Roaming Computing System (Windows Edition) 3.2 - Release Notes

Contents

• Security Updates
• Known Issues
• Software Applications
• Deployment
• Server
• Miscellaneous
• Upgrading from Version 3.1 to 3.2
• Sundry
• Workstations
• Windows User Profiles

Security Updates

We don't provide security updates for version 3.2 but in theory these are the security updates you should at least install. They retain compatability within the same version series of software without jumping to a major and imcompatible version:

• Adobe Reader 8.1.3 (requires you to create a new MSI transform for it)
• Firefox 2.0.0.18
• OpenOffice 2.4.2 (requires you to create a new MSI transform for it)
• Sun Java Runtime Environment 6.0 update 10
• Thunderbird 2.0.0.18

Known Issues

Software Applications

• F-Prot 6.0.8 gives an error message sometimes when logging out of Windows. Version 6.0.9.1, available through F-Prot auto-update 11th July 2008, fixes this, amongst many other issues.
• Windows Media Player 11 doesn't play DVD movies by default. Solution: install Klite Codec Pack Standard, at least version 3.90.
  (Install without 'Players' and 'Tools'; don't create a start menu folder; add file associations for everything; disable 'Check for codec news and updates'; Don't choose to 'uninstall ogg codec pack' because WPKG will re-install it (if you do it offers to remove a broken 'subtitle vmr9 filter')
• 16 Sept 2008 - GIMP defaults to saving in '/bin/'. You can choose 'images' for H:\images or 'Browse for other folders' and choose 'Network Drive (H:\)'. '/bin/' is C:\Program Files\common files\gtk\2.0\bin. Fixed in TWEAK 0.9.2. Solution: copy shortcuts from TWEAK 0.9.2 or change shortcuts' 'Start in' from '"C:\Program Files\Common Files\GTK\2.0\bin"' to '"%HOMEDRIVE%\images"'
• Notepad++ bugs you about updating the program when you run it. Solution: for each user choose Settings → Preferences... → MISC → 'Enable Notepad++ auto-updater' - off. 11 August 2008: this has been added to the 'Create a User Account' guide.
• Thunderbird asks users if they want it to be the default mail program. Manually set it as default in Control Panel → Internet Options → Programs. If set this as administrator (or Power User?) it sets it per-machine; if set it as non-administrator (or non-Power User?) it sets it per-user. Fixed in RCS (Windows Edition) 3.4 and TWEAK 0.9.4.
• Internet Explorer (IE) can become the default web browser (after installing IE7?) It may be worth setting, as administrator, that IE doesn't check if it's the default. You can set Firefox as default web browser in Control Panel → Internet Options → Programs. If set this as administrator (or Power User?) it sets it per-machine; if set it as non-administrator (or non-Power User?) it sets it per-user. Fixed in RCS (Windows Edition) 3.4 and TWEAK 0.9.4..
• Is it OK that Internet Explorer says "Your security setting level puts your computer at risk"?
• 29 July 2008 - FileZilla was mistakenly documented as being version 3.0.9.2 when in fact it was 3.0.7
• 30 July 2008 - Thunderbird UK spellcheck dictionary is installed but isn't working as Thunderbird isn't noticing it. We installed MySpell dictionaries in %PROGRAMFILES%\Mozilla Thunderbird\components\myspell\ which was correct for Thunderbird 1.5 but Thunderbird 2.0 expects them in %PROGRAMFILES%\Mozilla Thunderbird\dictionaries
• 25 Sept 08 - Picasa - Picasa Media Detector isn't being turned off. It's moved from being per-machine to per-user. Solution: remove registry entry HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Picasa Media Detector or use TWEAK 0.9.3 or later's B → 2 → P on each user profile.

