Unix SAS Quickstart: PC

The steps below will get you up and running quickly and ready to start the SAS tutorial, if you are accessing Unix SAS from a PC on the Novell network. Follow these steps in order. If you get stuck, ask a lab assistant. Note that if you have already done either this quickstart, ``Unix SAS Quickstart: X-terminal'', or ``Unix SAS Quickstart: Workstation'', you can skip step 2.

NOTE AGAIN: These instructions assume you are currently seated at a PC on the Novell network.

1. Step 1: Log in to stat. To start, log into your Novell account. Note: you must have a Novell account in order to run PC X-Ware.

   To run Unix SAS, you must log in to stat or reno. During class or lab time, you should log in to stat unless your instructor tells you differently. In what follows, we assume you want to log in to stat.

   To log in to stat, you have two options: using telnet or xdm (the X-window display manager). Sometimes, because of their login configuration, students will have difficulty with one of these. If that happens, just try the other (e.g., if you have trouble with telnet, try using XDM.

   • Begin at the Windows95 desktop. If there is a shortcut labeled "XDM stat", and if you want to use XDM to log in to stat, double click on the shortcut icon. Similarly, if there is a shortcut labeled "Telnet stat", and if you want to use telnet to log in to stat, double click on the shortcut icon.
   • If there is no shortcut of the kind you want, the following steps will allow you to access PC X-Ware.

     a. Click on Start

     b. Click on Programs

     c. Click on Novell Applications

     d. Click on PC X-Ware 5.0 & Marathon

     e. Click on WPI Hosts

   • A window should appear with a number of icons. Among them should be one labeled "XDM stat", and one labeled "Telnet stat". Double click on the one you want to use.
   • (NOTE: Some PCs may have only a generic telnet icon on the desktop. By double clicking on this and clicking on "Connect" at the top of the resulting window, you can open a telnet connection with stat.)
   • If you are using telnet, by this point you should have obtained a telnet window with ``login:'' printed inside. Type your CCC user ID and <enter>. When prompted for your password, enter it. Text will appear in the window indicating that you have logged in to stat, and a command line with a cursor at the end indicates that stat is ready to receive your commands.

   • If you are using XDM, by this time a window with "Welcome to stat" and "Please enter your user name" should have appeared. Enter your CCC user ID, <enter>, your password (note that the password will not be displayed as you type it in), and < enter> again. The Common Desktop Environment (CDE) will then appear on the screen. In order to proceed, you need a window in which to enter commands. There will be a taskbar at the bottom of the screen. On the taskbar, there will be an icon consisting of a notepad and pencil. (Clicking on this will bring up the default text editor.) Immediately above this icon, there is an upward-pointing arrow. Click on this arrow. A personal application popup menu will appear. Select terminal from this menu. This will bring up the appropriate window. Using the mouse, position the arrow anywhere in the main part of this window. Then click the left mouse button to activate this window. You'll know the window is active when the bar at the top darkens and the cursor begins flashing on and off. There will be a prompt (a ``>'') in the window just to the left of the cursor. You are now logged in to stat and ready to submit commands.

2. Step 2: Copy SAS configuration files. In this step, you will copy three files to your home directory. These files will (i.) initialize Unix SAS to allow you to find existing libraries of SAS data files, (ii.) set graphics parameters, and (iii.) set up your default printer. About half of the class (determined by birth date) will be asked to copy one set of files and the rest of the class will be asked to copy another set. The first set of files assigns one of the printers in the room adjacent to KH 207 as default and the other set assigns the second printer. This procedure will help to avoid long waits for printed output. Later, you will be told how to change your default printer.

   If your birthday is between the dates July 1 and December 31 inclusive, do (a). Otherwise do (b).

   a. Type

   > /math/mathlab/bin/sasetupa

   (NOTE: the ``>'' is the prompt supplied by the computer; you just type the ``/math/mathlab/bin/sasetupa'' part and hit <enter>.) If the computer responds with anything other than just the prompt, you've probably done this step incorrectly and you should seek help. (NOTE: You should only have to do this step once, EVER. So if you've done this Quickstart or the Unix SAS Quickstart: Workstation/X-terminal before, and already copied these files, go on to step 3.)

   b. Type

   > /math/mathlab/bin/sasetupb

   (NOTE: the ``>'' is the prompt supplied by the computer; you just type the ``/math/mathlab/bin/sasetupb'' part and hit <enter>.) If the computer responds with anything other than just the prompt, you've probably done this step incorrectly and you should seek help. (NOTE: You should only have to do this step once, EVER. So if you've done this Quickstart or the Unix SAS Quickstart: Workstation/X-terminal before, and already copied these files, go on to step 3.)

