The Roaming Computing System (Windows Edition) Changelog
Changes to released versions and ongoing changes toward the next RCS are described here.
Version 3.6 (Work In Progress)
This version uses packages.xml version 1.7.? and profiles.xml version 1.?.
Added
- Microsoft Security Essentials (replaces F-Prot)
- Added more auto configuration, using TWEAK Unattended:
- Thunderbird
- General system config (tweak-unattended-thunderbird-system-config)
- Disable auto-sync, offline working and don't display Migration Assistant (tweak-unattended-thunderbird-system-config-disable-sync)
- Disable updates (tweak-unattended-thunderbird-system-config-disable-updates)
- Microsoft Security Essentials whitelisting of UltraVNC
- OpenOffice language pack for EN-UK
Updated
- 7-zip 4.64 → 4.65
- AdBlock Plus 1.1.1 → 1.2.1
- CCleaner (Slim) 2.16.830 → 2.26.1050
- Enigmail 0.95.7 → 1.1.2
- FileZilla 3.1.6 → 3.3.0.1
- Firefox 3.5.3 → 3.6.8
- Flash Player 10.0.32.18 → 10.1.53.64
- Foxit Reader 3.1.1.0901 → 3.3.1.0518
- GIMP 2.6.3 → 2.6.10
- GIMP Help 2-2.4 → 2.6.0
- InfraRecorder 0.46.1 → 0.50
- Inkscape 0.46 → 0.47
- IrfanView 4.20 → 4.25
- K-Lite Codec Pack (Standard) 4.3.4 → 5.7.0
- Lightning 0.9 → 1.0beta2
- Mail Redirect 0.7.4-RCS-2 → 0.7.4-RCS-3
- Notepad++ 5.0.3 → 5.6.6
- Picasa 3.1 build 70.73 → 3.6 Build 95.25
- Pidgin 2.5.2 → 2.6.3
- QT Lite 2.9.0 → 3.1.0
- Real Alternative Lite 1.9.0 → 2.0.1
- Scribus 1.3.3.12 → 1.3.6
- Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6 update 11 → 1.6 update 21
- Sun's OpenOffice 3.1.1 → Novell's Go-oo (AKA OpenOffice) 3.2.0-13 - because it has better Microsoft Office compatability by turning on various user options that were otherwise turned off by default; includes plugins that we were installing seperately.
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 → 3.1.1
- WinSCP 4.1.8 → 4.1.9
- WPKG 1.0.2 → 1.1.2
- WPKG Client 1.2.1 → 1.3.9
- Zotero 1.0.10 → 2.0.3
- Zotero OpenOffice plugin ? → 3.0a7
- pfSense (firewall appliance) 1.2.2 → 1.2.3
Fixed
- ...
Removed
- F-Prot (replaced by Microsoft Security Essentials)
- ODF Converter Integrator (not required with Novell's Go-oo OpenOffice)
Other Changes
- Adjust C: to 30GB and D: to 30GB (or 20GB each if have smaller hard disk)
- Install command console from \\SERVER as it works that way where as from the Windows CD I get an error about missing netupg.inf
- Added more TWEAK Unattended auto-configuration
- tweak-unattended-thunderbird-system-config
- tweak-unattended-thunderbird-system-config-disable-sync
- tweak-unattended-thunderbird-system-config-disable-updates
Version 3.5 (September 2009)
This version uses packages.xml version 1.6.0 and profiles.xml version 1.1.
Added
- Zotero
- Zotero OpenOffice plugin
- Zotero PDF indexing binaries
- Real Alternative Lite
- QT Lite (didn't we have 2.9.0 in RCS 3.5?)
Updated
- OpenOffice 3.0.1 → 3.1.1 (rev 11) (release note: requires that S:\templates exist)
- Firefox 3.0.6 → 3.5.3 (rev 14)
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.19 → 2.0.0.23 (rev. 15)
- Flash Player 10.0.12.36 → 10.0.32.18
- AdBlock Plus 1.0 → 1.1.1 (rev. 11)
- Replaced Adobe Reader with Foxit Reader 3.1.1.0901 (rev. 3) - Adobe Reader has far more features than anyone uses or expetcs from a PDF reader, and with those features (JavaScript, Flash) comes a myriad of security vulnerabilities that require constant patching of Adobe Reader to mitigate against; Adobe Reader is difficult to package for auto installation; when viewing PDFs in Firefox Adobe Reader has the effect of causing the tab from which the PDF opened to hang; Adobe Reader uses a lot of memory where as Foxit Reader specifically uses very little.
