COMPUTING NEWS University of Oregon FALL 1998 How to Change Your Password 2 Access Your Account Information with DuckWeb 2 1998 Duckware CD-ROM Available 3 ?Survival Skills? Workshops 3 Computing Center Who's Who 4 V.90 Comes to Campus 6 Web Server Software Upgrade 6 Web Proxy Server Upgrade 7 Intel Donates NetPCs to UO 7 Fall Workshop Schedule 8 BANNER 3.0 and GUI 10 Ricochet Modem Service 11 Norton Antivirus Updates 12 GLADSTONE Mail Changes 14 More ALPHA Stations 15 Computing Shortcut Tips 18 IN THIS ISSUE? 2 computing news fall 1998 COMPUTING NEWS VOL. 14 #1 Computing News is published quarterly by the Academic User Services staff of the Office of University Computing, 1212 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1212. You may reprint articles from Computing News, provided you credit the source. Newsletter Editor: Joyce Winslow (jwins@oregon.uoregon.edu) Telephone: (541) 346-1724 Assistant Director, Academic User Services: Joe St Sauver (joe@oregon.uoregon.edu) Web site: http://cc.uoregon.edu/cnews Subscription requests: jwins@oregon.uoregon.edu Cover photo: Jack Liu By Jim Bohle jbohle@oregon.uoregon.edu New students, both undergraduate and graduate, can now go online to retrieve their UO computing accounts information. While this information may still be picked up in person at the Computing Center Help Desk (photo ID required), now students can also use any computer with a web browser to retrieve their usernames and initial passwords required for accessing UO computing resources. How to Use DuckWeb To access your account information online, the first step is to use a web browser. Then go to the UO DuckWeb Student Information System page at http://duckweb.uoregon.edu When prompted, enter your UO Student ID and PAC (personal access code), and then select (click) the ?View UO New Students ... Get Online! n Access Your Computing Accounts Information with DuckWeb Computing Accounts Information? option from the DuckWeb main menu page. You'll see a list of your user- names and initial passwords for all UO computing accounts. You may print this web page for future reference and use. (Please note: The information presented on this page is confidential, and you should take precautions to keep it private.) The UO Computing Accounts Informa- tion web page also provides links to the Microcomputer Services ?Get Con- nected? web site at http://micro.uoregon.edu/getconnected This site provides detailed information about the use of UO email and comput- ing resources, as well as step-by-step instructions on getting connected to UO computing systems from both on and off campus. Questions? Any questions related to accessing UO Computing Accounts Information via DuckWeb may be directed to the BANNER Student Assistance line at 346-1706 or via email to jbohle@oregon.uoregon.edu New Password Policies May Affect You By Rick Millhollin rickm@oregon.uoregon.edu Beginning this term, several impor- tant new password policies are going into effect: ? students will be able to change their passwords online ? password changes will not be accepted over the phone ? all new accounts on VMS (OREGON) and UNIX (GLADSTONE, DARKWING) will be created with ?pre- expired? passwords (i.e., pass- words that must be changed the first time you log in) Changing Your Password Online (Students Only): Computing Center staff has developed a utility that allows students to change their own passwords online if they have forgotten them. The new program, like AUTHORIZE, requires student ID and PAC numbers. Instructions for using the online system are posted at http://cc.uoregon.edu/uopassword.html Note: When the BANNER Human Resources Information System module goes into effect in January, 1999, UO faculty and staff will also be able to change their passwords online. Changing Your Password at the Computing Center: For security reasons, the downstairs reception staff will not accept password change requests by phone. Instead, those wishing to change their passwords must come to the Help Desk in the Computing Center?s south entryway and present a UO photo ID. Out-of-area users may fax a request memo, with a copy of their photo ID, to (541) 346-6836. Note: Passwords changed through the Help Desk are not pre-expired on either UNIX or VMS. Questions? For more information about pass- word policies, see http://cc.uoregon.edu/uopassword.html Forget Your Password/ Want to Change It? n UNIVERSITY OF OREGON COMPUTING CENTER 3computing news fall 1998 New Fall '98 Duckware CD-ROM Released By Kathy Heerema heerema@oregon.uoregon.edu A new version of Duckware has just been released. Produced by the Com- puting Center?s Microcomputer Ser- vices staff, this CD-ROM disc is avail- able to all current UO students, fac- ulty, and