seawolf

Try this Script to Map Network Shares on OSX (AFP or SMB) - Blogs - EduGeek.net

I have tested mapping shares with Profiles and determined that it wasn't 100% reliable, and not as powerful as I liked. I decided to use an AppleScript to map the network shares, which is saved as an app with a nice icon and run at login. It can also be run if the shares disconnect while the user is logged in, which happens quite often since so many of our teachers just close the lid and can go weeks or months without actually logging in to their account on the network (sigh). The script that I use is below and can be edited easily for use in any environment: try set loggedInUser to do shell script "whoami" set accountType to do shell script "dscl . -read /Users/" & loggedInUser & " | grep UniqueID | cut -c 11-" set nodeName to do shell script "dscl . -read /Users/" & loggedInUser & " | awk '/^OriginalNodeName:/,/^Password:/' | head -2 | tail -1 | cut -c 2-" set ADGroups to do shell script "dscl " & quoted form of nodeName & " -read /Users/" & loggedInUser & " | awk '/^dsAttrTypeNative:memberOf:/,/^dsAttrTypeNative:msExchHomeServerName:/'" if accountType is less than 1000 then tell me to quit end if if ADGroups contains "AllStaff" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Staff/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/MediaLibrary/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/Scans/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "AllTeachers" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Curriculum_Archives/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/IWB/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/Reports/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/Teachers/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "IWB_Group" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Teachers/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/IWB/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/Scans/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "OHS" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/OHS/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "AdminDepartment" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Admin/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "FinanceStaff" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Finance/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "PrimaryStudents" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Primary/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "PrimaryTeachers" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Primary/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "ICT" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/Installers/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/ICT/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/Archives/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" mount volume "smb://<servername>/ISO-Library/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "VCAL" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/VCAL/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "MediaStudents" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/VCD/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if if ADGroups contains "MediaTeachers" then mount volume "smb://<servername>/VCD/" & loggedInUser & ";" & loggedInUser & ":password" end if on error error_message number error_number display alert ("One or more NetworkDrivefailedtoinstall. Pleasereportthiserrortothe ICT Help Desk. ") ¬ message error_message ¬ ¬ & (" Error number ") & error_number & "." end try p.s. you can also use "afp" rather than "smb" shares in the script. We mostly use AFP, but I edited it as I suspect many on here will just be using SMB.

We use the normal GADS as well and it works fine 99.9% of the time. Integrating with AD is a lot easier than integrating with a plethora of School Admin Systems though. Seeing as how the new version is only able to get data from CSV imports it wouldn't do much for us. Especially when we already have an SSO system (CloudWorks) that can dynamically pull data directly from our school admin system and create email groups for all of our classes. If Google could do the same as well for free it would be worth a look though.

It remains to be seen how well this will actually work in integrating with existing school administration systems. There is no indication of what systems this tool is compatible with. I think I'll let someone else be the pioneering soul for this one.

This is a known bug that showed up in Mavericks. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5484834?start=0&tstart=0 There are a few things you might try in the Finder settings to improve performance until it is fixed, which possibly might not be until Yosemite. Why is WebDAV witht the Finder so slow? - The macosxhints Forums Otherwise, you can try one of the 3rd party WebDav clients for the Mac to workaround this issue: Cyberduck Transmit Forklift Pathfinder Forklift or Pathfinder can pretty much function as Finder replacements if you so desire.

Or, you might also be able to use the File Screen feature in Windows 2008 R2 to accomplish this.

Here's my final thoughts on the Meru vs Ruckus debate. With Meru, I have heard absolute horror stories with woeful performance even with lots of APs on the one hand and some very satisfied customers with great results on the other hand. I conclude from this that design and configuration of a Meru system is very important for its success, and there may be some correlation in the types (wifi chips) and density of devices in the success or failure with Meru. With Ruckus, I cannot remember hearing someone express dissatisfaction with any implementation. From my own experience, I think you can pretty much throw the APs anywhere reasonable, tag the switch ports properly, turn the ZD on and it just goes (oversimplified maybe, but it's hard to break a Ruckus system). Point being, that Ruckus is very forgiving of misconfigurations and is pretty much trouble free (but very capable and advanced as well). So, for me Ruckus is a dead simple, high performance, reliable WiFi system. It might be possible to get better performance out of a perfectly configured Meru system, but it will likely always be more fragile and difficult to setup and maintain.

Some apps you can just drag to the trash without any problem, some will have an uninstaller (MS Office, Adobe stuff, etc.). Barring an uninstaller, I usually use AppCleaner or AppZapper. AppCleaner is free and that's what we install as part of our image, but I have an AppZapper license so use that on my personal stuff. Unlike a Windows app though (unless it's some garbage app that follows no standards or is anything written by Adobe) when you uninstall an app on the Mac - it is truly gone.

