Collins Primary Literacy

[conehead]

Collins Primary Literacy

New bit of software I've been asked to install, unusual that it has a webserver style back end : Apache/php running swf pages through the web browser. It can be standalone or server installed, only done standalone and works OK in IE7 but the server blocks http localhost addresses in IE6. Probably not a problem as I will be installing with a fixed IP like Espresso when it comes out of testing.

I'm just curious to know if edugeekers think this is going to be a more common way of putting curriculum packages together. Must be cheap as chips for Collins to make, but I think the package to school is £1,600 for a licence.

[leco]

Collins Primary Literacy
I'm just curious to know if edugeekers think this is going to be a more common way of putting curriculum packages together. Must be cheap as chips for Collins to make, but I think the package to school is £1,600 for a licence.

Aren't we supposed to be moving towards totally on-line content, with nothing on our home servers/desktops? Or was that just another of Mother Shipton's prophesies?

[contink]

Given that you can do a server based hosting I'd probably have plumped for that rather than having to run an apache host on individual workstations..

Does it give you the option to install it as a new website on an existing II6 installation or is it using Apache specific technology (Server side includes, etc.)?

[Andie]

I got given this to install yesterday afternoon as a standalone on a staff laptop, as a teacher had tried it and couldn't get it to work. Possibly because we have IE6, or because I don't have knowledge of apache; Symantec Internet Security recommended blocking this and I went for the recommendation. What has really annoyed me is that the IT help page, and the whole Collins Education website, is currently out of action, so I couldn't even look for help with this; and the announcement on the temp home page says it will be back on Tuesday 24th June - and at 10pm it clearly isn't. Grr!! But well done edugeekers for pointing out the problems with this software here. I may be back tomorrow for some more help!

[Roopert]

I have installed and have this working at sites with IE6. I am not at the school till tuesday and will update my post then.

I mailed collins and they sent me a network install instruction sheet quite promptly.

[Andie]

I have installed and have this working at sites with IE6. I am not at the school till tuesday and will update my post then.

I mailed collins and they sent me a network install instruction sheet quite promptly.

Thanks. That may be some help, but I can't do a network install at present as we only have a single copy on 30 days approval, which the Collins rep has given to a teacher.

Going to sit down and try and puzzle it out now.

[Andie]

I got a number for IT at Collins, but all they do is take details and then pass them on to their educational support team.

Is it safe for me to change the Symantec Internet Security settings from Block All to Permit All for Apache HTTP Server? If not, is there another way to do this? I have installed Collins Primary Literacy as standalone on a laptop running XP and IE6. When I click on the desktop shortcut that is supposed to run the program, the web browser opens with http://localhost9790...etc as address but I get a "Cannot find server" error with "The page cannot be displayed". It looks like it is trying to connect to 127.0.0.1 at the bottom of the browser window. As I said earlier, when I installed the software, Symantec Internet Security recommended that I block all connections to/from apache server and I haven't adjusted that setting. Any ideas on the best fix?

[Andie]

Sorted. Tried a few things. All I needed to do was add 127.0.0.1 as a trusted site in Symantec Internet Security. For those who don't know, as I didn't, this is the default IP address for localhost.

For those, like me, who like detailed instructions:

Open Internet Security. Click on Client Firewall, then Configure (button on right hand side on my version). Click on the Networking tab, on Trusted Sites, and then on the Add button. Type 127.0.0.1 and then OK everything. Think that's correct!

Edit: See posting below for official guidance from Collins on how to fix installations of this software!

[conehead]

I think that putting the IP in trusted sites is a fix that will enable it to run in IE6 if Symantec isn't the problem.
Have you managed to get two different year groups on one laptop yet

I've not tried it but I can see it will be a problem, as we have split year classes here.

[Andie]

Have you managed to get two different year groups on one laptop yet

I've not tried it but I can see it will be a problem, as we have split year classes here.

Ah, my job is just to get the software up and running - the teacher is testing it on approval !

[Andie]

Collins got back to me by email. They sent me three documents that should have helped. One says that I should have unblocked Apache HTTP Server, and another talks about putting 127.0.0.1 in the exceptions box for the proxy settings in LAN Connections in IE (which I tried, but that just seemed to create a different browser error). Anyway, I've emailed them back to tell them how I fixed the problem, and I wait for them to tell me why I shouldn't have done it that way...!!

In the meantime, I am attaching the official guides from Collins for anyone else who has problems. I don't take any responsibilty for them as I haven't used them to fix my problem! Their website is still being revamped; the domain name has been changed, although you do get redirected if you just put in www.collinseducation.com (to a beta site with .co.uk instead of com). Collins also sent me a weblink to some FAQs, but it doesn't work, probably because of the revamp.

Here are the docs. They include instructions for RM CC3 networks.

[Andie]

I have now begun to work through installing Collins Primary Literacy on the network, as we now have the licence. I have put all four titles (years 3 to 6) on the server, following the instructions for network install. However, the shortcut that is created in the install folder doesn't work on the clients (Page cannot be displayed/Cannot find server).

I installed directly to the server, rather than remotely, as doing it remotely created an IP address based on the client IP and not on the server IP. It automatically allocated me a different port to the default, so the URL consists of http://ipaddress:port number etc. I have the IP address in Exceptions in LAN settings in Internet Options. I can't seem to add the port though, as Windows Firewall isn't enabled on the XP clients - these were set up by IP provider and not sure if we have another firewall??? On the server, when I try to start Windows Firewall, it comes up with a message about not being able to start it because a service isn't started??? Putting the IP address into Trusted sites in IE 6 hasn't worked either.

Any ideas??

[Andie]

No reply yet from Collins. Anyone on here able to help?

[eduabncs]

Just been trying to install and get this software to run with one of our schools. As with the rest of you I'm stumpted on how to get this to work. The School has RM CC3 and is doing the network install.

I note the instructions talk of Apache sever but I cannot find it as a running process on the sever this software is installed on and the installation notes make no mention that it is required before install.

Both I and the schools IT Tech are scrathing our heads on this one!

[Andie]

Hi, did you use the Installation and Troubleshooting Guides that are attached higher up in this post? I know they mention RM CC3. However, as I have found with the vanilla network instructions, that doesn't mean a lot...

I think the Apache bit that you need is installed with Collins PL. Our standalone installs work OK, and we didn't previously have Apache on the laptops or server (as far as I know).

Try contacting Collins through their contact form on their website, which is now up and running. I don't hold out much hope, but if we all keep badgering then maybe they will realise this is a headache to install! Link here:

Technical Product Support- Collins Education

By the way, I am just about ready to give up on the network install and just work my way round doing standalone installs on each XP machine, as the teachers want to be able to use it for planning in PPA time when they are in the IT Suite.