staff at no cost. It contains many valuable computing resources, including ? network software for connecting to the Internet from on- or off-campus ? antiviral software, web tools, shareware, utilities, drivers, clipart, and more ? links to UO web-based resources ? answers to common computing questions and referrals to sources of additional information and help Copies for students are funded by the student Educational Technology fee; discs for faculty, by the Faculty Con- sultants Network; and those for staff, by the Office of Human Resources. System Requirements The Duckware disc can be used on either a PC or Macintosh computer with a CD-ROM drive. For PCs, you need Windows 3.1, 95, 98 or NT. To use it on a Mac, you need to run a version of System 7.1 or higher. If you don?t have a CD-ROM drive? you may use the CD-ROM drive on UO computer lab machines. Most of the content on the CD can also be found on our UOnet public servers or on the web. Diskette sets of remote access network software for machines needing minimal configurations may be checked out from the Computing Center Documents Room (205). Where to Get One Students and staff may pick up their copy of the Fall 1998 Duckware CD- ROM at one of the following locations: ? Computing Center Help Desk (south entryway) ? Microcomputer Support Center (Room 202 Computing Center) ? CC-EMU Microcomputing Lab ? CC-Klamath Lab ? CC-Millrace Lab ? Knight Library Information Technology Center (ITC) ? Science Library Information Technology Center (ITC) Students who live in campus housing can get one at Residence Hall & Family Housing area desks in the University Inn, Hamilton, Carson, Spencer View, and Westmoreland. Faculty: The Duckware CD-ROM is being sent to all faculty via campus mail. Reuse/Recycling When this CD-ROM disc finally becomes outdated and you decide you don't need it any more, please don't throw it away! We will gladly take it back and give it to someone else. Just drop it off at the Computing Center Help Desk or Microcomputer Support Center. Thanks to the UO Campus Recycling Program, you may also recycle this CD-ROM in designated bins at any of these additional locations: ? CC-EMU, CC-Klamath, and CC- Millrace labs ? Knight Library and Science ITCs You can drop the paper sleeve in any white paper recycling bin on campus. Questions? For additional help or information about the Duckware CD-ROM, con- tact the Microcomputer Support Center?s consulting office in Room 202 Computing Center (346-4412, microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu). Or, check out our web site at http://micro.uoregon.edu/ Need Some Computing Survival Skills? CC-EMU workshops help orient new students By Doug Simpson dsimpson@darkwing.uoregon.edu If you?re relatively new to the world of computing and want to bring your- self up to speed, the CC-EMU Microcomputing Lab?s ?Survival Skills? classes may be just what you're looking for. This fall, the CC-EMU lab (22 EMU) is offering introductory computing workshops on using Windows 95 and Macintosh. These workshops will be held during the week before classes, and will be repeated the second week of fall term. Among other survival basics, these courses provide instruction on ?getting a class account ? reading email ? formatting disks ? creating documents ? printing Note that you?ll need to bring your own blank diskette to class. Here?s the schedule for the first series of workshops: Introduction to Windows 95 Thu Sept 24 10am - noon (repeated) Fri Sept 25 2 -4pm Introduction to Macintosh Thu Sept 24 2 - 4pm (repeated) Fri Sept 25 10am - noon Schedules for the second week of fall term will be posted in the lab. After the term begins, you may also call 346-1769 for schedule information. n Fall 1998 Duckware University of Oregon Microcomputer Support Center University of Oregon Microcomputer Support Center Fall 1998 Works with: Windows 3.1 , 95, 98, NT or Macintosh System 7.1 or higher Duc kware CD-ROM fo r u se o n ly b y c u r e n t U O s u e t f l a ? ? 1 9 8 U n i e r t y o f O re go n ? Note: U.S State Department license is required to export this product outside 4 computing news fall 1998 Competitive Prices Convenient Campus Location Experienced Staff Fast turnaround Familiarity with UO computing & networking environment 346-4403 jeffh@oregon.uoregon.edu robj@oregon.uoregon.edu uo computing center For computer repairs, upgrades, custom systems? By Vickie Nelson vmn@oregon.uoregon.edu To help you get acquainted with Computing Center staff, beginning with this issue Computing News will feature brief profiles of staff mem- bers throughout the school year. Our fall issue introduces two brand new staff members, Nanci Cook and Greg Shepherd, and two veterans, Jos? Dom?nguez