Software – Mathematica 8

Basic instructions for building a silent installer for Mathematica 8 can be found at:
http://reference.wolfram.com/mathematica/tutorial/InstallingMathematica.html

We use a network wide license server to license this application. To create the license file “mathpass” on windows – install the application and then copy the license file from c:\programdata\mathematic\licensing\mathpass
This file seems to also be valid in c:\progam files (x86)\\Wolfram Research\Mathematica\8.0\Configuration\Licensing

So I have created a script that installs mathematica silently and then copies this “mathpass” file into place …

@echo off

break=off

set install_dir=%~dp0

rem Tell the user what you are doing
echo ———–
echo This program installs a copy of the Williams College licensed
echo Mathematica 8.
echo ———–
echo Currently installing from %install_dir% …
echo ———–

REM Detect correct Program Files folder. Note this batch file may run in 32-bit env (SysWOW64/cmd.exe)
REM So %ProgramFiles% might be Program Files (x86), but we always want to check the regular Program Files.
set K64=no
if “%ProgramFiles(x86)%” == “” goto on32Bit
set K64=yes
echo Detected 64-bit OS …
echo ———–

:on32Bit
REM Set inprogramfiles to either 32-bit or 64-bit stucture

SET inProgramFiles=%ProgramFiles(x86)%
IF NOT EXIST “%inProgramFiles%” SET inProgramFiles=%ProgramFiles%
echo Program files directory set to: %inProgramFiles%
echo ———–

rem run the silent installer
echo Installing application …
echo ———–
“%install_dir%payload\Mathematica_8.0.1_WIN.EXE” /silent /norestart

rem copy in the license file
echo ———–
xcopy /Y /Q /R “%install_dir%payload\mathpass” “%inProgramFiles%\Wolfram Research\Mathematica\8.0\Configuration\Licensing”
If %errorlevel%==0 goto no_error

:error
rem do something if there was an error
echo ———–
echo The Williams College licensed version of this software did not install correctly.
echo Please be sure you ran this installer as an administrator. On Vista and Windows 7
echo you need to right-click on the installer and select “Run as Administrator”.
echo Please contact OIT for additonal help with this install.
echo ———–
pause
exit

rem there was no error in the install AND the filter copy and there was no break
:no_error
echo ———–
echo The installation is complete.
echo ———–

:end
pause
rd /S /Q “%install_dir%payload”
del /Q “%install_dir%instal*”
exit

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Windows – Firewall Settings with GPO

Firewall settings can be controlled from with group policy … (more on doing this for specific applications like LabStats in a bit … )

See:
http://www.grouppolicy.biz/2010/07/how-to-manage-windows-firewall-settings-using-group-policy/

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Mac – DVD region code

It seems that it isn’t possible to set the DVD region code in mass on newly deployed mac hardware. What you can do however is change an authorization file to allow unprivileged users to set the region code initially. (Changing the region code after the initial setting is another matter and will continue to require admin privs)

To allow non-privileged user accounts to set the region code initially edit:
/etc/authorization

Look for “DVD” and edit that section so that it reads “allow”
(you can edit a copy of this file with textedit or with a plist editor, then copy the new version into place …)

Here is a sample of what you are looking to do …

    <key>system.device.dvd.setregion.initial</key>
<dict>
<key>class</key>
<string>allow</string>
<key>comment</key>
<string>Used by the DVD player to set the region code the first time.  Note that changing the region code after it has been set requires a different right (system.device.dvd.setregion.change).</string>
<key>group</key>
<string>admin</string>
<key>shared</key>
<true/>
</dict>

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Bootcamp – Stop Bootcamp Help window popup

On a windows install using bootcamp on the Mac, users will see an annoying bootcamp help dialog box which isn’t really helpful at all to them. Lab users have no permissions to do anything with bootcamp so showing them this window is pointless.

From an admin login use:
msconfig (enter in the start search box)
to edit the start items and uncheck bootcamp …

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Mac – Symbol Font

There seems to be a corrupted symbol font that keeps coming back on our mac images. It ends up in /Library/Fonts in a file called “Symbol”. In July 2012 this appeared after installing MathType …

I have found that too allow microsoft office apps like powerpoint to correctly display Greek characters in mathematical equations, I have to delete the file:

/Library/Fonts/Symbol

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Mac – DeployStudio and AD join

Deploying a Mac OS image and adding the computer to the AD can all be accomplished using DeployStudio. I suggest that you set up your AD environment to use “OUs” (organizational units) for your computers rather than have them all in the one default “computers” OU. I have two production OUs of “Labs” and “Labs-Macs”. I’ll explain the “Labs” OU structure for windows in a different post …. For now, just add computer accounts for all your macs to an OU. The computer accounts should match exactly the host names you are using just like you would do for windows.

Then in DeployStudio –
Add the computers and set their “Local Hostname” and “Computer Name” to the same thing you entered in the AD for their computer accounts. Your workflow for the deployment should include a step to rename the mac and after that step the AD binding. In that AD binding window be sure to set the fields for the domain to join and the computers node. Here is a screen shot of my set-up …

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Mac – DeployStudio and windows volume

When creating a workflow for taking a DeployStudio image of a windows NTFS volume — it is important to uncheck the box for use “mac tools for multicast” which then allows you to check the box for “try to shrink the NTFS volume before taking image”. If you do not shrink the volume the imaging process will fail with an error about not being able to change the partition size.

Watch for this setting since it can revert back to the default “multicast” setting, which does not work, when you upgrade the DeployStudio software

For more details see:
http://deploystudio.wikispaces.com/Creating+a+NTFS+Master+Image+on+Bootcamp+2.x

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Bootcamp – Hiding Mac volume from Windows

Reports are that since Bootcamp version 3 or so you can now read and write to the macintosh partition from your windows environment. This is less than ideal in a shared computer lab.

Renaming the file:
c:\windows\system32\drivers\applemnt.sys
and then restarting should disable the mount of the macintosh partition in windows …

For more discussion and details see:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/11226479?messageID=11226479#11226479?messageID=11226479

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Windos 7 – GPO – Printing

Previously, printer mappings for multiple users on a single windows computer was a bit difficult. In order to make the print queues available to multiple users you would have to use some arcane “RUNDLL’ command lines.

Now a set of group policy settings can be employed to map printers based on a variety of factors. A great store of information about this can be found at:
http://www.grouppolicy.biz/tag/printer/

How I have set this up in our GPO looks like the following:
Policies ….

Preferences …
(There are quite a few more of these then what is shown here. You need at least one for each of print queues needed in the labs.)

One last setting is crucial – “Loopback processing” must be enabled in:
Computer Configuration — Administrative Templates — System/Group Policy

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Windows 7 – GPO – Time Service

I like to set my computers to a known and near time server. Certain functions, like KeyServer access for software asset management, have been “temperamental” about time … here is the group policy setting I use to force the time on target computers ….

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