- Internet Explorer upgraded to version 8 (this should have been mentioned in the changes for RCS 3.4)
Fixed
- MySQL Connector/ODBC 5.1.5 → 3.51.26 - Should never have updated from 3.51 to 5.1 in RCS 3.4 as 5.1 won't work when connecting to our Debian Etch server running MySQL 5.0. When using a form it says "The data content could not be loaded. There exists no table named "<database>.<table>".". Presumably ODBC 5.1 is specifically for MySQL 5.1?
Removed
- Goldfish email autoreponder removed as we never managed to get it to work.
Other Changes
- Added more auto configuration, using TWEAK Unattended. In 3.4 only user config was automated enough to do that user config which was required for an update from 3.3 to 3.4. Now that has been expanded to do all config that TWEAK itself did. Still, the system config is only enough to cover that which is required for the upgrade from 3.4 to 3.5, with the exception of Flash Player config.
- The Windows XP CD image we build now includes language files for all languages (see Microsoft languages information at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897338)
- Some configuration performed by WPKG was run on every startup, is now only run as and when instructed to do so
- WPKG will now configure Flash Player
- Changes from Debian 4.0 'Etch' Server guide 1.3.0 - see the Release Notes
- Changes from Samba guide 0.9.6 and 0.9.7 - see the Release Notes
- Changes from Auto Backup A Server To A Hotswap USB Disk versions 1.4.0, 1.4.1 and 1.5.0 - see the Release Notes
- Changes from pfSense firewall guide 0.8.17 and 0.9.1 - see the Release Notes
- Changes from TWEAK (Unattended) 0.9.5 that relate to the RCS
- flash-disable-auto-update-mms.cfg - removed windowlessdisable=true because Telegraph TV broken and settings dialog unreachable with it. It's supposed to disable floating adverts but I've never seen any without it.
- Irfanview Configuration was copying the configs from %PROGRAMFILES%\IrfanView rather than from TWEAK itself, this was made in TWEAK 0.9.4 but not made in TWEAK Unattended 0.9.4
- Added new logging mechanism. The RCS 3.4 user config via logon script doesn't want to run for RCS 3.5, because it's only for upgrades and new users. For RCS 3.5 the existing user doesn't want a new OpenOffice config where as new users do so now we need to differenciate differently between the two groups or move to a new system. As for shortcuts, shortcuts were changed in TWEAK 0.9.4.1/2, yet the shortcut suite wasn't refreshed via the login script for exsting users. We need a new mechanism so that we can selectively apply fixes to existing users whilst at the same time apply all the config to new users (rcs-user-config-if-not-already-done.bat). And a bit of script to run before they login in order to create the directories to get existing users who dont need any of it through the logon script without it running - hence mark-all-user-config-as-done.bat.
- Added from TWEAK 0.9.4.2:
- Java Runtime Environment's 'set user cache to D:\%USERNAME%\java'
- Eraser 'Set default erase method to US DoD 5220.22-M (8-306. / E) (3 passes)'
- 'Set KompoZer as Default HTML Editor for this user'
- Windows Configuration
- 'Use D: for this user's temporary system files, E: for their data'
- 'Configure this user's Windows interface (including some shortcuts)'
- 'Configure this user's IE interface; Internet/trustd/restrictd security'
- 'Lock down this user's local intranet zone security'
- 'Use H: for this user's My Documents (log off/on afterward)'
- tweak-remove-per-machine-shortcuts \\server\windows-admin\tweak-unattended\ changed to relative addressing renamed to remove-per-machine-shortcuts-BUT SHOULD IT BE SHORTCUTS-SYSTEM-REMOVE?
- Zotero - added copying PDF indexing binaries to a user's H:\zotero\
- Foxit Reader - added Foxit Reader user config
- Added Foxit Reader shortcut removal
- Changed the use of %SOFTWARE%\tweak-wpkg\ within TWEAK (Unattened) to relative addressing. The logon script now sets up a W: drive for this to work.