and Bill Wiener. Who's Who at the Nanci Cook Systems Analyst Auxiliary Services Nanci Cook began working at the Computing Center last April and calls her job ?a dream come true.? Nanci has wanted to work on campus since her father took her to campus basket- ball games when she was young. New Computing News column introduces Computing Center staff members n A systems analyst in Auxiliary Ser- vices, Nanci does COBOL program- ming for University Housing, main- taining the programs that keep the UO dining and residence halls running smoothly. Her programming efforts routinely grapple with such conun- drums as ? who wants a roommate? ? where's a name on the waiting list for Family Housing? ? how many meals is a student entitled to each week? A native Eugenean, Nanci has lived here most of her life. Before coming to the Computing Center, she was a program analyst for the corporate headquarters of the Emporium and International King's Table. She loves the outdoors and enjoys bike riding, hiking, and backpacking with her husband Tom, sons Matt, 12, and Eric, 14, and golden retriever, Griffey. 5computing news fall 1998 Greg Shepherd Network Engineer Network Services When Greg Shepherd pedals the 14 miles from his home in Crow to his job at the Computing Center, he?s combining two of the great loves of his life: cycling and network engineering. After six years as a systems engineer with the Springfield School District, Greg began work in Network Services in February. A network engineer reporting to Dale Smith, Greg also works closely with Dave Meyer of the Advanced Network Technology Center on projects such as the Oregon Internet Exchange, a partnership of Northwest IPs; OWEN, the Oregon Wide Area Network; and Internet2, a higher education partnership Biking is another ?big pursuit? of Greg's. This April, Greg?s family (minus two-year-old Danica) headed for Australia and the seven-day ?Aussie Big Ride.? Greg and his wife Marlen rode a tandem with Davis, 7, pedaling behind on a Piccolo. Greg, Marlen, and three other partners also produce Tandem & Family Cycling, a quarterly magazine. Jos? Dom?nguez Senior Network Engineer, Network Services When Jos? Dominguez first came to the UO in 1992, Eugene?s rainy weather had this Fulbright scholar from the sunny Dominican Republic thinking about leaving. But his adviser found him a position as a student network engineer at the Computing Center, and Jos? decided to stay, eventually working his way up to the position of senior network engineer. After finishing his master's degree, Jos? took a leave of absence from the Computing Center and returned home to teach at the Santo Domingo Institute of Technology (INTEC). While there, he created both INTEC?s first campus network and the first country-wide academic WAN (wide area network) in the Dominican Republic. Back at the Computing Center since April, Jos? oversees campus networking and works with exterior projects, such as the Oregon Public Education Network (OPEN), which provides network connectivity for Oregon schools, K-12. He?s also investigating sending voice over data networks for the UO, a process which could replace parts of the telephone infrastructure. When not working, Jos? enjoys family life with wife Ellie and baby Emily. Bill Wiener Senior Operations Analyst/ Supervisor, Computing Facilities Bill Wiener?s path to the UO Computing Center began when he signed up for LCC?s Cooperative Work Experience Program. He registered for computer programming and was placed in the Computing Center?s machine room as a computer operator. Ten years and several rungs of the career ladder later, Bill is Senior Operations Analyst/Supervisor. In addition to being responsible for all system backups and restorations, he also manages the University?s scanner service, which provides test scoring and course evaluation data for the university community. Bill is also the primary contact for servicing most of the computers, printers and other hardware in the Computing Center?s machine room. In addition, he deals with electrical and cooling problems as well as machine room security. Bill calls the Center a ?learning envi- ronment,? and says he likes working in a dynamic setting where he has to keep up with new developments in the field. An avid cyclist who pedals to work every day, Bill also enjoys river rafting, golf and concerts. Computing Center 6 computing news fall 1998 Some common problems and their solutions By Steve VanDevender stevev@darkwing.uoregon.edu n Watch for Effects of Web Server Software Upgrade on DARKWING, GLADSTONE In early July, the web server software on DARKWING and GLADSTONE was upgraded to Apache HTTPD 1.3.0. Along with this upgrade, some configuration changes were made to