Re: Linux in a School envrionment

["Jeff" <somedamnfool@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I prob. shouldn't say this.... but there are still ways around almost all of
those policies..... see... i'm a student at central :)  and.... well...
except the fotressed boxen (fortress is just kinda stupid though) there
isn't much on the box the can't be done........ for example..... on the
compaqs... it's very easy to change res and colour depth.... stuff
supposedly blocked..... but....... well.....
no more on that...... i promise i wont go freely distributing this to people
that would do harm :)

Jeff
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Gettig" <GettigAM@kalamazoo.k12.mi.us>
To: <members@kalamazoolinux.org>
Sent: Tuesday, 27 February, 2001 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: Linux in a School envrionment


> ZEN stores the information in NDS (the directory). ZEN policies are
basically as you described: registry changes pushed down upon login. You can
associate a ZEN policy by container, group membership, or individual user.
There are also workstation policies (by OS). It requires use of the Novell
client though.
>
> I am not sure how NDS for Linux works for workstation management. It will
be interesting to see if they pursue this. If the business need is there,
I'm sure they will.
>
> Heck, I might even make it out to a meeting were there a presentation on
directory based management of Linux workstations... :) (I actually tried
coming out for the Hylafax meeting, but there was NO parking. Went back
home.)
>
>
> Tony Gettig
> Network Administrator
> Technology Services
>
>
> >>> Adam Tauno Williams <adam@morrison-ind.com> 02/27/01 08:54AM >>>
>
> ...
>
> >The thing with Novell servers and Windows desktops is that Novell has
> >this great product called ZEN Works. It stands for Zero Effort Networks.
> >(it's a little more than zero effort, believe me. :) You can pretty much
> >lock down the desktop so users can only get to what they need (read:
> >what you want them to). There's workstation management, licensing
> >services, remote control, and many other nice features. What gets me is
> >this: for the average end user, all of this could be accomplished for
> >considerably less with Linux. Yes, it may take some retraining for end
> >users and admins. True, there's more planning and expertise involved.
> >But there's flexibility. Back to that old analogy of "opening the hood",
> >versus MS having the hood welded shut.
>
> I've never used ZEN, but I've heard about it.
>
> Does it restrict the desktop using windows policies (automated adjustments
to
> the registry upon login) or it's own method?  Do you establish
availability of
> privaleges through groups or individual users, etc...?  I ask because I
think
> there is a gap in Linux desktop management.  GNOME uses local files to
establish
> what options are on the desktop, and although you can have a central file
that
> all users read for menu entries, it still doesn't scale (using something
like
> rdist for management is a kludge) and certainly isn't very granular.  I've
got a
> couple days off coming up and I think driving an LDAP stake through the
heart of
> gnome-panel might be a fun project, so I'd really like to hear more about
how
> this works.
>
> ...
>
> >I just think it will take time, proven solutions, and a good break here
> >and there for Linux to break through to the desktop. It's neat to see it
> >all coming together over time.
>
> It's happening,  the two big obstacles in my opinion is printer support
and a
> really great office suite.  Star Office is good, but a little odd in it's
> one-window, I'm a desktop too mentality.  I've been running the Open
Office Beta
> 619, and it is alot better: faster (ALOT), smaller (a little), each
document
> gets it's own window, and the m$-office import filters have yet to crash
on me
> (which they did before on BIG Excel files).
>
>
>