- Changes from TWEAK 0.9.4.2
- 'Shortcut Management → Remove various shortcuts' - added removal of OpenOffice 3.1 shortcuts
- File Type Associations - 'Archive files (i.e. .Zip) Open in 7-Zip (Edit for ISO opens in 7-Zip)' - setting 7-Zip to 'edit' .iso files was mistakenly setting a 7-Zip icon for .iso files when it shouldn't be. The icon should be left to that of InfraRecorder as set in 'ISO disc images to open in InfraRecorder for writing to disc' [/DIS="%PROGRAMFILES%\7-Zip\7z.dll,1"]
- Windows Configuration
- 'Configure Windows system behaviour and interface on this machine' - 'set Windows Automatic Updates to not automatically reboot after applying updates' - didn't work, now fixed. I believe this did work and that it stopped working since Windows XP SP3, but I can't be sure. The registry setting it made was at HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Update\AU when it should have been at HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU. TWEAK now makes both settings as I can't be sure earlier versions of Windows didn't work the previous way.
- Changes from TWEAK 0.9.4.1
- Default programs → 'Set Thunderbird as default mail client / mail handler for this machine' - wasn't working
- InfraRecorder
- Desktop shortcut broken, set to 'irExpress.exe' which doesn't exist, should instead be set to 'InfraRecorder.exe'
- Desktop shortcut broken, 'Start-in' set to '%PROGRAMFILES%\InfraRecorder\cdrtools' which no longer exists, should instead be set to '%PROGRAMFILES%\InfraRecorder\cdrkit'
- Changed all infrarecorder shortcuts to use the icon at its position 3, rather than that at position 3
- Start menu shortcut - InfraExpress mistakenly left in, now removed
- File Type Associations - association of InfraRecorder .iso files (IOIR) doesn't work - '%PROGRAMFILES%\Infra Recorder\InfraRecorder.exe' should have been '%PROGRAMFILES%\InfraRecorder\InfraRecorder.exe'
Version 3.4 (February 2009)
This version uses packages.xml version 1.5.0 and profiles.xml version 1.0.
Added
- Some automated system and user account configuration using a new unattended version of TWEAK has been added. The system config is done using WPKG; the user config is done using the logon script, netlogon.bat.
Manual updates for the transition from RCS 3.3 to 3.4 are now no longer necessary. In future more automated configuration will be added. More was actually written - Windows configuration 'general settings' and 'domain-specific settings' and Flash Player revision 6 'auto copy of config file mms.cfg' - but WPKG hangs when running them so they were pulled at the last mnute. The hope is that the bottleneck for deploying the RCS on a large numer of workstations, of having to apply updated configuration manually using TWEAK, can be eliminated.
The changes required are the addition of various batch files in \\server\windows-admin\tweak-unattended\, an addition to netlogon.bat and to packages.xml, see the Release Notes for details. Only the minimum required to deploy an RCS 3.3 to 3.4 upgrade has been implemented so far:
- System configuration
- Remove applications' system-wide shortcuts (remove-per-machine-shortcuts.bat)
- User configuration
- OpenOffice 3 user config (part 1) (openoffice3-configure-profile-1-odf.bat)
- OpenOffice 3 user config (part 2) (openoffice3-configure-profile-2.bat)
- OpenOffice 3 user config (part 3) (openoffice3-configure-profile-3.bat)
- Refresh user shortcuts (refresh-user-shortcuts.bat)
- IrfanView configuration (irfanview-user-config.bat)
- odf-converter-integrator (from http://katana.oooninja.com/w/odf-converter-integrator)
- New documentation: Creating Certificates and Keys For pfSense 1.2 Series OpenVPN Servers and Clients
Updated
- The server's Linux kernel has been updated from Debian Etch's 2.6.18 kernel to Etch-and-a-half's 2.6.24
- pfSense (firewall appliance) 1.2.0 → 1.2.2
- 7-Zip 4.57 → 4.64 rev6
- Adblock Plus 0.7.5.5 → 1.0
- Adobe Reader 8.1.2SU1 → 9
- CCleaner (Slim) 2.11.636 → 2.16.830 rev7
- Enigmail 0.95.6 → 0.95.7
- Eraser 5.81 → 5.86a (AKA 5.86.1)
- FileZilla 3.1.2 → 3.1.6
- Firefox 3.0.4 → 3.0.6