improve the security of files that aren?t part of user or system web pages, generally without affecting the use of advanced features by web page authors. Some users may experience minor problems, however. If you find you?re one of them, here are some troubleshooting procedures that should help: Troubleshooting Tips If your web pages encounter errors, first check the web server error logs for specific information. Apache 1.3.0 has substantially improved its error log messages; most provide a clear explanation of the cause of the error and a suggestion for fixing it. You can find errors relating to your own web pages with a command like % grep ?username/public_html? /httpd/logs/error_log Replace ?username? with your own DARKWING or GLADSTONE username. Sample Problems and Solutions A few common post-upgrade errors are described below, with solutions: 1. Error: AuthName takes one argument, The authentication realm (e.g. "Members Only") Solution: The AuthName directive is used as part of setting up password- protected web pages. Previously, it could be specified like this: AuthName Members Only Apache 1.3.0 now requires any argument to AuthName that contains embed- ded spaces be quoted, like this: AuthName "Members Only" By Matthew Latterell mlattere@oregon.uoregon.edu Over the summer, the primary UO modem pool (346-6520) was upgraded to support V.90 56K modems, allowing UO modem users with either an x2 56K or a V.90 modem to connect to the UO at speeds faster than 33.6. Currently, K56flex modems that don't support V.90 only achieve a 33.6 maximum connection rate. Later this fall, significant improvements to the UO modem pool will increase access for dial-in users. 346-3565, one of our secondary modem pools, is being upgraded to K56flex/V.90 and gaining 64 modems for a total of 96. 346-5975, currently home to 64 slower 14.4 modems, will be upgraded to 33.6. Eventually, the modems at 346-3565 will be merged into the primary modem pool at 346-6520, creating a mixed pool of 288 56K V.90 modems At that time, 346-1586 will also go away. If this is all too confusing to keep track of, simply continue to dial in to 346-6520, and by winter term all the improvements should be complete. These coming changes mean faster and better UOnet and Internet access through your home dial-in connection. The additional modems and support for K56flex will be added during fall and winter terms. Upgrade to V.90 Encouraged To prepare for these improvements, modem users with either x2 or K56flex modems are encouraged to upgrade to the V.90 standard if possible. Most 56K modems sold in the past year are freely upgradable through manu- facturer?s web sites. US Robotics/3Com maintains a modem update site at http://www.3com.com/56k, as does Supra (http://www.diamondmm.com/56k/v90- upgrade.html). Most other modem manufacturers also provide web- based V.90 upgrade information. V.90 Comes to Campus? More Improvements Coming Soon If you do not (or cannot) upgrade your modem to V.90, nothing terrible will happen. You'll still be able to connect to the UO modem pool and read email or browse the web. The improvements make it possible for more people to get connected, and to get connected at the fastest dial-in speeds available with their modems. Questions? For information about upgrading your modem, or to find out which UO modem number is best for you, contact Microcomputer Services at 346-4412 or microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu 7computing news fall 1998 2. Error: Permission denied: /home/username/public_html/.htaccess pcfg_openfile: unable to check htaccess file, ensure it is readable Solution: .htaccess files must be world-readable, just like other web files. Make your .htaccess files readable by typing the command % chmod +r .htaccess 3. Error: /home/username/public_html/.htaccess: Options not allowed here Solution: The use of the Options directive in user .htaccess files is disallowed to prevent circumventing security, so you must remove any Options directives in your .htaccess files or the web server will deny access to those directories. Use of most other .htaccess directives is not restricted. The options granted to all users by default with our system configuration are Options Indexes ExecCGI Includes SymLinksIfOwnerMatch AllowOverride Indexes AuthConfig FileInfo Limit 4. Error: Symbolic link not allowed: /home/username/public_html/link Solution: If you made a symbolic link so that a file could be accessed under multiple names, or to link to a file outside your public_html directory, the web server will only honor the link if the owner of the link is the same as the owner of the file linked to. Other Changes The web server access logs in /httpd/logs/access_log now record