Windows 2000 lands safely in UCD

Red Alert

Was in the science building today - the 2nd floor physics computer lab now seems to be running windows 2000 - about time too!

Does anyone know if this is the start of a campus rollout? (/me wonders why they can't just deploy this standard image to all the Dell PC's across campus using the managed boot agent update thing!?!)

Now if only Computer Services would upgrade those C64's they use as servers...

seamus

Yep. Go into G6 in Daedalus, you'll see a test build of Windows 2000 on new Dells.

There's essentially a campus-wide upgrade been taking place for the last couple of months. And with a lot less downtime then last year.

Backbone application servers are being upgraded and consolidated on a phased basis.

The eventual plan is to have most of the campus running Win2k on new Dells by next September. The current build is still being tested, and should be ready soon, with the entire Daedalus building being upgraded over the Summer.

A new image could be rolled out, but the older machines can't take them. Us staff in Daedalus are running Win2k on the same Siemens that the students are using (albeit with a little more RAM), and it goes like a hog after a big meal. Win98 is unstable at best, but the machines can't really take much more. The new Dells are really very nice.

thesteve

this is gas, just as microsoft are beginning the push towards XP for those with corporate licenses.....

Woden

man thank fuck for that is all i can say. my main gripe with 98 was the lack of support for pen drives which was a pain in the neck trying to get the drivers to work.

also it seems to mean that all the computer games in the c drive have been cleared out, i can't even see the c drive anymore which hopefully means no mo muppets blocking up computers playing RA2 and warcraft.

i used to take a special delight in going into the c drive and deleting everything i could find especially the that time i got a folder that said please dont delete me and out the door went warcraft 3.

well happy days in general

data

Red Alert

Seamas, while we're on the topic, how does one force a re-imaging of the disk to take place? Loads of the Eng 321 PC's have a **** load of rubbish installed on them and it'd be great to be able to download a fresh image in the early mornings!

seamus

Whoops, sorry, forgot about ye.....

I couldn't tell you how to do that now....





PM me

egan007

Originally posted by Dataisgod
man thank fuck for that is all i can say. my main gripe with 98 was the lack of support for pen drives which was a pain in the neck trying to get the drivers to work.

also it seems to mean that all the computer games in the c drive have been cleared out, i can't even see the c drive anymore which hopefully means no mo muppets blocking up computers playing RA2 and warcraft.

i used to take a special delight in going into the c drive and deleting everything i could find especially the that time i got a folder that said please dont delete me and out the door went warcraft 3.

well happy days in general

data

the problem you will have now it that 2k won't let you use a pen device unless you are an administrator - as it's considered as installing a new device.

seamus

Originally posted by egan007
the problem you will have now it that 2k won't let you use a pen device unless you are an administrator - as it's considered as installing a new device.

They should do. I haven't put one in yet that asked for Admin privs. There are plans next year to issue pen drives to all students (maybe in lieu of a network drive, I'm not sure), so they have to allow insertion/installation of flash drives.

leeroybrown

They're only rolling out 2k now?

That said when I started college in 98 NUI, Galway's LAN's were still running Win3.1 Win2k was rolled out over two years ago there.

As for the pen drives; someone should contact your Computer Services dept and enquire if they will setup the clients to work with USB pen drives.

egan007

Originally posted by seamus
They should do. I haven't put one in yet that asked for Admin privs. There are plans next year to issue pen drives to all students (maybe in lieu of a network drive, I'm not sure), so they have to allow insertion/installation of flash drives.

would that be because you had admin privs?
From my experience of setting up student accounds they are usually lowest access level user - but i suppose it depends on what you use the machine for....

seamus

Originally posted by leeroybrown
They're only rolling out 2k now?

That said when I started college in 98 NUI, Galway's LAN's were still running Win3.1 Win2k was rolled out over two years ago there.

Comp Sci are mostly separate to Computing Services, and upgrade their machines very regularly. They've been using Win2k for just over 2 years now. So at least the students who need decent computers get them

There is enough red tape in UCD to go to the moon and back 47 times (ref. Guinness Book of Records 2003). I know that UCD have been waiting for the current machines being installed for about 18 months. How long it took before that to come up with a plan of action, have it approved etc etc, and procure the funding I dunno.

would that be because you had admin privs?
From my experience of setting up student accounds they are usually lowest access level user - but i suppose it depends on what you use the machine for....

No, I've done it for student a/c's before. Afaik, only pen drives can be installed. Flash drives, which allow you to read the kind of memory in cameras and stuff, can't be installed afaik.

leeroybrown

I saw problems on certain LAN's where the Win2k install wouldn't allow a normal user to use a pen drive until an Admin had intervened once.

NUI Galway's Computer Services are quite autonomous and efficient (as college IT groups go) so they can do the deployments _reasonably_ quickly.

The red tape sounds familiar. I once dealt with an order for some equipment and to avoid red tape I put it through without any purchase order (a signing authority agreed to sign off on the invoice). The sales guy was slightly reluctant to ship up front without an official PO until I told him that if I kicked off the purcahaing and supplier validation procedure he'd be waiting 3 months to see the PO. I wasn't lying - he said "you'll have it by Monday" .

Woden

pen drives can be installed no bother picked up start away problem is you can't safely remove the hardware as it says you don't have the admin rights so you kinda have to log out when you want to remove the pendrive and be sure that everything is ok on it.

data

seamus

Upgrading starts in Daedalus tomorrow, all labs to be completed by 6th April. By which time I'll be gone.

Seems to operate a hell of a lot better. One bug exists whereby if you login and reboot the machine, it asks you (and only you) for an Administrator password when you try to log into that machine again. We're sure it's a security feature, but it's being classed as a bug.

