Selecting a shell for your users is extremely easy. However, this choice must be balanced against the power and flexibility that your users require.

 

The default Windows shell is Explorer. The explorer.exe process can run in two modes, shell mode or file manager mode. In a typically Windows environment, every user will always have explorer.exe. When explorer is then launched in file manager mode, a new thread will attach to the explorer.exe process and provide a view into the file system. The explorer shell is notoriously memory hungry, which can be detrimental to capacity in a Terminal Server environment. It is also notoriously insecure, providing users with the ability to access system functions that they were not intended to have. It is only recommended that you allow Administrators and some Power Users access to the Windows Explorer shell.

 

Once you install the Simplify Suite, the default shell for all owners is changed to the triShell. The triCerat shell replacement is much more secure than the Explorer shell and provides Administrators with precise control over what applications a user can see and what system functions to which they have access. In many instances, triShell also consumes less memory than the Explorer shell, and therefore can help you increase the capacity of your servers. The only time the explorer.exe process will run is when you allow users to access the Windows file manager.

 

An owner's shell can be set to one of four options:

 

 

Inherit shell setting:  The owner’s shell is inherited from its parent(s).

No Shell (deny login):  The owner is not allowed to log in to Simplify servers. When a user with this setting tries to log in, a short, administrator-defined message appears and the user is logged off the server.

triShell:  The owner is assigned triShell, which is the default.

Explorer:  The owner is assigned Explorer.

 

Shell selection for owners is done in the Assignments pane.  Select the target owner in the Owners pane, and then perform the following steps to set the shell:

Under the owner’s name in the Assignments pane, expand the Applications branch.

Right-click on the Shell item (indicated by a Star icon) and choose the shell.