numeric IP addresses instead of full host names for most accesses. This substantially improves server performance and decreases the load on name servers all over the Internet. If you wish to have host name information in log entries for your pages for web statistics programs, you can use a program called ?logresolve.? For example, the command % grep '/~username' /httpd/logs/access_log | logresolve where ?username? is your username, will extract access log entries relating to your web pages and replace numeric IP addresses with domain names when possible. Please be sparing in your use of ?logresolve? to avoid bogging down our name server and others. Questions? For more information about changes in Apache HTTPD 1.3.0, see http://www.apache.org/docs/new_features _1_3.html and http://www.apache.org/docs/upgrading_to _1_3.html For general Apache HTTPD server information, see http://www.apache.org/docs/ If you have further questions, contact consult@gladstone.uoregon.edu or consult@darkwing.uoregon.edu Web Server Software Upgrade, continued? By Joel Jaeggli joelja@darkwing.uoregon.edu The campus web proxy server, proxy.uoregon.edu, has been beefed up for fall term. The proxy server can now store more than 3000MB of remote web pages, vastly increasing perfor- mance. With more RAM and a larger cache, it can serve pages faster than ever before. After a web page is first viewed, you don?t have to wait for it to load from a very remote or slow web server. Instead, web sites that have already been visited will load quickly from our local server. To use the proxy server? Set the proxy in your web browser to point to Address: proxy.uoregon.edu Port: 3128 To see detailed browser-specific setup information, go to http://proxy.uoregon.edu To take advantage of Automatic Proxy Configuration, see http://proxy.uoregon.edu/auto.html Web Proxy Server Enhanced Increased storage means faster performance As the result of hard work by Susan Plass, Director of Corporate and Foun- dation Relations, Intel has generously donated a hundred NetPCs to the University of Oregon. The NetPC is a revolutionary new ap- proach to PC systems. It was designed Intel Donates 100 NetPCs to UO By Joe St Sauver joe@oregon.uoregon.edu to facilitate system management and support, while at the same time mini- mizing total cost of ownership. NetPCs will be deployed around cam- pus in labs and public areas, including ? the Social Science Instructional Lab, Knight Library ITC, and Computing Center EMU Lab ? Geology, Business, Physics, Law, Math, AAA, and Foreign Languages ? student residence hall areas To learn more about the NetPC, see: http://www.intel.com/businesscomputing/ netpc/index.htm The UO deeply appreciates Intel?s con- tinued support for computing in higher education. n 8 computing news fall 1998 The IT Curriculum: The Information Technology (?IT?) curriculum is a joint effort by the University Library and the Computing Center to provide a full range of computer and Internet training for everyone on campus. These noncredit workshops are free of charge to all currently enrolled UO students, faculty, and staff. No advance registration is necessary, except where noted. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis; there are, however, two caveats: ? those who do not meet workshop requirements, such as prerequisites, may be asked to relinquish their place ? if fewer than five people are present ten minutes after the scheduled start, the workshop may be canceled or rescheduled at the discretion of the instructor. Requests for accommodations related to disability should be made to Jon Cawthorne (346-1897) at least one week in advance of the workshop. If you have questions or need help choosing a workshop that meets your needs, call the Office of Library Instruction, 346-1817. Workshop Day/Date Time Location Presenter This schedule is subject to change. See http://libweb.uoregon.edu/it/ for course outlines and the most current information. Computer Operating Systems Basic UNIX (http://www.uoregon.edu/~hak/unix-ws.html) - 3 Prerequisites 8 Thu Oct 15 11 - 11:50am EC Jaeggli Intermediate UNIX - 3 Prerequisites 8 Thu Oct 22 11 - 11:50am EC Jaeggli Introduction to Macintosh (http://micro.uoregon.edu/workshops/mac/intro.html) Wed Oct 7 1 - 2:50pm ITC Albrich, Heerema Introduction to Windows 95 (http://micro.uoregon.edu/workshops/windosoutline/introwin.html) Mon Oct 12 1 - 2:50pm EC Albrich, Latterell Intermediate Windows 95 (http://micro.uoregon.edu/workshops/windosoutline/interwin.html) - 3 Prerequisites Tues Oct 20 1 - 2:50pm EC Albrich, Allen Computer Applications Software Introduction to Microsoft Word for Windows and Mac (http://micro.uoregon.edu/workshops/#IntroWord/) - 3 Prerequisites Wed Oct 14 1 - 2:50pm EC Allen, Latterell Introduction to PageMaker for Windows and Mac (Note: this workshop is not hands-on) Wed Oct 21 1 - 2:20pm ITC Kim Using the Internet 1: Introduction to the World Wide Web Thu Oct 8 11am - 12:20pm EC Chadwell Tue Oct 13 3 - 4:20pm EC Felsing Mon Oct 19 7 - 8:20pm EC Stark Wed Oct 28 9 - 10:20am EC Felsing 2: Beyond Just Surfing (3 Prerequisites) Mon Oct 5 2 - 3:20pm EC Stirling Fri Oct 16 10 - 11:20am EC Ward Thu Oct 22 1 - 2:20pm EC Darling, Paynter Tue Oct 27 11am - 12:20pm EC Heinzkill Wed Nov 4 2 - 3:20pm EC Heinzkill Thu Nov 12 3 - 4:20pm EC Paynter 3: Power Web Searching (3 Prerequisites) Thu Oct 29 1 - 2:20pm EC Jenkins Tue Nov 3 11am - 12:20pm EC Sotak Wed Nov 11 2 - 3:20pm EC Jenkins FALL WORKSHOPS 9computing news fall 1998 FALL WORKSHOPS * WORKSHOP LOCATION CODES * EC: Electronic Classroom (Windows) 144 Knight Library ITC: Macintosh Classroom 267B Knight Library RSR: Reed Seminar Room (Windows) 235 Knight Library 8 Requires an account on DARKWING or GLADSTONE Workshop Day/Date Time Location Presenter Electronic Communication Email Basics Using Pine (http://www.uoregon.edu/~llynch/pine-ws.html) - 3 Prerequisites 8 Tue Oct 6 2 - 2:50pm EC Kuhn Mon Oct 12 2 - 2:50pm ITC Kuhn Managing a Majordomo List (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~llynch/majordomo) Wed Oct 14 3 - 3:50pm EC Lynch Using MHonArc to Create A Web Archive for a Majordomo List (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~consult/deptcomp/) Wed Oct 21 3 - 3:50pm EC` Lynch Electronic Research Resources Database Concepts: Search Like a Pro! Thu Nov 5 3 - 4:20pm EC Frantz Janus: Access to the World Online Thu Oct 8 2 - 3:20pm EC Klos Wed Oct 14 4 - 5:20pm EC Klos Tue Oct 20 11am - 12:20pm EC Cawthorne, Darling Thu Oct 22 4 -5:20pm EC Benedicto Fri Oct 30 10 - 11:20am EC Esau Net a Job: Use the Web (Contact the Career Center, 346-3235, to register for this workshop) Thu Oct 15 3 - 4:20pm EC Songer Wed Nov 18 3 - 4:50pm EC Songer Statistics on the Internet Wed Oct 28 3 - 4:20pm EC Stave Tue Nov 3 2 - 3:20pm EC Stave Publishing on the Web (3 Prerequisites 8) Introduction to Web Publishing Mon Oct 12 3 - 4:50pm EC Bell (http://libweb.uoregon.edu/govdocs/webpub/) Wed Oct 28 1 - 2:50pm EC Bell Tue Nov 10 10 - 11:50am EC TDSmith, Sotak Intermediate Workshops in Web Publishing 1: More HTML (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/morehtml/) Mon Oct 26 3 - 4:50pm RSR Johnson 2: Designing for the Web (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~cbell/design/) Mon Nov 2 3 - 4:50pm RSR Bell 3: Images on Web Pages (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/images/) Mon Nov 9 3 - 4:50pm RSR Holman 4: Imagemaps & Access Counters (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/maps/) Mon Nov 16 3 - 4:50pm RSR Holman 5: HTML Tools and Tricks (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/debugging/) Mon Nov 23 3 - 4:50pm RSR Johnson 6: Organizing Your Web Site (http://libweb.uoregon.edu/govdocs/webpub/orgindex.html) Mon Nov 30 3 - 4:50pm RSR TD Smith 10 computing news fall 1998 Workshop Day/Date Time Location Presenter Miscellaneous Topics Beginning Photoshop for Web Publishers Wed Nov 18 1 - 2:20pm ITC Kim Cascading Style Sheets (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/css/) Tue Nov 10 1 - 2:20pm EC Bell, Johnson Forms & CGI Scripts (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/forms/) - 3 Prerequisites Fri Nov 13 1 - 2:20pm RSR Johnson Javascript (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~jqj/inter-pub/js/) - 3 Prerequisites Fri Nov 20 1 - 2:20pm RSR Johnson Scanning: Digitized Images for Web Publishing - 3 Prerequisites Thu Oct 29 10 - 11:20am ITC Hall Web Publishing with Dreamweaver and Cyberstudio (...for experienced web publishers) Wed Nov 4 1 - 2:20pm SCI Holman FALL WORKSHOPS Workshops on Video: Many of these workshops are available on videotape. Call 346-4406 or 346-3091 for more information. By Jim Bohle and Susan Hilton jbohle@oregon.uoregon.edu hilton@oregon.uoregon.edu After more than a year of anticipation, preparation and publicity, the latest versions of the BANNER administra- tive applications are up and running across campus. With BANNER 3.0, the much-heralded Graphical User Interface (GUI) becomes more widely available, and thus begins the phasing-out of character-mode access to BANNER over the next twelve months. Recommended Configurations To make use of GUI access to BANNER, users? desktop computers must meet the following recommended minimum machine configurations: n What You Need to Know About BANNER 3.0 and Going GUI Windows 95 / NT: ? Pentium-class PC ? 32MB RAM ? 20MB free disk space ? 15-inch display MacIntosh ? Mac PowerPC (G3 preferred, minimum 200MHz) ? 