The Notebook client can be downloaded from the EMSL Collaboratory download page. This should be done from Netscape 4.7 (or IE5 if you're on a PC); these are required in order to run the accompanying Java applet that determines your "Java Home" directory for you; you'll need this information later when installing the Notebook client on your computer. For this applet to run, you will need to grant privileges to it in response to a popup dialog. Even though this dialog aks you to allow it to "read, modify, or delete" files on your machine, it does not modify anything on your computer, nor does it transmit information about your computer to anyone.

After the installer program is downloaded, launch (double-click) it and complete the installation by following the simple instructions. Towards the end of the installation, you will be asked to fill in your Java home path that was provided to you in the above download page.

Running the Notebook Client

To access the Marsoweb Notebook, using a supported browser (Netscape 4.7, or IE5 if you're on a PC), go to the Marsoweb Notebook link. (You may want to bookmark it for future reference.) This will automatically launch your Notebook client program, except for Mac users; they will need to launch (double-click) this manually themselves.

Once the Marsoweb Collaboratory Notebook is launched, you will be presented with a login screen. You can login as "guest user" to just look at the contents of the Notebook (i.e. no ability to add to the contents). To be a fully-enabled user (with the ability to contribute to the notebook), you will need to have your own login. In order to provide a secure environment in which the landing site community may share their resources, the webmaster will be building and maintaining the user base. If you're in this community and wish to use the Marsoweb Notebook, then, please notify the webmaster, and he will add you to the login list. You may also specify your desired password in your email as well (or one can be given to you). Once you are on the login list, find your name in the pulldown menu and login with your password.

The first time you log in, you will be presented with dialog boxes asking you to grant access privileges to the Notebook client so that it can maintain status files on your hard disk (Windows/Internet Explorer users will be presented with one access dialog box asking if you want to install and run "Collaboratory Notebook Code"). The access requests are signed by EMSL's organization Battelle Memorial Institute.

Adding Things to the Notebook

Once logged in, you will be presented with a table-of-contents. Initially, there is a "chapter" for Prime Landing Sites and Backups, and "pages" within that corresponding to each of the current top prime landing sites. Assuming these have not yet been modified, for each of these sites, there is a small-scale MOC/MOLA map (from Tim Parker et al.) and a "whiteboard" section that just contains a fairly-large-scale GIF map that can be downloaded and used to perform further whiteboard actions on (e.g. diagrams, annotation, etc.). These particular GIFs need to be used for further whiteboard operations because the whiteboard currently requires a 256-color image (i.e. not the more customary JPEGs).

Any user (other than guest) can add new items to existing pages, new pages to existing chapters, and new chapters. EMSL provides a fairly detailed set of instructions on what can be done and how to do it on their help page. The name of the submitter of the new item is recorded along with the item. The editors listed at the top of this page are supplied so that you can create a variety of media types. EMSL also provides a FAQ for the Electronic Notebook.