HOWTO: Install iTALC classroom management tools on Gutsy

[Prospero2006]

Hello all,

I am a seventh grade teacher in San Antonio, Texas. I work with a program known as interactive Media Applications at Krueger. I have set up several of our computer labs so that they run Ubuntu/Gutsy, and I recently went about installing the iTALC, Intelligent Teaching And Learning with Computers, software in two of our labs.

Why this How To?


The italc-client and italc-server packages in the repositories do not work. You have to use the newest version.

Homepage:
http://italc.sourceforge.net/localizations.php

What is iTALC?

Italc allows one computer to monitor and completely control a classroom set of computers with the client application installed.
You can lock the monitor/keyboard, export the teacher's display to the rest of the class, export any student display to the rest of the class, remote control any computer in the class with a click, and monitor each screen from a single interface. At a glance, you can see who is on task, who isn't, and take decisive action within seconds. (It runs on Windows and Linux, and is an open-source project.)

Step 1: Install the application on all of the computers in the room.

Warning:
If you are monitoring more than 15 computers, this application
will max out the teacher's cpu. There are ways to minimize the
cpu usage, but it's best to designate a master machine and
only use it as an iTALC master if you have marginal hardware.

Also:
-In order for this software to work, you have to either have
working name resolution or static ip addresses throughout
the lab. This software does not have a discovery feature
built into the latest version. IP addresses must remain
constant throughout the lab.

-Download the application here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...kage_id=145556
(The latest development release as of this posting is 1.0.6)

-Unzip the file:

bunzip2  italc-1.0.6.tar.bz2 
tar -xvf  italc-1.0.6.tar

Install the libraries and programs required to configure and compile the source code through apt-get

sudo apt-get install libqt4*
sudo apt-get install libxtst-dev

Configure and install the program.

cd italc-1.0.6
./configure
make
make install

Now, on the master computer create directories for your public/private keys and then generate the keys to be used:

Only execute this direction on the master computer.

mkdir -p /etc/italc/keys/public/teacher
mkdir -p /etc/italc/keys/private/teacher
ica -createkeypair

This will create two files, each called 'key' in those respective directories. The private key will remain on the master computer. The public key will be copies across the lab.

On the Client Machines

Follow all of the above directions except for the part about key creation.

Only execute this direction on the client machines.

mkdir -p /etc/italc/keys/public/teacher
cp /location/of/public/key/created/on/the/master /etc/italc/keys/public/teacher

Make the client application start when the student logs in:
For KDE

echo /usr/local/bin/ica & > /home/student/.kde/Autostart/icascript
chmod 777 /home/student/.kde/Autostart/icascript

For Gnome
Add /usr/local/bin/ica to the startup programs through the interface at the desktop. (Gnome is good like that!)

Now, when the student logs in, a round green icon should appear at the bottom of the screen in the left-hand corner with a cursive 'i' in the center.

Start the Master

To start the teacher application type

/usr/local/bin/ica &
/usr/local/bin/italc

At this point you should be able to create a classroom, add client ip addresses, and connect.

If you have any problems, email me and I will address them!

[Mindslant]

You're the guy in San Antonio. Man do I envy you down in Houston. I have a lab of ~26 student pc's dual booting from xp/kubuntu. I haven't changed mine over so it's running Ubuntu 8.04.

I have iTalc installed, got the MAC address and IP put into the system for the master stystem. On the XP side I don't have anyproblems on this machine. On the linux side while testing with live viewing a connection is never made. Any suggestions?

[rick71]

./configure goes fine. When I try to make I get :



make[3]: Entering directory `/home/hattonr/Downloads/italc-1.0.9/ica'
/bin/bash ../libtool --tag=CXX --mode=link g++ -I/usr/include/qt4 -I/usr/include/qt4/Qt -D_REENTRANT -DQT_NO_DEBUG -DQT_CORE_LIB -DQT_XML_LIB -DQT_THREAD_SUPPORT -O2 -DBUILD_ICA -g -O2 -Wall -fPIC -fno-strict-aliasing -o ica -mwindows -rpath /usr/local/lib/italc ica_main.o ivs.o isd_server.o local_system_ica.o system_service.o demo_server.o demo_client.o ica_qrc.o x11vnc.o auth.o cargs.o corre.o cursor.o cutpaste.o d3des.o draw.o font.o hextile.o httpd.o main.o rfbregion.o rfbserver.o rre.o scale.o selbox.o sockets.o stats.o translate.o ultra.o vncauth.o zlib.o zrle.o zrleoutstream.o zrlepalettehelper.o tight.o -L/usr/lib -L/usr/lib/qt4 -lQtCore -lQtXml -lQtNetwork -lQtGui -lz -ljpeg -lssl -lcrypto -lXtst -lXtst -lXtst -lXext -lXinerama -lXrandr -lXfixes -lXdamage -lcrypt -lX11 -lpthread -L../lib -litalc_core -lnsl -lpthread
libtool: link: unsupported hardcode properties
libtool: link: See the libtool documentation for more information.
libtool: link: Fatal configuration error.
make[3]: *** [ica] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/hattonr/Downloads/italc-1.0.9/ica'
make[2]: *** [all] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/hattonr/Downloads/italc-1.0.9/ica'
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/hattonr/Downloads/italc-1.0.9'
make: *** [all] Error 2


Does anyone have any ideas?

[rick71]

Originally Posted by Prospero2006 Also: -In order for this software to work, you have to either have working name resolution or static ip addresses throughout the lab. This software does not have a discovery feature built into the latest version. IP addresses must remain constant throughout the lab.

Can you point me to some docs on how to use dynamic with iTalc? IPs? I do have a 2003 AD server runnung.

[rick71]

I have been able to connect and control an iTalc client using the client's hostname. I installed winbind and configured nsswitch.conf to use wins before dns. I have only tried this at home. I'll give it a shot in the classroom lab next week.