64MB RAM ? 200MB free disk space ? 15-inch display ? MacOS 7.5.5 (or later) ? Windows 95/NT emulation software, such as SoftWindows 5.0 (best) or Virtual PC 2.0 All current machine configurations will be acceptable for character-mode BANNER's New Graphical Interface is Here! access to BANNER 3.0 until Labor Day, 1999, when BANNER 4.0 is scheduled for installation. BANNER 4.0 provides only GUI access to BAN- NER, so users must have the mini- mum machine configurations noted above by that date. Note: The BANNER HRIS (Human Re- sources Information System) space mod- ule will be in production January, 1999. However, BANNER HRIS users should prepare to have GUI access by Fall, 1998. Questions? For more information, including ad- ditional detail on specific Macintosh issues, see the Microcomputer Ser- vices web page at http://micro.uoregon.edu/mactowin or call Jim Bohle (346-1706) or Susan Hilton (346-1725). * WORKSHOP LOCATION CODES * EC: Electronic Classroom (Windows) 144 Knight Library ITC: Macintosh Classroom 267B Knight Library RSR: Reed Seminar Room (Windows) 235 Knight Library SCI: Science Library (X-terminals and Macs) Onyx Bridge Building, lower level 8 Requires an account on DARKWING or GLADSTONE 11computing news fall 1998 1900-A West 7th Avenue Eugene, OR 97402 541-343-0303 QUALITY Have you tried a remanufactured cartridge lately? Over the past few years, the science of rebuilding cartridges for laser printers, fax machines and small copiers has improved dramatically. In fact, independent studies now show that many remanufactured cartridges are higher quality than new ones. At Office Imaging, we pride ourselves on having the best cartridges in the industry. Every component of every cartridge is tested, inspected, and replaced as needed with higher quality parts than the originals. The result is a cartridge that produces top quality text and graphics that's as good, or better, than originally- manufactured cartridges! Before you Buy Your Next Toner Cartridge, Take a Look at the Benefits of Ours Call today and Office Imaging will provide one of our premium toner car- tridges for a free 30-day trial! When you are satisfied, you pay only 1/2 price for the trial cartridge or return it and owe nothing. Limit 1 per customer RELIABILITY Many people believe that buying a recycled toner cartridge is a gamble. In the past that may have been true because many components were not available to replace wearable parts, making it difficult to produce a reliable cartridge. That's not the case any longer. Office Imaging can replace every wearable part to make our premium remanufactured products as trouble-free as the originals. When you put a cartridge in your machine, you expect great results for the life of the cartridge. With our toner cartridges, that's just what you'll get - cartridges that work the first time, every time, Guaranteed! Try one today! CALL FOR A NO-RISK 30-DAY TRIAL TODAY By Joe St Sauver joe@oregon.uoregon.edu We are pleased to announce that after reviewing all relevant factors, Metricom has decided to continue offering Rico- chet wireless modem service in Eugene. According to Harris Loeser of Metricom, Ricochet service will cost $179/year under the University Part- ner program. Original Ricochet mo- dems are available for purchase at $149 (rental modems are no longer offered). Ricochet wireless modem service is an excellent option for UO users who ? want an alternative to the Univer- sity?s busy dialin modem pools ? want to be able to stay online for comparatively long periods of time ? want to avoid having to buy a second phone line to dedicate for modem use ? want to be able to connect via lap- top while away from regular phone lines Note that Original Ricochet wireless modem service may not be right for you if you want to use Ricochet in an area of the Eugene-Springfield metro region that isn?t serviced by Metricom, or need 56Kbps or better throughput (Original Ricochet service typically de- livers in the 14.4Kbps-28.8Kbps range). For more information on the Ricochet product and University Partner pricing, see http://www.ricochet.net/order/ pricing/academic/univ.html Ricochet Wireless Modem Service to Continue in Eugene 12 computing news fall 1998 During the summer, Symantec Cor- poration updated the Norton AntiVirus software (NAV) for both Macintosh and Windows. This software is free to current UO students, faculty and staff. Microcomputer Services staff strongly recommends installing antiviral soft- ware to help protect your computer against potential loss of data and time. UO Site License Guarantees Additional Year of Free Virus Definition File Downloads When installed, some NAV products may warn that only one year of free virus definition