OOPS!!!!
I know, right? 3 days before classes start and we've detected some disturbing news...
We rolled-out a new computer configuration as of June 2011, and only recently discovered that Java WebStart and JRE is NOT installed on the Windows 7 configuration.

The areas that this affects:

ALL Computers in Labs & Classrooms, Laptop Cart, Laptops for Checkout on WINDOWS 7 ONLY.

So... please please please be patient with our office as we work diligently to fix this.
We are working to update everything in the next couple of weeks, so if you are trying to use Java in the labs, you will have more success if you use MacOSX (java is built-in).

Sorry for the inconvenience.

SMART Software Update

We are currently updating all of our laptop images with the latest SMART software to be used with the SMART boards in the science & math labs at University Hall...
Woot.

Boosting Start-up & Shut-down Speeds

well, folks..
we are currently working on building a new computer image for the various computing areas across campus..
one of the key features that we are investigating is the Start-Up and Shut-Down times, particularly when using WindowsXP.





Our preliminary research finds:

Start-Up time(s) for the various computer sets (using Windows XP):

• 1st Gen iMac - (Doble 413, 415, 309, Reading Room, Kiosks, 24-hour Lab) -- 
• 2nd Gen iMac - (Wolfard 203, 204) -- ~03:00:00 - 03:30:00+
• 3rd Gen iMac - (University Hall training Room, Reading Room) -- ~01:30:00 - 01:50:00
• MacBookPro (for CheckOut) -- ~01:30:00 - 02:00:00

Shut-Down time(s) for the various computer sets (using Windows XP):

• 1st Gen iMac - (Doble 413, 415, 309, Reading Room, Kiosks, 24-hour Lab) -- 
• 2nd Gen iMac - (Wolfard 203, 204) -- ~00:45:00 - 00:50:00
• 3rd Gen iMac - (University Hall training Room, Reading Room) -- ~00:45:00 - 00:55:00
• MacBookPro (for CheckOut) -- ~00:50:00 - 01:05:00

I hope to tweak with the configuration of these machines to squeeze-out a significant change.

We'll let you know how it goes!

See below:

After our enhanced configuration:

COMING SOON!

Start-Up time(s) for the various computer sets (using Windows XP):

• 1st Gen iMac - (Doble 413, 415, 309, Reading Room, Kiosks, 24-hour Lab) -- 
• 2nd Gen iMac - (Wolfard 203, 204) -- 
• 3rd Gen iMac - (University Hall training Room, Reading Room) -- 
• MacBookPro (for CheckOut) -- 

Shut-Down time(s) for the various computer sets (using Windows XP):

• 1st Gen iMac - (Doble 413, 415, 309, Reading Room, Kiosks, 24-hour Lab) -- 
• 2nd Gen iMac - (Wolfard 203, 204) -- ~00:45:00 - 00:50:00
• 3rd Gen iMac - (University Hall training Room, Reading Room) -- 
• MacBookPro (for CheckOut) --

Working on Sherrill Library Macs for checkout.

Updating the sherrill library MacBookPros.
It's kind of a secret that they have a small laptop cart, because it's only used for training purposes.

So far, we have run these updates:

Office 2007/2008 Updates
Flash Player 10
Adobe Reader Update
WinXPSP3 Security Updates
Norton AntiVirus Definitions


OH, and yes, we added a spiffy new Fall 2010 wall paper to match the rest of campus :)

More info to come!

Photos from July 2010---

Here's some highlights from July maintenance & upgrades...

 

 

 

 

 

mmmmm...

I love the smell of fresh deploy images in the morning.
Today, I started the DOBLE-INFO commons with its 2nd Image set since the Fall 2009.
This new deployment and space re-arrangement (which should take all day)... will be to address key issues with the Scanning under Windows XP.

All-in-all, it's a good time.

The disk image that I'm using here will be the same image found in the Mollye Lichter Block 24-hour lab, and will contain the basic Adobe Creative Suite 3 Packages... *sorry, it's not the latest and greatest, folks...

Mollye Lichter Block 24-hour Lab UPDATE

  Alright, ladies and gentlemen...

  The Mollye Lichter Block 24-hour lab has been freshly imaged and updated!  This will have been the first time in a year that maintenance of this scale has been performed in this area.

 Sorry for any inconveniences that our maintenance down-time may have caused.  We appreciate your patience!





Changes include:
OS Updates (OSX Leopard & WinXP SP3)
Office 2007/2008
IE7/8 & Firefox 3.6.3
FlashPlayer 10
Picasa 3.6
Adobe CS3+

Re-Imaging Woes

We are still deploying images and trying to fix the boot problems that came about late last week.

ATM, I am recreating the deploy image that is intended for the Doble building...
In the meantime, the master that I had initially created is having all sorts of crazy problems which has inadvertently leaked over to the computers that I have pushed-out so far... :(

Looks like I will be taking a couple steps backward to remedy this situation.

I am also creating the Wolfard image.
This will be pushed-out to the machines in the Wolfard building.
So far, so good...
But let's not get our hopes up.... YET.

Labs & Classrooms ScreenSaver

So, we here at the Labs & Classrooms Office have received  lot of feedback regarding our lab screensavers.

It's basically a bunch of large-format png/jpgs that lay-out some of the basic do's and don't's of our computer labs & classrooms.

