4.1 Calculate Utilities Graphical Manager¶

• 4.1 Calculate Utilities Graphical Manager
• Introduction
• Create a certificate
• Launch modes
• Connect to and work with the Utilities server
• Menu panel
• Return to the main menu
• Running processes
• Session info
• Program configuration
• Help
• Run methods on the Utilities server
• Security and access permissions
• Signature requests
• Certificates
• Group permissions

Introduction¶

Calculate Console GUI is a graphical tool that gives you network access to the Calculate Utilities 3 Server via https. If you do not have sys-apps/calculate-console-gui already, install it.

The program is called by typing:

cl-console-gui

Fig. 1 cl-console-gui window

Create a certificate¶

To be able to connect to the Utilities server, you will need a signed certificate. Choose "Certificates" from the menu to generate a request for the server to issue and sign the certificate (a “request” for short).

Fig. 2 Signature request

Fill the fields: Host stands for the server host address, Port stands for the port listened by the server (8888 is the default number). Click on "Send the request" to create the signature request and send it to the server; click on "Get a certificate" for your signed certificate to be delivered.

To create a request and a private key, you will have to submit some date in the "Create a signature request" window.

Fig. 3 Create a signature request

Most of the data, however, will be supplied by the system, except for the company name, the city and, of course, the password. Do not change anything unless you know for sure what you are doing. Should the private key need additional encryption, fill the "Password" field. This value will be prompted for to connect to the Utilities server.

Once the request is created, it will be automatically sent to the server and a window with the request ID will pop up.

Fig. 4 Request ID info

To submit your request, you may either use Calculate Console as described above or execute the following command:

cl-core --sign-client n

where n is the request ID.

When the certificate has been signed, you must fetch it - just click on "Get a certificate" in the Certificates window. If the request has not been signed yet or rejected, the program will inform you about it.

Launch modes¶

You can run Calculate Console GUI in one of the two modes:

• regular mode; to do so, execute:
  

  cl-console-gui
  

• single method mode; to do so, use the --method key:
  

  cl-console-gui --method methodname
  

For instance, if you want to install the system:

cl-console-gui --method install

Connect to and work with the Utilities server¶

Please click on "Connect" in the menu to establish a connection with the Utilities server.

Fig. 5 Connect to the Utilities server

Enter the Utilities server address as Host, the port listened by the server as Port, the password as Password if you need additional encryption for the private key. Then press the Connect button.

If the connection is successful, you will see all methods available on this Utilities server in the main window (see section "Run methods on the Utilities server").

Menu panel¶

When you are connected to the Utilities server, the top menu looks like is shown on the previous picture, with buttons "Back"_ (except for the main menu), "Processes", "Session", "Disconnect", "Tools" and "Help".

Return to the main menu¶

If you want to return to the main menu, press "Back" in the top menu. If the main menu is already displayed, this button will not be shown.

Running processes¶

The "Process" button on the menu panel displays info about the running process. Here you can connect to a process, interrupt it or view the results.

Fig. 6 Viewing information about the running processes

Session info¶

The "Session" button on the menu panel displays info about the current session. Here you can clear the processes cache for a given session.

Fig. 7 Viewing information about the current session

The "Disconnect" button on the menu panel displays a dialog closing window, with three options available:

• "Yes" - Disconnect and close the session;
• "No" - Disconnect without closing the session;
• "Cancel" - Stay connected.

Fig. 8 Closing the session

Program configuration¶

The "Tools" button on the menu panel launches the Calculate Console configuration window. Here you have "GUI Tools" and "Other tools".

The "GUI Tools" tab includes:

• "Expert View": sets the view results mode: either compact or expert;
• "Image Height": sets the image height (if this value is 0, no images will be displayed).
• "Row Count in Table": sets the max number of rows in tables listing the results (for example, the list of signature requests).

Fig. 9 GUI tools

The "Other Tools" tab includes:

• "Select language": sets the program language;
• "Path to Certificates": sets the directory where the client’s certificates will be stored (should they not be kept in the standard storage directory but elsewhere, including external media).

Fig. 10 Other tools

Help¶

The "Help" button on the panel menu will display a submenu including:

• "About the program": opens a window with information about Calculate Console;
• "Info": opens the web page with this manual;
• "Report a bug": opens the bug report window, as shown below:

Fig. 11 Bug report window

Run methods on the Utilities server¶

Once you are connected to the Utilities server, you will see all methods available for this certificate in the main menu:

Fig. 12 Main window with available methods

All methods are sorted by categories. When you click on a method, a window with all necessary data will pop up. There are one-step methods, such as:

Fig. 13 Video configuration method

or multiple-step ones:

Fig. 14 Video configuration as part of the system installation method

Use "Back" and "Next" or select the step you need from the list on the left. Any method can be launched from the last step only.

While the method is running, you will see the status window. Click on "Interrupt the process" if you need to break the procedure.

When you are finished, you can go back with the "Back" button in the top menu or cancel by pressing the "Close" button. In this latter case, all data referring to the process on the Utilities server will be removed and will not be displayed any more in the "Running processes" window.

Security and access permissions¶

As we said, Calculate Console connects to the Utilities server via the https protocol, which allows data encryption with certificates and keys. If you need to know how to get a certificate, please refer to section "Create a certificate". This section deals with signing requests and managing access permissions for certificates.

Signature requests¶

The signature request is created on the client’s side after both the public key and the private key have been created, and is sent to the Utilities server for the certificate to be signed.

In Calculate Console GUI, use the "Show requests" method to manage requests on the Utilities server.

Fig. 15 Viewing requests

To select a request, click on the corresponding table row: a window will pop up, where you can change the request ID (the request data will be not updated though) and the certificate group.
You can either "Confirm" or "Delete" your request. A request that has been signed but not fetched by the client will be displayed in the "Request Table"; you will see the group name in the "Group" column.

Fig. 16 Request details

Certificates¶

A certificate confirms that the public key and the identification data of its owner match. Besides, Calculate Utilities use certificates to distribute access permissions, by defining group permissions.

A set of permissions are applied to the certificate once it has been generated. These permissions are indicated in the certificate and must not be modified.

Group permissions¶

By group permissions we mean managing access rights on the Utilities server. They would be specified in the client’s certificate. A list of access rights corresponds to each group.

Permissions for groups of certificates are, by default, stored in /var/calculate/server/conf/group_right.conf and look like this: group right1[, right2[,right3...]]. For instance:

manager install, get-sessions, request
user get-sessions,request,view_cert

If you need to modify permissions for some certificates, edit /var/calculate/server/conf/right.conf. It should contain the certificates’ rights and IDs.

Example:

install 1 2 -3

- add access permission on the “install” method for the certificates numbered 1 and 2 and remove it for the certificate numbered 3.
These permissions will have priority before group permissions.

To manage group permissions on the Utilities server, use the "Show groups" method provided by the program.

Fig. 17 Viewing groups

To add a group, press the "+" button. Then in the "Adding a group" window enter the name of the group you want to add as "Group name" and use "Permissions" to manage the group’s permissions.

You can select a group by clicking on the corresponding row in the table: "Group details" will pop up, where you can modify permissions or delete a group.