Using system interfaces
Depending on the type of connection to the system and the task you need to perform, there are several options available for system interfaces. You can access and use your system by iSeries™ Navigator, by the character-based interface, and by wireless clients.
There are two ways to access the system: from character-based interfaces on an attached console or emulator session and from the graphical user interface in iSeries Navigator. The interface you need to use depends on your connection type to the system and the task you need to perform. This topic describes how to access the system from the character-based interface and some functions of this access method.
Character-based interface
The character-based interface, available from most emulator sessions or consoles, might seem unfamiliar to people without any experience in the i5/OS® operating system.
The character-based interface is available from most consoles and emulator sessions connected to a system, and provides more functions than any other interface. While this type of interface might be unfamiliar at first, it includes several methods for helping new users, and a menu-based hierarchy of tasks to make finding specific functions simple.
The character-based interface includes three primary displays: navigational, input, and informational. The navigational display typically consists of a list of menu options and a command line. You can use this display to find information or tasks on the i5/OS operating system, and to enter control language (CL) commands. Input displays are available when the operating system requires information from you. Use this display to enter or change information. Informational displays provide system information and do not allow any interaction.
Finding functions or tasks
All system tasks are organized into categories accessible through the main menu. You can enter menu selections to move through this hierarchy until you find the task you are looking for. Different users might have different menu options available to them, depending on the security strategy and on the restrictions set by the system administrator and the active user profile. When you have found a menu option you need to use, you can enter commands at the Selection or Command prompt located at the bottom of the display. Many menu displays have a name listed in the top-left corner of the display. You can use the GO command followed by the name of the menu to access the menu display. For example, GO JOB instructs the operating system to display the Jobs menu.
Getting help
The character-based interface provides several methods for assisting users. First, online help is available for many displays by pressing the help or F1 key. You can often get help with a particular field or item by placing your cursor on it and then pressing the help or F1 key. When you are entering data, you can also get help by entering a ? in a data field. Finally, the amount and type of information displayed on the display can be controlled by changing the assistance level. The assistance level determines what version of a display you see. Many system displays have two different versions:
- A basic assistance level version, which contains less information and does not use technical terminology.
- An intermediate-assistance level version, which shows more information and uses technical terms.
Some fields or functions are available only on a particular version of a display. The instructions tell you which version to use. To change from one assistance level to another, use F21 (Select assistance level). F21 is not available from all displays.
Parent topic:
Overview of basic system operationsRelated concepts
i5/OS commands