java | Thomas' Work Space

No Java on PC35?

2014/02/27 plagwitz Leave a comment

Plus restart request:

Categories: Glitches&Errors Tags: image2014spring, java

How to configure Java not to check for updates in the frozen computer lab

2014/02/26 plagwitz Leave a comment

Many applications – both web-based or standalone – in the LRC rely on Java. They currently all start Java with the autoupdater:
and may at least temporarily allow for Java versions not tested for compatibility with LRC applications
which should not cause permanent problems, since the computers are frozen, but does cause client s unnecessary hassle and delays
provided that
1. the LRC applications have been tested to work with the reasonably recent version of Java in the LRC image
2. and staying on this version for, say, a term, causes no overarching security concerns (if it does, the more recent Java version should be frozen into the underlying software image anyway, after testing for compatibility with LRC applications).
The answer how to shut out the autoupdater is likely in the Java control panel. This screenshot is from version 7.51 while we have 7.45, but likely similar
Registry keys note 32-bit and 64-bit)
1. HKLM\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy EnableAutoUpdateCheck
2. HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy EnableAutoUpdateCheck
3. HKLM\SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy EnableJavaUpdate
4. HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft\Java Update\Policy EnableJavaUpdate
For programmatically configuring this, a quick web search finds this:

deployment.expiration.check.enabled

Boolean

true

Must be “true” to prompt users to update the JRE when an out-of-date JRE is found on their system. Set to “false” to suppress the prompt.

This is a setting in here: The deployment.config file is used for specifying the System-Level deployment.properties in the infrastructure. By default no deployment.config file exists; thus, no system-wide deployment.properties file exists. If deployment.config exists, it is located in one of the directories shown in the following table.
Operating System:Windows
Location
• <Windows Directory>\Sun\Java\Deployment\deployment.config
• ${deployment.java.home}\lib\deployment.config
in addition, likely this should be included: “SomeKey=SomeValue, may be locked by including another key, SomeKey.locked … so that the user cannot change it”.
Information is from http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/technotes/guides/jweb/index.html which may likely contain other information needed to configure JAVA in the LRC environment.

Categories: e-infrastructure, Glitches&Errors, Translation, translation-software Tags: control-panel, java, sdl-trados

Firefox Java AddOn settings on learning lab PCs

2014/02/17 plagwitz Leave a comment

FireFox should not be allowed to update automatically:
1. teacher
2. student: after restart:
  1. change in:
  2. or:
  3. or in prefs.js and user.js
3. v. 26 disables Java by default which we need for online textbook components
4. what dos v27 do which is now being automatically downloaded and installed
Java within Firefox
1. should not be allowed to update automatically
  1. especially not for Java (7.51 breaks our online textbook components)
  2. but it has not updated to 7.51
  3. is this b/o the Deployment Toolkit also being deactivated? Not sure: “By blocking the Java DT plug-in, the Java version detection mechanism is disabled. Therefore, when a user tries to launch a Java applet or application, that requires a specific Java version other than the active Java version on a user’s system, it will fail.”
    1. Manually checking for updates leads to this:
    2. how to prevent automatic update of java?
2. should not be set to “ask” every time (on frozen computers), plus: users miss the notification that asks them to enable it
  1. teacher
  2. student:
  3. to just freeze java temporarily on a version known working , setting about:config/
    1. extensions.blocklist.enabled / false seems to radical

Categories: e-infrastructure, textbooks Tags: image2014spring, java, mozilla-firefox

Run mmsys.cpl if you get no audible output in a Blackboard IM call on your PC

2014/02/05 plagwitz Leave a comment

Problem: Blackboard IM (4.5.3), in its call window , gives you audio output volume meters , but no actual audio output.
Reason: Blackboard IM seems to have its on in-built idea which device to output audio to, even if you have no actual speakers plugged in to hear, and it is rather difficult to dissuade.
Solution:

Start / Run /”mmsys.cpl”, “OK”: Do the volume meters in there indicate that Blackboard IM outputs to another but your expected speaker (even if the other device is not the default)?
Right-click on the other speaker device and Disable it.
Also make sure to restart Blackboard IM. The built-in startup / dial tones will tell you immediately whether audio output works now

Categories: e-infrastructure, textbooks, web-conferencing Tags: audio, blackboard, enfoques, im, java, vistahigherlearning, wimba-pronto

How to test Voice boards (Blackboard Collaborate, formerly Wimba voice) for Vista Higher Learning (Supersite3) Textbooks

2014/02/04 plagwitz 1 comment

First I create a voice board,
4. and add an audio contribution so that students can respond:
6. Fail:
10. More fail
13. The help offered is of no use: “If the Applet displayed the message “Audio Unavailable”, click here. “ This is neither the error message, nor does the help address Java (but rather audio hardware config) issues
14. But if you refresh (F5 suffices) the window with the Setup Wizard, it starts working?
16. Even the audio recorder:
18. And the voice board (after F5):
What Java version is this under ?
1. really? have I restarted after uninstall of 7.54?
2. The running process here is now Java 6.
4. Still need to test on Java 7.45.
Now a user needs to test from the student view

Categories: e-infrastructure, student-computers, textbooks, web-conferencing Tags: audio, blackboard, collaborate, enfoques, image2014spring, java, supersite, vistahigherlearning

How to test Blackboard IM (formerly Wimba Pronto) for Vista Higher Learning Textbooks

2014/02/04 plagwitz Leave a comment

After logging in on vhlcentral.com,
the Software is linked on your “My courses” page:
Download and install:
After install:
Mine was already enabled, but the help says: Log in (Note: my account info was different form my vhlcentral.com)
Check out the Tools menu

Audio settings should be especially interesting, but there ix no built-on test:
Need a partner for testing ..

Categories: e-infrastructure, Student-Computers, textbooks, web-conferencing Tags: audio, blackboard, enfoques, im, image2014spring, java, pronto, supersite, vistahigherlearning, wimba

View a path to where you can start troubleshooting Pearson MyLanguageLab Wimba Voice Java

2013/11/06 plagwitz Leave a comment

We used to do proctored LRC chapter exams using this textbook online component, but the Wimba Voice student recording tools stopped working, although a possible solution has been proposed with the problem report. This screencast leads to an exercise where more testing (each supported browser will behave differently – this is Chrome) is possible::

Categories: audience-is-IT-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, German, Glitches&Errors, Student-Computers, textbooks Tags: image2013, java, mylanguagelab, pearson, wimba-voice

JAVA warning dialogues to bypass during NanoGong activities

2013/10/17 plagwitz Leave a comment

You may be prompted to update JAVA – likely a not a bad idea:
Click “RUN”:
Check (1) “Accept”and Click (2) “Run”:
Click “Don’t Block”:
Even more annoying when warning dialogues do not come to the foreground, and your computer/web browser simply seems to be stuck. Check your task bar/dock for blinking/jumping JAVA notifications, like here: .
You have to bypass these dialogues only once – per session (lab) or possibly per computer. Choose the right answer, for university assignments, it is safe to “Allow! Allow! Allow! (“run”, “don’t block:”, update”, what ever – use common sense).
Remember, thinks could be worse, – like if you try to use NanoGong in a Firefox that has not been explicitly configured to allow JAVA applets – read more on our troubleshooting NanoGong page.