Archive

Archive for the ‘os’ Category

Stop ":Zone.Identifier:$DATA" files from being created…

2014/11/19 1 comment
  1. … by running gpedit.msc as admin and setting "user configuration / administrative templates / windows components/ attachment manager / "Do not preserve zone information in file attachments" to "Enabled         No. "
    1. I observed these files in the drive my virtualbox win 8.shares with the linux host.
    2. The answer is out there , of course,  just not with all the search terms. A more thorough security discussion is also available.
    3. Just seems not applicable to a share what virtualbox makes appear as a network folder to Windows while it really is not, which causes also other misleading security warnings also : image
Categories: Glitches&Errors, os Tags: , , ,

How to fix primary screen on Linux laptop not coming out of sleep

2014/10/17 Leave a comment
  1. Problem: My Debian (Jessie) Linux laptop has issues with juggling a secondary screen and sleeping at the same time. More specifically, it seems:
    1. It seems if you come out of sleep with a secondary screen connected, even if you put the laptop to sleep with “it” (o.k., not the same “it”, just spec-wise the equivalent FULL HD LCD screen on VGA – being able to easily move the laptop to work in multiple places is kind of the point of having one in the first place), the primary laptop screen seems to remain asleep completely. FN keys to switch primary and secondary screen on laptop have no effect.
    2. If you disconnect the secondary screen, Linux does fall back onto the primary screen, however, “forgets” to turn the backlight on. FN keys to up brightness have no effect
    3.   have not found a reliable way avoiding the issue  – maybe always disconnecting secondary screen before putting laptop to sleep? If you don’t want to have to do this, or forget, try to use this:
  2. Workaround:
    1. While I could get to the tty shell on secondary screen using CTRL+ALT+F1, but using xrandr --auto gave can't open display.
    2. However, try installing this utility which I found recommended in a different context:
      1. aptitude search xbacklight
      2. xbacklight               - simple utility to set the backlight level
      3. aptitude install xbacklight
      4. Switch to a non-elevated user (or else you’ll get: No protocol specified" , "Primary laptop", "Can't open display :0", Why can't I run GUI apps from 'root': "No protocol specified"? : " In Debian $XAUTHORITY is usually not set explicitly.", "xauth list xauth:  file /root/.Xauthority does not exist" ).
      5. Then issue: xbacklight -set 50 OR issue xbacklight -inc 50.
      6. Viola: “Fiat lux”…
      7. Sleep takes out your primary screen and you are not good at blind starting, finding and typing into your Konsole? Right-click on the desktop of your secondary scree, “Run command”, and issue the same command line.
      8. Thank you, xbacklight.
Categories: e-infrastructure, Glitches&Errors, os, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging Tags: , , , ,

How to change the display language and speech recognition language on Windows 8 computers

2014/09/07 1 comment
  1. I seem to be getting a lot of hits on this post for Windows 7 where the globalized language features are still limited to Enterprise and Ultimate SKU (and especially not available in Home and Home basic which most language learning users will work with).
  2. Windows 8 to the rescue, as per Steven Sinofsky’s blog post:
  3. Or if you need a visual step-by-step, here is me adding German to English on Windows 8.1 Professional:image image

    4. clip_image001

    clip_image002

    clip_image003

    clip_image004

    clip_image005

    clip_image006

    clip_image007

    imageimage

    Just 1 easy option now is they input language: image

Categories: e-languages, os Tags: , , , ,

How to use Remote Desktop Connection Manager for computer lab access instead of having to manage faculty computers

2014/08/22 Leave a comment
  1. We have conflicting needs for a language technology software environment: diversity, simplicity, quality, manageability. We use of software configuration management tools like TEM. However, we are sitting between an extremely diverse user base (supporting 17 languages) in our unit and a central IT support with a diverse base of units to support.
  2. Enter MSTSC, facilitated by Remote Desktop Connection Manager: image. If your LRC allows for MSTSC access, consider providing faculty access to a LRC computers via Remote Desktop.
  3. this is for us a great time saver, compared with maintaining subsets of software on subsets of faculty computers that are as similar to the configuration of the subset software on LRC computers as possible,
  4. while for faculty at the same time a realistic test bed what it will be like to operate LRC computers  during class.
  5. We provide access to a subset (which is easily set and edited in the RDG file loaded into Remote Desktop Connection Manager, which is stored on a shared network drive so that we can update the connection files without disruption of faculty access should  there be network changes) since we teach faculty  not to log out currently logged in users when they try to connect, but rather choose another computer from the subset that is free to not. We exclude computers   used in classes where we frequently have high-stakes exams. We also have high-stakes assignments (using Respondus Lockdown browser)
  6. we put a shortcut to the Remote Desktop Connection Manager on the start menu or desktop.
  7. Our computer numbering scheme is simple enough for faculty to navigate – besides, since we connect only to the uniform LRC PC environment, it does not matter. image
Categories: e-infrastructure, os, service-is-it-managing, Translation Tags: , , , , ,