3. Step 3: Run SAS. You are now ready to access Unix SAS. To run Unix SAS, type

   > sas &

   (NOTE: the ``>'' is the prompt supplied by the computer; you just type the ``sas &'' part and hit <enter>.)

4. Step 4: Log out of SAS. When you are finished with your SAS session, please log out of SAS. You may do this by using the "xsassm" icon, probably located on the right side of your monitor screen. Double clicking on this icon,or clicking once on this icon and then on ``Restore'', will produce the xsassm window. Click on the "terminate" box in the xsassm window to terminate your session.

5. Step 5: Log out of stat. When you have logged out of SAS, please log off the Unix machine you have logged into. Do this by clicking on the "Exit" icon on the taskbar in the CDE. This will log you out of PC Xware as well and return you to your PC.

   Bailing out

   Sometimes you run a SAS program or procedure that you realize is both wrong (perhaps you gave it a wrong input) and long. To bail out of the program or procedure, you can use the "xsassm" icon (most likely located in the lower right portion of your screen). Clicking once on this icon will produce the xsassm window. Click on the "interrupt" box in the window to stop the program or procedure without ending your SAS session. When all else fails, click on ``terminate'' to bail out of SAS.

   An Introduction to SAS/EIS  

   EIS stands for Executive Information System. SAS/EIS is a component of SAS that enables users to summarize, integrate and display information in easily accessed and easily understood reports. In the introductory statistics courses at WPI, you will use only one of its many capabilities: that of calling SAS macros.

   SAS macros are programs written in the SAS programming language which perform special tasks, some of which are not otherwise available to novice SAS users, and some of which are not otherwise available to any SAS users. Some macros have been written expressly to support computer labs for the introductory statistics courses at WPI. Some provide statistical functions or procedures of interest to general users. EIS provides a simple, menu-driven interface for SAS users of these macros. In addition, the macros themselves are written with a windows interface for data entry and output.

   Setting up EIS

   In order to run the applications in EIS, you need to tell SAS where to find those applications. You may do this as follows:

   1. Choose ``Globals'' from the menu bar on any of the three windows (PROGRAM EDITOR, LOG, or OUTPUT) that SAS automatically brings up. From the pop-up menu choose ``Develop'' and ``EIS application builder''.
   2. A SAS/EIS window will pop up. Click on the ``Applications'' button.
   3. A small ``SAS/EIS: Applications'' window will appear. Click on ``Set applications...''.
   4. A ``SAS/EIS: Set Applications'' window will appear. Click on ``Primary private application...''.
   5. A ``SAS/EIS: Primary Private Application'' window will appear. Click on the ``Library:'' field and input ``eisapps'', then hit return. In the ``Application database:'' field input ``eisapp'', then hit return.
   6. Click on ``OK'', and then ``Goback'' twice. This returns you to the SAS/EIS main menu.

   Note: You have to do this setup only once, ever.

   Running Macros from EIS

   To run macros from EIS proceed as follows:

   1. Choose ``Globals'' from the menu bar on any of the three windows (PROGRAM EDITOR, LOG, or OUTPUT) that SAS automatically brings up. From the pop-up menu choose ``Develop'' and ``EIS application builder''.
   2. A SAS/EIS window will pop up. Click on the ``Applications'' button.
   3. A small ``SAS/EIS: Applications'' window will appear. Click on ``Run private applications...''.
   4. A window will pop up with the titles and description of each available application.

   Why not try an application now? Scroll down to the application called ORACLE (To scroll, place the pointer on the slider bar, click the left mouse button, and move the mouse. You can scroll more slowly by clicking with the left mouse button on the arrows at the top or bottom of the scroll bar.). When you see the word ORACLE, click on it (ONCE ONLY, PLEASE!). A window should appear asking for your question. Ask whatever is on your mind, then press enter.

   NOTE: On some programs requiring data entry, a message such as
   

   will appear in red at the upper left of the data entry window when you enter a piece of data. We don't know why this happens, but it affects nothing, and you can ignore this message. (By the way, if you hit the Tab key instead of the Return key after entering each piece of data, this warning will not appear in the window.)

   ---

   Joe Petruccelli < jdp@wpi.edu>
   Last modified: Thu Jun 3 10:46:57 EDT 1999