Why not try Keychain Minder - Keychain Minder on Mavericks | Der Flounder The Keychain is prompting because the AD password has changed. The user is being asked for the previous password, not the current one. Keychain Minder allows you to provide users with a better message explaining what they need to do. You can also try using a logout script to delete the keychain, but generally keychain minder should work better. https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=685

That little trick only has limited effects on alleviating the problem of .local domains. Tried it as well as some other things some years ago on a .local domain. A domain rename ultimately was the only thing that fixed the problem and it was like night and day afterwards. Domain renames aren't really all that painful if properly planned and executed. With the exception of recent versions of Exchange Server, which don't allow a rename. If you have Exchange, it would be tough, but otherwise not so bad.

If you really want to save the planet don't buy a TV (or projector) at all what with all of the heavy metals and such used in their manufacture that will eventually go into a landfill somewhere.

There really isn't much of a problem with Ruckus EOLing your APs. The Zone Director controller can use a mix of APs just fine and the current generation controllers can support both 802.11n and 802.11ac without any issues. The only "problem" you might run into is if you go with the bottom end ZD as they do tend to EOL these much more quickly than the bigger controllers. We purchased a ZD1000 a few years ago and had to do a trade-in for a ZD1100 after 3 years because the ZD1000 couldn't handle firmware versions 9.5+ The cost of upgrading was minimal though and if we had gone with the ZD3000 or ZD5000 we would still be fine after nearly 5 years. Ruckus usually offers some buyback programs that are pretty good when products do go EOL: Pricing, Availability and New 802.11ac Buy Up Program --------------------------- Now shipping worldwide, the new Ruckus ZoneFlex R700 is priced at $1,295 (USD). Ruckus is also offering a special 802.11ac Buy Up Program. Under the Program, customers that have previously purchased a qualifying Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11n Smart Wi-Fi indoor access point (products include the ZoneFlex 7363, 7372, 7982, and 7962) between May 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014 can purchase the equivalent number of new Ruckus ZoneFlex R700 access points for $499 (USD) each, if purchased by June 30, 2014, while keeping their existing Ruckus ZoneFlex 802.11n access points. For more information on the Ruckus 802.11ac Buy Up Program, please visit: http://bit.ly/1fGnXW2. -----------------

130 APs for 600 clients is outrageous(ly expensive). We use 25 Ruckus APs with 350 clients and it works very nicely with no dead spots. If we tripled the number of APs and added 250 extra clients to take us up to 600 we would still have almost half the APs and even less clients per AP than we do now. It is not surprising that it takes so many Meru APs to provide the coverage required though - because that's exactly what their wireless architecture demands. The whole "single cell" design of Meru APs has not been widely used because it doesn't work very well in the real world and doesn't scale. The only way Meru can handle high-density is to switch to multi-channel or to add more APs. Meru Plays Catch-Up on WLAN Capabilities - Network Computing Poking Holes - The Ruckus Room The Ruckus Room: Wi-Fi Oh, and just to be fair I should have added Xirrus to my list of WiFi vendors I would consider using. Xirrus is outstanding and probably better than anyone in very high-density environments, I just found them to be very expensive if your school buildings are spread out over a wide area with some of them being low density. I think they have tried to remedy this recently by making lower cost APs, but I still think Ruckus is the very best in most environments.

The Axel units would work fine for most basic office productivity tasks, but not when the backend server is a couple of desktops. RDS in 2008R2 and beyond can do the job as long as you have a reasonable server(s) sitting on the backend that have been sized to support the number of clients required. The Axel units also don't have built-in headphone jacks, which might be a problem in a primary school. Rebuilding a failed PC? That takes 20-25 minutes in our environment. 5 minutes to replace the PC and 15-20 minutes to image and bind it using FOG. It's not 5 seconds, but we also don't have to do anything new to make it happen. Most schools are already setup to support thick clients well, so in a small deployment of thin clients or thinPCs, I don't see the ROI when a lot of extra effort is required in configuration and testing (as well as possibly a new server). Just wouldn't recommend it in the OPs situation.

Macs play very well with Windows. In fact, they work just as well as the Windows PCs on our Windows 2008R2 SP1 network - if not better. If you have a worst practice .local domain all bets are off however and you will have some problems from time to time. If you have misconfigured DNS you will have problems as well. Otherwise, you should pay someone to setup the Macs on your network. It's OK to acknowledge that you don't have the necessary expertise to do a particular thing in the big wide world of IT. No one can know everything. I wouldn't know where to start in configuring a Cisco switch, but I can handle the HP ProCurves just fine as well as lots of other things. But, if I tried to configure a Cisco switch and stuffed it up it wouldn't make sense to blame the Cisco switch. Take a look at the information provided by @Brimstone and if you can work out where it went wrong and fix it, great. Otherwise find someone who can and your students and teachers will have a much more enjoyable experience.

