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! Edited June 25, 2008 by Andie
Correcting my sloppy terminology!!

[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!

Edited June 27, 2008 by Andie
Update so that searchers can find the official way to fix this problem!

[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 http://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.

InstallationGuide.doc

TroubleShootingGuide.doc

Opening the firewall port.doc

Edited October 6, 2008 by Andie
Added note about RM CC3.

[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!

Edited October 2, 2008 by eduabncs

[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.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Andie
Added extra comment

[Andie]

I have nearly fixed this installation and got it installed on the server. Turned out to be nothing more technical than a rogue mouse click.

 

I had uninstalled on the server, and installed one year onto an XP machine as standalone. That had a URL reference to localhost:9790, and there was no problem with it running. Began to have a hunch that just possibly the server install hadn't allocated 8080 automatically but that I had been overzealous with the mouse/keyboard and, as it were, clicked Next twice without realising.

 

So I thought I'd try again, very carefully. Sure enough I get prompted for a port choice this time, and chose a different port to the default one that hadn't worked. It almost works!!

 

The problem now is that I am getting the CPL first page without the big blue Start button. Instead I am getting a message about the software needing Flash player 8 or above. OK, I thought, I'll update Flash to latest version. Did that, still getting message. Clicked Refresh on IE, and the Flash message is replaced with the big blue Start button. Great, I think. Except that each time I click on the Launch shortcut I get the same Flash message.

 

OK, I thought, I'll uninstall CPL and reinstall. Maybe the shortcut needs updating now I have updated Flash. So I uninstall, and reinstall, CPL. Same message about Flash.

 

Must I reboot the server??

[Andie]

Must I reboot the server??

 

Apparently not. Finally heard from Collins. The Flash message problem is a known issue and they are working on a solution.

[Andie]

And I have just tried CPL shortcut in Firefox and it works fine.

[Andie]

I am attaching the workaround instructions sent from Collins for the issue with the Flash message. I have tried this out on our server install and it seems to work, but I only have one year installed on the server at present. You need to edit the URL of the Launch Collins Primary Literacy shortcut. The instructions include the fix for the same issue in Collins Primary Maths.

Flash Issue Workaround from Collins.doc

[RRRRyan]

has anyone been able to get this to work on iis?

[RRRRyan]

I made a valiant attempt at integrating this with our Microsoft LMS system. It simply will not work with IIS. Not only does it insist that many of the folders be at the root of the site, and use .htaccess url rewrites, but much of the application is hidden within the flash files themselves so debugging the rewrites, or anything for that matter, is out of the question. So strange to build a system on platform independent php/html/flash only to configure it to require its own proprietary web server configuration. Good luck hosting on linux or mac, and not because of the platform, just because of the QA. Why?

 

One more warning, if you get a red frown face with the message: "Error Report: [Object] object", that is Collins application developer code for, "yes of course we asked you where you wanted to install this program but we never thought you'd actually change what we dictated."

 

There are also some calls from the flash files to the Collins website. We call those non-update callbacks and they aren't typically desirable, especially in purchased software.

 

So buyer beware.

Edited September 10, 2009 by RRRRyan