Deployment

• OpenOffice 2.4.0 requires manual installation (to %PROGRAMFILES%\openoffice\), WPKG silent install isn't working
• Adobe Reader 8.1.2 requires manual installation to (to %PROGRAMFILES%\Adobe\Acrobat\), WPKG silent install isn't working
• Inkscape complains if a previous user installed it than is installing the update i.e. SYSTEM and Administrator - fixed in RCS (Windows Edition) 3.4 by adding an acceptable error level of 2
• Scribus uninstaller problem with 'c:\Program'
• 12 June 2008 - Workstation installation instructions said to run TWEAK option '7 - don't automatically restart on system failure' when they should have said '4. don't automatically restart on system failure'. Fixed in document version 2.0.1.
• 21 July 2008 - WPKG's Ghostscript uninstaller fails because packages.xml refers to gs8.54 rather than gs8.61
• 21 July 2008 - WPKG's Picasa uninstaller fails because program files directory uses 'picasa' rather than 'picasa2'
• 21 July 2008 - WPKG's Ogg Codec uninstaller isn't quiet, requiring you to answer prompts, so isn't compatible with automated removal
• 21 July 2008 - Because of a change in Flash Player 9.0.128, our WPKG check for whether it installed OK was checking the wrong location (C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins\NPSWF32.dll rather than C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\NPSWF32.dll) and so will re-install Flash Player every time each workstation is started up.

Server

• With UPS software installed, get "cannot execute /etc/init.d/powerfail" - there's no such thing as /etc/init.d/powerfail - see man upsd
• Though we install the Goldfish mail auto responder, we don't yet understand how to use it

Miscellaneous

• WINS not working for VPN clients - may now be fixed with pfSense settings update, needs testing
• 29 Aug 2008 - Windows Firewall - Advanced - ICMP - Settings - 'Allow incoming echo request' is off by default. Solution: Control Panel → Windows Firewall → Advanced → ICMP → Settings... → Allow incoming echo request - on; or netsh firewall set icmpsetting 8 enable

Upgrading From Version 3.1

If you're upgrading from an even earlier version you should follow the upgrade advice for each version.

Sundry

Create new Windows XP installation media with Service Pack 3 slipstreamed in, for when setting up new workstations.

Workstations

• WPKG Client - manually install and configure WPKG Client on each workstation then reboot so packages are auto installed/upgraded/removed (see changelog for which)
• Windows config - TWEAK's 'Configure Windows system behaviour and interface' removed 'Don't require pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to login' [TWEAK: A → C]
• Sun Java Runtime Environment - Disable JRE 6 updater [TWEAK: B → J → B]
• Windows XP SP3 should install automatically via Windows Automatic Updates. However it could be blocked by Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) not having been updated for some reason. In which case Install WGA using its stand-alone installer, then WAU will auto install XP SP3 (though it will tie up the workstation when a user wants to use it) or you can install it manually.
• Install WGA (stand-alone)
• Wait and Windows Automatic updates will auto install XP SP3
• Reboot
• Run CCleaner
• Defragment the hard disk
• FileZilla - because FileZilla 2.2's 'filezilla' program directory changed to FileZilla 3.x's 'FileZilla FTP Client', the upgrade leaves in the complete 2.2 program. Solution: manually uninstall FileZilla 2.2 ('FileZilla (remove only)') before installing WPKG Client.
• If you previously had UltraVNC Server 1.0.2 and UltraVNC mirror driver both installed manually, remove from Add/Remove Programs 'UltraVNC v1.0', leaving in 'UltraVNC v1.0.2', as 'UltraVNC v1.0' is the mirror driver which we now know is no longer required.
• Manually uninstall programs whose installers don't remove the previous version: GPL Ghostscript 8.56
• Programs that were installed will add shortcuts that you should remove [TWEAK: D → A]

Windows User Profiles

• Refresh shortcuts (shortcuts changed: FileZilla (2.2 used 'filezilla' program directory, 3.0 uses 'filezilla ftp client'); GIMP (gimp-2.2.exe changed to gimp-2.4.exe); UltraVNC (added 'Show Default Settings' and 'Show User Settings') [TWEAK: D → F, E]
• Adobe Reader 8 - because we didn't have version 8 config until TWEAK 0.9.0 RC1 [TWEAK: B → A → D]
• (we no longer set desktop background to black but haven't a specific TWEAK option to set it to blue)
• FileZilla - turn off update notification manually
• NotePad++ - turn off update notification manually
• OpenOffice - if its launcher is present in Start → Programs → Startup then it will auto load when log in, in which case it will prompt to upgrade the OpenOffice profile. A new launcher for the new version of OpenOffice will be added abd the old one left, you should delete the old one. If there is no launcher in startup you should run OpenOffice manually to initiate the upgrade.
• Adblock Plus - run Firefox and when prompted choose 'EasyList (USA)' → Subscribe

Document ¤ Version: 0.5.1 | Licence: GNU General Public License | Copyright: © 2008 Pete Boyd
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