I wouldn't touch the Meru gear. The marketing is great, but performance in the real world leaves a lot to be desired. Meru: Courthouse wireless network works 'perfectly' | Amarillo Globe-News I would only consider three WiFi systems myself, in order of preference: Ruckus, Aerohive, or Ubiquity. If you don't have a lot of money, Ubiquity is a good option. If you have the money, go with Ruckus and never look back. Why Your Wi-Fi Sucks And How It Can Be Helped, Part 2 - Welcome To The Wi-Fi Cage Match

If you are considering TVs for commercial use rather than in the home, then you should give the Sharp units a hard look. AFAIK, Sharp are the only company that still fully manufactures their own TVs, at least the mid to high end units anyway. This means quality control is in house and parts are usually available to repair them for many, many years. If they are installed in schools, Sharp even honours the 3 year warranty on consumer units. That's not something the other manufacturers will often do. The Sharp units also often have RS232 even in the consumer-grade models. If the TV is for the home, then I favour the better models from Samsung and Panasonic.

We use wall mounted Mac Minis and Logitech wireless keyboards (w/built in trackpad) in every room connected either to a Promethean IWB or a 70" TV with a wall plate controller for source and volume. We also use AirServer to provide AirPlay for iPads and Mac laptops (or Windows laptops running AirParrot). It gives us the best of both worlds so they can either use the school provided computer or AirPlay their own device to the screen. We started doing this 4 years ago because we had so many problems with Teachers either not being able to reliably figure out how to get the projectors to work with their laptops (setting wrong source, being in extended desktop when they wanted to mirror or vice versa, etc.) or they would damage the connectors (VGA/DVI and sound). It really got quite ridiculous. Now we have nearly zero support requests about the IWBs. We no longer have connectors being damaged, sources set incorrectly, or things otherwise being stuffed up. You could easily do the same thing using wall mounted NUCs or Mac Minis and using AirServer, Reflector, or Chromecast to also provide teachers the option to wirelessly mirror their device or application to the screen. A much better and more economical solution than laptops with docks in every room.

You would never want to use desktops as the servers for thin clients, unless you want a really bad user experience. VDI solutions can work quite well in the right environment and setup, but most of the time they aren't setup correctly in one way or another (i.e. inadequate VDI servers and storage, slow network, need for apps not suited to VDI). The best VDI setups I have personally seen all used Sun Rays and Sun Ray Server, and they worked extremely well even over WAN connections. But, since Oracle decided to kill off Sun Ray last year, that's no longer an option. In your situation, you should either go with traditional thick clients or Chromeboxes if these will meet your requirements. Chrome OS is really just another variation of the "thin-client" or network computing systems, but one that works quite well as long as you have a good internet connection and are happy with the limitations of Chrome OS.

Eucalyptus oil works fantastically for tape or label residue. It also removes gum from hair like nothing else.

That's a pretty open question. Do you want cheap or good? How cheap or how good? Features?

What about using them as a thin client (i.e. VDI) and then you could serve up any OS you please including Win 8/8.1 and authenticating as normal with network accounts? The Surface RT should have enough grunt to make this work reasonably.

Well, you can just capture a Windows image using DeployStudio (see below) and I have used this, but there are limitations to it and this is where WinClone shines. http://deploystudio.wikispaces.com/Creating+a+NTFS+Master+Image+on+Bootcamp+2.x It is also possible to create a WinPE disk and use WDS as well apparently - Deploy Windows on Macs using MDT. by Guillaume Remy However, I find my time to be valuable so paying a small amount of money for WinClone to save a lot of time seems like a pretty good bargain to me (labour vs capital).

No, you cannot PXE boot a Mac. However, you can NetBoot a Mac and use Winclone and DeployStudio to do what you want. All you need to know to do this is below. If you don't need to use OSX on them ever then just install a minimal OSX image with no apps to minimise disk space usage. Winclone Using DeployStudio and Winclone Pro to Image a Lab of Dual-Boot Macs

I WOULD suggest selling them except that they seem to be pretty much worthless on the second hand market. I've been trying to sell one for months with no takers and am now considering accepting a decent bottle of wine or a couple of movie tickets in exchange for it. And it's a 64GB model. Surface RT aka Zune 2.0...