Solved: Cannot remote desktop into 2nd Microsoft account on Windows 8

2014/08/22 Leave a comment
  1. MSTSC’ing from the remote computer simply fails with a non-descriptive error message.
  2. However, if you get as far as the remote computer login screen, you get a valuable hint: Your 2nd Microsoft account has not been added to the Remote Desktop Users Group (presumably this happens by default when you create your first Microsoft account). 20130326_222112
  3. To fix this, log in as admin on your Windows 8 machine (either locally or remotely with  an account which is in the Remote Desktop Users Group), windows key+f, “users”, click on “settings”, and  use the direct shortcut to “remote desktop users group” to add the user in question (with the Microsoft account email) to the permitted users group.
      1. image
  4. Adding what I believed was the local account equivalent  of the 2nd Microsoft account via desktop / windows-ley x/ “computer management” / “users and groups” to the “remote desktop users group” did not work.
Categories: e-infrastructure, os Tags: ,

Watch how to start voice training of Windows speech recognition–the ultimate training…

2014/03/28 Leave a comment

…using animated GIFs. Slower? Click 0.50sec, 0.50sec, 0.75sec, 1sec, 2sec, 3sec, 4sec, 5sec, 6sec, 7sec, 8sec, 9sec, 10sec.

Categories: audience-is-students, e-languages, os, training Tags: , ,

Input languages missing on PC21 to PC31

2014/03/27 Leave a comment
  1. I only had a chance to check the PC’s in the title.
  2. This is the size of a good language bar: CAM05715
  3. These PCs are missing input languages when I am logged in:
  4. CAM05714CAM05709CAM05716CAM05717CAM05720
  5. my phone has a poor camera, so this needs double checking:
    1. looks like pc29: CAM05719
    2. unclear which, but appears to be in 2nd row: CAM05708
Categories: Glitches&Errors, os, Writing Tags: , ,

Faculty Workshop Spring 2014: "Mira, mamá! Sin manos!". Practice speaking L2 with automatic intelligent feedback by operating LRC PCs through speech recognition instead of keyboard/mouse

2014/03/13 Leave a comment
  1. When: March 28, 2:15-3:15, April 4, 2:00-3:00
  2. Where: LRCRoomCoed434
  3. What: Language learning speaking practice assignments with automatic intelligent feedback using Windows Speech Recognition
    1. As part of the foreign language tools we installed with Windows 7 this past Fall, we got speech recognition on the LRC PCs for 6 languages (English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish ) representing over 85% of our enrolment.
    2. Unlike the speech recognition that comes with learning content packages like Auralog or Rosetta Stone
      1. which had to be purchased, for individual languages, but stopped functioning on the server on a long time ago,
      2. was limited to built-in content ,
      3. was restricted by a separate account system,
    3. Windows Speech Recognition is
      1. free (with the operating system), runs on the local lab pcs, and should be a bit more robust,
      2. content agnostic and hence can integrate flexibly with your curriculum and contribute meaningfully to your students’ progression,
      3. can be integrated with the existing user accounts.
    4. We combine Windows speech recognition with the new LRC screencast software, MS-Office and Moodle to offer a simple self-access assignment type that
      1. is available on all 45 LRC PCs (= scales even to large enrolment languages and 1st-year classes that cannot use the 24-seat Sanako for face-to-face speaking proficiency training)
      2. and blends the “artificial intelligence” of speech recognition with human intelligence to provide students with immediate automated feedback during pedagogically sound speaking practice, with minimal grading overhead for the teacher (= grade secure assignments by looking at the very end of a student-submitted screencast).
    5. This workshop will show actual speech recognition usage and assignment samples
      1. so far in English, French, German;
      2. if you want to bring your own samples to this workshop – there might still be time- , or to an upcoming faculty showcase, I can help you during my biweekly LRC clinics (see LRC main schedule, or schedule your own).
    6. We will step you through – hands-on, including tips&tricks – a sample voice training and assignment completion: Better than my made-up assignments would be if you could bring one or more concrete tasks to be solved using speech recognition that we could prepare assigning to your students. Here are some parameters for that:
      1. Speech recognition can replace mouse and keyboard when operating the computer. Voice commands are simpler than sentences, so this could be a beginner task, as long as you have students study the (limited) command vocabulary (which I will make available during the workshop).
      2. Speech recognition can replace any writing task with dictation. Suggestions for proficiency levels:
        1. I have dictated a web page assigned for reading comprehension in a textbook used in 1200 or even a as a false beginner.
        2. However, a one-time training helping the computer recognize an individual’s voice is required and comes sentences that vary in complexity between languages
          1. English: very easy, Beginner level;
          2. German, French: let’s have a look together, I’d say 1202 level;
          3. Japanese: 3000 level, I was told;
          4. Please test with me during the workshop: Spanish, Chinese.
  4. Download the SlideDeck (too big too embed)
Categories: audience-is-teachers, English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, os, Slideshows, Spanish, Speaking, workshops Tags: , ,