Examples:
Do not save to the desktop.
Follow us @lesleylabs (Twitter)
Use the hand sanitizing stations,.. etc etc.


These images are placed on the Master Images and are pushed-out with each subsequent software/hardware roll-out.
As we continually make more, I will be sure to update this entry.

===================
Versions:

Software Updates for Wolfard Fall 2010 Image!

Rigorously running through software updates for the Wolfard workstation image.
It's interesting because this area contains what I consider our "2nd Gen" iMacs*...
These are characterized primarily by the thin base-stands, the Mini-DisplayPort connector, and the nVidia integrated graphics cards.


*2nd Generation only in the series of Aluminum iMacs that we have on this campus.

=============
MacOSX
--> Software Update included various security & application updates.

• EFI Firmware 1.4
• Bluetooth Firmware 2.01
• SuperDrive Firmware 3.0

Applications:

Updated Office 2008 -- 12.x
Flip4Mac WMV Components -- 2.3.2.6
Adobe Reader -- 9.3.2
Firefox -- 3.6.3
Google Earth 5.1.3535.3218

----------------------
WinXPSP3 
--> Windows Update included various security & application updates.

Applications:

Installed Filezilla FTP Client 3.3.2.1
Microsoft Office 2007

Fall 2010: Boot Picker Updated

I recently updated boot picker on all of our dual-boot iMacs and MacBook Pros to 2.1.2.

I was also sure to brandish the bootpicker with our most recent Desktop Wallpaper (I jokingly call OS-Slate)...

OS-Slate - Fall 2010 Desktop Background

The boot-picker will have new titles (to fit the more modernized look & feel of the machine) despite the older operating systems. (10.5.8 & XPSP3).... some will have 10.6.3 & XPSP3 while our experimental machines will have 10.6.3 & Win7.... I haven't determined where these will sit yet... but I will let you know.

June - Week #1

Today, I am working on updating the software on the Doble computer images.
This "Master" will be applied to all classrooms & lab spaces in the Doble building (DOBL-309, DOBL-413, DOBL-415, DOBL-INFOCOMMONS, and the 24-hour Mollye Lichter Block Computer lab.
And will be ready for FALL 2010

For today:
MacOS---
+OpenXML File Format Converter 1.1.4
+FireFox 3.6.3
+CoolIris 1.11.6
+Safari 4.0.5
+Adobe CS3 Update(s) -- Various programs affected*
+Microsoft 2008 Update 12.2.4
+Bluetooth Firmware Update
+Adobe Updater
+Apple Software Update

Ran ONYX cleaner---
Verified Startup Volume - Check
Fixed Disk Permissions - Check
Cleaned Caches - Check

 =================

Windows XPSP3---
+FireFox 3.6.3
+Uninstall +ReInstall BootCamp 3.0
+Symantec Endpoint Protection
+Windows Update (Various Security Updates & Fixes)
+Installed FlashPlayer 10+configured
+Picasa 3.6
+Sketchup 7.1
 

Digital Print Lab REIMAGED

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

we loaded a new image onto the digital print lab computers:
image from July 29, 2009

for whole lab, the image process took about 11 minutes
we created 2 partitions: Digital Printing (30GB) and Temporary Storage (~120GB)
*with the exception of #2, Temporary Storage (45GB)

Post Installation:
Renamed Computers
System Preference > Sharing

Changed Permissions to Ignore Ownership on Temporary Storage

Installed Deep Freeze via Remote Desktop

Image Processes:

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

Created images: (07/27-29/09)
Master Image
Media
Digital Printing
Mobile (G4)
Mobile (Intel)

Cloned:

Macbook 14
Macbook 06
Macbook 13

Powerbook 10
Powerbook 09

Room 316 *hopefully

Configured Local User

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

on the video-animation studio image:
configured local user & macadministrator
*NO deep freeze, yet.

still in beta test
redirected Temporary Storage, post-install, & automatic update disabled
software update.

Configured Local User

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

on the video-animation studio image:
configured local user & macadministrator
*NO deep freeze, yet.

still in beta test
redirected Temporary Storage, post-install, & automatic update disabled
software update.

Image Updates: Digital Printing

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

Software Update:
iLife
Quicktime
iTunes
MacOSX

---Reconfigured LocalUser

--Recasted Image

Creating Boot Environment

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

I'm moving the video image sets over to the aibanimation server.
We should be able to multicast deploy from the other location as autonomously as we have in this building.

Last image is:
Digital_Video_09.06.23-localadminonly.ppc.hfs.dmg

others:
VideoMaster-BETA1-061909.ppc.hfs.dmg
media-presentations.dmg

~45GB or so.
these will be the seeds for subsequent images.
good stuff!

Digital Printing Updates

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

Fixed file associations with *.psd
Updated Adobe DNG converter to 5.4.x

DPL - 01 Problems booting

Warning: The content on this post was written while Richard Phung, the Labs & Classrooms Coordinator, held the title of Computer Lab Technician at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.... the content expressed here is out of date, at best.

Repeated problems booting on DPL workstation #1...
safeboot with single-user mode and a fcsk scan revealed nothing.
Netboot with utility scan revealed nothing.

Restoring image:
Digital-Pringing-051809.dmg

Estimated image time: 4:53 minutes.

Post-install procedure to follow:
Temporary Storage permissions
Scratch Disk for Photoshop
Power Management/Energy save settings