VNC: What are the issues, requirements and problems

[visualman]

I want to set up a system so that a VI pupil can access the IWB from a laptop in a secondary school. The Techie is raising objections. I need background info please.

[localzuk]

Personally, I can't see any issues in particular. VNC is perfectly fine for this purpose, has very few requirements and problems.

 

What objections are being raised?

[pete]

You mean VNC into the machine connected to the IWB?

 

The main objection would be that since VNC allows sharing a session, they could gain access to things they shouldn't when an unwary teacher left themselves logged in. You can mitigate this by ensuring they can only view, not control, but it still leaves scope to remote in and possibly see something they shouldn't outside of lesson time.

 

If the teacher's unaware VNC is installed (and whether someone's connected) you do have a problem, especially if the machine can/will be used to access MIS data/confidential info.

 

Is there any reason they can't connect to the IWB directly?

 

Ah, or is this related to your other thread re the partially sighted kid? http://www.edugeek.net/forums/hardware/59693-repeater-screens.html#post541041

 

In that case, I'd stream a live desktop feed from the teacher machine using a screen capture tool. You can do it from VLC with a bit of fiddling:

 

http://betterlogic.com/roger/2010/07/how-to-use-vlc-as-a-free-open-source-alternative-to-playon-tv/

Edited October 8, 2010 by pete