- Flash Player 9.0.124.0 → 10.0.12.36
- ghostscript 8.61 → 8.63
- GIMP 2.4.7 → 2.6.3
- GNUPG 1.4.8 → 1.4.9
- InfraRecorder 0.45 → 0.46.1
- Inkscape rev5 (uninstaller fixed)
- Kompozer rev3 (uninstaller fixed)
- K-Lite Codec Pack (Standard) 4.1.0 → 4.3.4 (no changes to klite-settings.ini)
- Lightning 0.8 → 0.9
- MailManager 1.6 → 1.7 + fix from author
- MySQL Connector/ODBC 3.51.26 → 5.1.5
- Nero BurnRights rev (uninstaller fixed, error at commandline "not installed on your machine")
- OpenOffice 2.4.1 → 3.0.1
- Picasa 2.7 build 37.49 → 3.1 build 70.73
- Pidgin 2.5.0 → 2.5.2
- Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6 update 7 → 1.6 update 11
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.18 → 2.0.0.19
- TWEAK - 0.9.3 → 0.9.4
- winscp 4.1.6 → 4.1.8
Fixed
- Irfanview is now the default viewer for JPGs [TWEAK: I → IOI]
- Plain text files now open in Notepad++ [TWEAK: I → PON]
- Firefox can be set as default web browser so it doesn't nag when you open it [TWEAK 0.9.4]
- Right-click and edit a HTML file opens it in Notepad, should open it in KompoZer [TWEAK 0.9.4: I → WEM]
- Picasa auto update is now able to be turned off [TWEAK 0.9.4: B → P → K]
Version 3.3 Update 2 (2nd December 2008)
This version uses packages.xml version 1.4.4; profiles.xml version 0.9.1.
- Firefox 3.0.3 → 3.0.4
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.17 → 2.0.0.18
Version 3.3 Update 1 (29th September 2008)
This version uses packages.xml version 1.4.3; profiles.xml version 0.9.1.
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.16 → 2.0.0.17
- Firefox 3.0.1 → 3.0.3
- TWEAK - 0.9.2 → 0.9.3
Version 3.3 (16th September 2008)
This version uses packages.xml version 1.4.2.
New
- Windows Media Player plugin for Firefox
- K-Lite Codec Pack 4.1.0 (Standard) - http://www.codecguide.com/features_standard.htm - gives us DVD playback in Windows Media Player (and a host of other media support). Ogg Codec installer has been retained for its FLAC support due to the fact we can't remove it silently.
- CCleaner (Slim) 2.11.636
Updated
- Adblock Plus 0.7.5.3 → 0.7.5.5
- Adobe Reader 8.1.2 → 8.1.2 Security Update 1
- F-Prot 6.0.8.0 → 6.0.9.1 (fixes many issues)
- FileZilla 3.0.7 → 3.1.2
- Firefox 2.0.0.14 → 3.0.1 (major upgrade)
- GIMP 2.4.5 → 2.4.7
- Irfanview 4.10 → 4.20
- Irfanview Plugins 4.10 → 4.20
- MySQL Connector/ODBC 3.51.12 → 3.51.26
- Notepad++ 4.8.1 → 5.0.3
- OpenOffice 2.4.0 → 2.4.1 (security fix, minor enhancements, and bug fixes)
- Pidgin 2.4.1 → 2.5.0
- Pidgin OTR 3.1.0-1 → 3.2.0-1
- Scribus 1.3.3.11 → 1.3.3.12 (lots of updates)
- Sun Java Runtime Environment 6.0 update 4 → update 7
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.12 → 2.0.0.16 (security updates)
- TWEAK - 0.9.0 RC3 → 0.9.2
- WinSCP 4.0.6 → 4.1.6
Removed
- ASpell and ASpell dictionaries (English) - they were for Pidgin, which has included ASpell for all languages since version 2.0.1(?)
Changed
- Adobe Reader - we spend a massively disproportionate amount of time creating an MSI transform to change the Adobe Reader installation directory so that it doesn't have a version in its path so we can maintain our Adobe Reader shortut in Start - Programs - Office. We're no longer going to do this. We're able to do this for this program in particular and not others because we don't expect people use Adobe Reader by running the program from its shortcut, instead using it from within a web browser or by choosing to load a PDF file directly from within Windows Explorer.
- With RCS 3.1 & 3.2, 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. We've fixed this and also are now using a MySpell dictionary from Mozilla, version 1.16, rather than version 1.18 from the original author.
Miscellaneous
- Our new sun Java Runtime Environment WPKG packaging removes all previous versions of JRE rather than leaving them in, fixing a long-standing issue. Because JRE doesn't uninstall prior versions, and it's a large installation, it eats up disk space. This hasn't remotely been a problem yet because we've only shipped a few versions but it would become a problem in time.
