Moodle Installation Difficulties

Hey, first off - I have searched for topics and coulsn't find any.

I have successfully installed Moodle on a VM Server, and I have to say I am very impressed. Then I wanted to hook it up to the existing Active Directory (Again on the VM Server) using the LDAP protocol. This took some figuring out and various installations here and there but I have done it and it works a treat.

Now, I want to define a group that moodle automatically assigns the Course Creator attribute to. I have made a group in the same location of the (testing) staff and assigned all members of staff to it.

Then I went into Moodle admin and added "CN=moodle,OU=Staff,OU=moodle,DC=moodle,DC=org " to the Course creator area. (moodle group name, staff ou inside moodle ou, on the domain moodle.org) I have used ldp tools from Microsoft to verify this is the correct path, but when I log in as a user who belongs to the moodle (creator) group the same screen appears as it would for a normal user (with no create buttons etc).

Maybe I'm doing something stupid but I've really racked my brains over this and now have a nice big headache to nurse.

Thanks in advance guys!

Which version of Moodle?

1.9 according to the attached README file.

Ok, your not using 1.7 (there were some fun bugs related to LDAP course creators in that release, fixed in 1.7.2).

For your specific problem I believe you must set the following in your config.php

Code:

---

$CFG->ldap_memberattribute_isdn = 1;

---

Due to way AD LDAP records group information.

Wow! One line of code sorts out my issues! Unbelievable...... Cheers Geoff, just added to config.php and logged in as a teacher, hey presto!

Thanks Geoff, that'll be useful for me too. We're getting Moodle set up for when our LEA's solution goes pear-shaped. :)

Other thing to keep an eye on if using this is to make sure the 'Course Creators' role is not too permissive. Or only allow a select amount of clueful people to use it.

Yeah, that's what I'm wanting it for because I'm not keen on the sounds of this Durham Learning Gateway.

Had a look at Sunderlands VLE yesterday and I have to say it's a shambles. Moodle will do just nicely now that it's linking with the current Active Directory.

I think I will look into that Geoff, a few tiny permissions to people with no brains can do a lot of damage. Was thinking maybe just giving access to course leaders such as heads of departments.

Which school are you at and were you at the EDC last week?

Dene Community School of Technology in Peterlee, I wasn't there no. We fall under the DLG when VLE's come into play, but like I say, I'm not very keen at all on it.

It was at a different school where I saw the Sunderland VLE (https://vle.sunderlandschools.org/GUEST/vlehome - Thats the address of the VLE). I think you'll agree it's just not right in the slightest.

No, neither am I. It was slow to say the least when there was 16 of us there. Imagine 50-100 kids, per school, per lesson.... 8O

Yeah, nightmare. Do you know when it is being released/roled out into schools? And do we have the choice to say NO to it or will it be forced?

There are 16 of us in the 'first wave', then there will be 47. Eventually it will be over 200 schools including primaries. As far as I know schools have to register an interest and pay for it.

It is in my opinion (and not my employer's) that it was sold to headteachers using FUD techniques (eg. our VLE will meet required specifications, other's won't, you must use our solution because of this, if you don't have a VLE by 2008 you're in hot water....). It will also be advantageous to the LEA if we all use their solution when it comes to BSF in 5-10 years' time - they won't need to transfer data from each individual school's VLEs to their own.

I see, in a way it makes sense with BSF and the LEA saving themselves some serious labour..... Do you know whether Moodle passes as a VLE as I read in another forum that BECTA don't class it as a VLE. In my eyes, it does everything we as a school could ever ask for.

I suppose it's this whole big picture of equility. Everything has to be the same. There is no competition anymore and everyone is perfect.

Still, I would love it if Durhams very own ITSS didn't win the contract for BSF. Then egg would be flying and I'd be in stitches (with laughter).

Sorry for having a rant, but our school has come under BSF and I don't quite fancy losing my job and having to go work for a big organisation. I do what I do because I go home on a night hoping I've made a difference in some way, shape or form. I don't think this would be the case if my contract was scooped up by whoever wins the big deal!