Of course, once red tape gets up its momentum, there's no way of delaying it, so it'll exist. Just for you lot to be aware of it.

Red Alert

Never tried it with 2k, although it could be a relic from Windows NT Server, to stop people doing malicious things by rebooting the server.

PiZaRR-0

The folder was actually called PLEASE DONT DELETE sherlock!!!!

Woden

Originally posted by PiZaRR-0
PLEASE DONT DELETE sherlock!!!!

oh the joy the joy the please don't delete made me do it all the more and the sub folder that had a similar title ah bless (insert evil laugh here)

btw hopefully we're talking about the same computer, its in 232 and it was the first in one of the rows on the left hand side of a row.

muhaaaa etc

data

DrColossus

tbh i seen it on most computers there. and RA2 aswell:rolleyes:

Red Alert

What's with the hotparty_xxx folders and icons that keep appearing?

seamus

Originally posted by Red Alert
What's with the hotparty_xxx folders and icons that keep appearing?

People browsing porn. Adware gets installed on machines, said adware adds porn links to people's favourites, stored on the H:

There was also a virus flying around (forget the name of it) which added child porn links to people's favourites. Pretty sick.

I would recommend that they include adaware in the standard image, but the fact that I don't work there anymore means I don't care (it would take months, if not years for the red tape to be unravelled to get that one approved anyway)

PiZaRR-0

oh the joy the joy the please don't delete made me do it all the more and the sub folder that had a similar title ah bless (insert evil laugh here)

Hmm most people get joy from goin out with people called "friends" and "drinkin". these two things are probably alien to you. . . . .YA SAP

Woden

slagged off on the internet with your rapier wit, please stop the pain

PiZaRR-0

SHURRRRUP N'ALL N'ANYWAYS YERRA DERRA WARRE

Woden

WTF?

Syth

Personally I don't like what they've done. They just installed them in Science G15. (commonly known as 'The Nerdcave'). It's so irratating! You can't install anything! I can't install Filezilla to get at my FTP account (have to use DOS FTP, yay!) I used to be able to use Firefox and it would remember my favorites and all, but no I have to use a dirty work around, and Firfox is now uncostomisable. I can't change the default programme to open a file, so it will always open in Internet Exploader. We have no freedom! There is no flexibility.

seamus

Originally posted by Syth
We have no freedom! There is no flexibility.

Yes it's great isn't it?
Get used to it. When you go to work in the real world, the restrictions will be even tighter.

Syth

Yes it's great isn't it?
Get used to it. When you go to work in the real world, the restrictions will be even tighter.

It's a bitch because that's the great thing about computers. With enought know-how you can get them to do anything. Not anymore.

Of course it's pointless to give people abilities if they are going to use them irresponsibly, ie play games at all hours, donwload viruses and do malicious things. Not all students are equal in computer ability, so there should not be a one-size-fits-all student computer account, because you then have to go with the lowest common denominator. It's stupid giving the power to f*ck up the network to people with no computer experience or knowledge.

One thing I forgot to mention is that you can't use Java. Yes computer services in their infinite wisdom have made it impossible for computer science students to do any course work. Nice one lads!

seamus

Originally posted by Syth
It's a bitch because that's the great thing about computers. With enought know-how you can get them to do anything. Not anymore.

Of course it's pointless to give people abilities if they are going to use them irresponsibly, ie play games at all hours, donwload viruses and do malicious things. Not all students are equal in computer ability, so there should not be a one-size-fits-all student computer account, because you then have to go with the lowest common denominator. It's stupid giving the power to f*ck up the network to people with no computer experience or knowledge.

One thing I forgot to mention is that you can't use Java. Yes computer services in their infinite wisdom have made it impossible for computer science students to do any course work. Nice one lads!

Computing Services are far from competent....

The only thing with graded accounts is that there will always be someone to abuse the trust. If you give Comp Sci students, say Power User authority on all machines, then someone will abuse that. At least if everyone is equal, there can be no abuse.

Syth

Well I think there should be graded accounts, but it shouldn't automatically be to students of just one course. Everyone should be able to have a decent account, but you start off on the crappy type account we all have to put up with now. Give people special accounts based on computer skill and interest.

Or at least give people more options. We can't we use another browser? It's not going to crash the UCD network if stuents are allowed to choose which browser or word processor they want.

seamus

Originally posted by Syth
Or at least give people more options. We can't we use another browser? It's not going to crash the UCD network if stuents are allowed to choose which browser or word processor they want.

I agree the system is a joke. The browsers and applications are now years out of date.
It is possible to install another browser, particularly Firefox. Stick it on your H: and you can use it at any machine.

Of course it's not my concern anymore...I'm free of that shambles. They should turn Daedalus into a big top and dress the staff in clown suits.

Red Alert

even my USB keydisk doesn't work. although they are admittedly a lot stabler than Win 98. Why are the restrictions needed anyway? Can't they just stick a "re-image once a day" policy into ZenWorks?

Syth

I emailed computer services, and got a reply today. This is how computer services tells you to install a programme:

To do this you must inform your faculty who will in turn contact their CUAC member. The CUAC will propose this issue to the Computing Services liason for the faculty. If there is a valid academic reason for installing the software computing services will consider the application.

This is a university. A place with the primary aim is learning. The computer industry isn't some tiny only-3-people-in-the-industry type thing. It's huge. How else can you learn about computers than by exploring? What if you want to try something? What about independent learning? What about initiative? Isn't this what a university should be about?

Red Alert

I told you so!

Tin-pot dictators. I wish someone would figure out how to do the free printing again - then i'd just send a million pages to the printers in the deadalus.

Woden

my pen drive works fine, that is one of the best things about 2000 i found that you don't need a driver