unlike the Lock Screens & Keyboards command, the screen remains as it was before the lock command was issued, and all screen updates are allowed to occur. This is useful when you want the users to see what is on their screens, but not interact with the computer using the keyboards or mice. The keyboards and mice will remain locked until you select the Unlock command in the Screens & Keyboards menu.
The Unlock menu item causes all screens to be redrawn as they were before the Blank command was issued, and the keyboards and mice to be unlocked so that normal activities can be resumed.
Synchronize Clocks
The Synchronize Clocks command sets all the clocks in the currently selected group of computers to the same time as the local computer.
File Sharing
Use the File Sharing menu to turn File Sharing on or off for all the computers in the currently selected group. If File Sharing is already turned on, and you select the On menu item, no action is performed on that computer. Similarly, if File Sharing is already turned off when you select the Off menu item, no action is performed.
 
Figure 39. File Sharing menu.
Sound Level
Use the Sound Level menu to set the sound level on all the computers in the currently selected group. The sound level of all the computers will be set to the same level. If the sound level for a particular computer is the same as the level you choose in the menu, no action is performed on that computer.
 
Figure 40. Sound Level menu.
Monitor Depth
Use the Monitor Depth menu to select the monitor depth for all computers in the currently selected group. The monitor depth is set to the same value on all computers. If the monitor connected to the computer does not support the depth selected in the menu, the closest monitor depth that is supported is selected.
 
Figure 41. Monitor Depth menu.
Messages
Use the messages menu to send a message to all the computers in the currently selected group.
 
Figure 42. Messages menu.
Send Message…
Use the Send Message… command to display a window with a specific message on all computers in the currently selected group. The Send Message… item displays a window, shown below in Figure 43, that lets you specify the message you want to be displayed.
 
Figure 43. Send Message specification window.
Enter your message in the text field in the Send Message window, then click the Send button to send the message. On each remote computer, a window with the text you specified will be displayed.
 
Figure 44. Message window as displayed on remote computer.
You can specify whether the message is to be displayed until the user clicks on the OK button in the message window, or only for a specified number of minutes. If a user does not respond within the specified amount of time, the window will go away.
On Guard
On Guard is Power On Software’s desktop security software. On Guard works by using different accounts to specify the security level offered to the user. The On Guard menu in LAN Commander allows you to sign on and off to On Guard’s user accounts.
 
Figure 45. On Guard menu.
Sign Off
Use the Sign Off menu item to sign the current On Guard user off and display On Guard’s sign on window on all computers in the currently selected group. If there is no user currently signed on to a particular computer and the sign on window is already being displayed, no action is performed.
Sign On To…
Use the Sign On To… menu item to sign on the same On Guard user on all computers in the currently selected group. The Sign On To menu item displays a window that lets you specify the user to sign on. If the user does not exist on a particular computer on the network, no action is performed on that computer.
Locking and Unlocking the Menu
To protect the LAN Commander menu, LAN Commander requires that a Commander name and password be entered before any commands can be issued. When the menu is locked, no commands can be issued and all of LAN Commander’s menu items are grayed out, as shown below in Figure 46.
 
Figure 46. Unlock menu item.
When you choose the Unlock Menu item, a window appears that lets you enter the Commander’s name and password. The name and password is specified in the Configure command. The menu is also configured to be locked after a period of inactivity; the default period of inactivity is 10 minutes. To unlock the LAN Commander menu when LAN Commander is first installed, the default name is “Commander”, and the default password is “command”.
 
Figure 47. Unlock menu window.
After unlocking the menu, the Unlock Menu item changes to Lock Menu. When you choose the Lock Menu item, the menu is locked, and the menu item again becomes Unlock Menu. You do not need to enter a Commander name and password to lock the menu, so anyone who has access to the computer can lock the menu.
Configure
When you choose the Configure command, the window shown in Figure 48 is displayed. This window lets you specify the name and password that unlocks the LAN Commander menu and also lets you enter the LAN Commander configuration application. This window also lets you specify whether the local computer is able to send LAN Commander commands, and also lets you specify whether the LAN Commander menu will be locked after a certain number of minutes.
 
Figure 48. LAN Commander Options window.
Disabling LAN Commander
You can disable LAN Commander by removing the file named “LAN Commander Startup” from the Extensions folder within the System Folder on your startup hard disk, or by using an extension manager to disable it.