- We now set 7-Zip file type associations during workstation installation, using TWEAK
- The Windows Firewall will now allow workstations to answer ping requests, useful in troubleshooting
- Changed the location of sub-group directories on the server, creating 'restricted' - see Samba guide version 0.9.0 or later
Version 3.2 (29th April 2008)
New
- Adblock Plus 0.7.5.3 - blocks adverts in web pages
- goldfish 002 - adds an email auto responder
- GRSoft Mail Manager 1.6 - adds a web interface to add email domains, users and forwardings / aliases
- Lightning 0.8 - calendar integrated with Mozilla Thunderbird
- pfSense firewall appliance replaces IPCop (firewall appliance) and ZERINA (OpenVPN). pfSense is an even higher quality firewall appliance than IPCop.
Because we relied upon the seperate ZERINA module for OpenVPN support, the firewall was vulnerable when an updated IPCop was available but we had to hold off upgrading because we were waiting on the corresponding ZERINA. Also we couldn't perform that upgrade remotely because we were trying to upgrade the very VPN software we were using for remote access. pfSense fixes both these issues. Firewall installation, configuration and usage is now documented here, previously there was no documentation here for the firewall (though there was for the VPN, and there was documentation at the IPCop web site). - Pidgin OTR - encryption for Pidgin
- Ogg Codec Pack (from Illiminable) / Directshow Filters for Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Theora and FLAC from xiph.org
- WPKG Client 1.2.1 - allows workstation software to be updated by remotely adding software to the server then it automatically installing when a user logs in to their workstation
Updated
- The server, Debian 3.1 'Sarge' → Debian 4.0 'Etch'. An updated suite of server software (Windows domain server, mail server, print server) and an updated server operating system in general bringing lots of worthwhile capabilities. Security support for Debian 3.1 'Sarge' runs out in April 2008 so there's an imperative to upgrade.
- Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) → Service Pack 3 (SP3)
- Documentation has been improved
- 7-Zip 4.42 → 4.57
- Adobe Reader 8.0.0 → 8.1.2
- F-Prot 6.0.7.0 → 6.0.8.0 (F-Prot is self updating anyway)
- FileZilla 2.2.32 → 3.0.7
- Firefox 2.0.0.4 → 2.0.0.14
- Flash Player 9.0.16 → 9.0.124
- (GNU) Ghostscript 8.56 → 8.61
- GIMP 2.2.15 → 2.4.5
- GIMP Help 0.11 → 2-2.4
- GnuPG 1.4.7 → 1.4.8
- InfraRecorder 0.42.1 → 0.45. No longer experimental as it actually works now for regular users
- Inkscape 0.45.1-1 → 0.46
- Irfanview 4.0 → 4.10
- Irfanview Plugins 4.0 → 4.10
- KompoZer 0.7.7 → 0.7.10
- Notepad++ 4.1.1 → 4.8.1
- OpenOffice 2.2.1 → 2.4.0
- Picasa 2.7 build 36.40 → 2.7 build 37.49
- Pidgin 2.0.2 → 2.4.1
- Scribus 1.3.3.9 → 1.3.3.11 (adds PDF editing)
- Thunderbird 2.0.0.4 → 2.0.0.12
- Enigmail 0.95 → 0.95.6
- WinSCP 4.0.3 → 4.0.6
- Java Runtime Environment 6.0 update 1 → 6.0 update 4
- TWEAK - 0.9.0 beta 7 → 0.9.0 RC3
- Twix - 0.3.4 → 0.3.6. Can now be used to create user accounts on the server where before it was done much more manually.
- Windows XP Service Pack 2 → Service Pack 3 (claims a 10% speed boost)
- WPKG 1.0RC2 → 1.0.2
Removed
- Dia - use OpenOffice Draw instead, it's more intuitive
- GTK+ runtime environment - all software applications requiring GTK+ now each use their own GTK+ rather than all sharing a single GTK+ (GIMP 2.4 now includes GTK+ without the option of getting it separately; we've dropped Dia which didn't include its own GTK+
Resolved Issues
- Kompozer 0.7.10 will now work if installed using the following method (see KompoZer issue 1806420): install earlier version (for file type associations); remove earlier version program directory; create new program files directory; copy 0.7.10 files into there
- UltraVNC is now auto installing using WPKG, where before it had to be installed manually