file downloads remains. Don't worry: the UO has a site license for NAV products until June, 2000. If you're still a current UO student, fac- ulty or staff member during the 1999/ 2000 school year, you'll be able to up- date your version of Norton AntiVirus and receive an additional year of virus definition file downloads at that time. NAV 5.0 for Windows NAV 5.0 has a number of useful new features, including ? Improved LiveUpdate? - The built- in LiveUpdate? feature enables Norton AntiVirus to automatically retrieve new virus definitions from Symantec as often as once a week. With version 5.0, the software downloads only the newest definitions, so updates are small, fast, and efficient. ? Quarantine - With version 5.0, you can now isolate infected files in a safe corner of your computer until you?re able to repair them. This quarantine area ensures that your other files stay clean and that you don?t accidentally send infected files to anyone else. ? Scan and Deliver - The new Scan and Deliver wizard makes it easy to send quarantined or other suspicious files to Symantec for evaluation. ? Surf the Internet safely - NAV 5.0 provides protection against mali- cious codes. Aside from thousands of viruses, it can detect and remove 2. When asked to run Duckware, press ?GO!? 3. Once the Duckware interface starts, click ?Install Other Software? 4. Click the ?Antiviral Software? link on the window that appears At this point, you can scroll down the window and choose to install NAV 5.0 for either Windows 95/98 (this is a single installer), or Windows NT Workstation. 2. ?from the Novell Server If you're on campus, you can install NAV 5.0 software directly from the Novell file server, Public. To do this, 1.Double-click the ?Network Neigh- borhood? icon on your Desktop 2.Double-click the ?Entire Network? icon (Windows NT users: click on the ?Netware Network? icon) 3.Look for the item named Public and double-click on it 4.If you're asked for a userid and/or password, check the ?Connect as guest? checkbox and then click ?OK? (Windows NT users may need to enter the username ?Guest? with no pass- word before clicking ?OK?) 5. Double-click the Public icon again and you should now see two folders called ?Software? and ?Sys? 6. Open the following folders in order: Software->AntiVirus->Norton AntiVirus You'll now see folders for Windows 95/ 98, NT Workstation, and other operat- ing systems. Open ?Windows 95/98? or ?Windows NT Workstation.? Read ?README.TXT? We strongly recommend reading the ?README.TXT? file before continu- ing. This file contains important infor- mation about installing Norton AntiVirus on your machine. In some cases (Windows 98 users take note!) it is critical that you read this file for infor- mation that may affect you directly. From within these folders you can run the NAV 5.0 installer by double- clicking on the ?Setup.exe? icon or by opening the folder named ?Network Installer? and double-clicking on the ?Setup.exe? icon. In most cases, you'll need to map the folder to a network drive. Remember to read the file Windows 95/98/NT and Mac AntiViral By Hervey Allen hervey@oregon.uoregon.edu dangerous forms of ActiveX code, Java applets, and Trojan horses. Windows System Requirements Here are the system requirements for Windows machines: Windows 95/98 ? Intel 80486/25 or higher processor ?blank 8MB RAM (16MB or more strongly recommended) ?blank 24MB of available hard disk space ? CD-ROM Drive Windows NT 4.0 ? Intel CPU ? Windows NT Workstation 4.0 soft- ware (NT Server users see below)* ? 16MB RAM (32MB or more strongly recommended) ? 24MB of available hard disk space ? CD-ROM Drive *Windows NT 4.0 Server users: NAV 5.0 for NT Server was released in mid- September, too late to be included on the Duckware CD-ROM. You can, how- ever, access the latest version of NAV for NT Server (for both Intel and DEC Alpha) from the Novell file server Pub- lic. You'll find this software in the same folder locations as the Windows 95/98 and NT Workstation versions of NAV. Where to get NAV 5.0 for Windows You may obtain the new version of NAV for Windows 95, 98, and NT in one of two ways: 1. ?from the Duckware CD-ROM If you have a copy of the Fall 1998 Duckware CD-ROM, you can install NAV 5.0 directly from the Duckware interface by following these steps: 1. Insert the Duckware CD-ROM in your computer?s CD-ROM drive 13computing news fall 1998 ?README.TXT? for detailed instructions. Note to Windows 3.1 Users: Norton AntiVirus for Windows 3.1 was not updated by Symantec. The current version of NAV is 4.0, and you'll find it on the Novell file server Public. To connect to Public, log in and type F:\LOGIN> login public/guest You will now have an ?S:? drive mapped to the folder named ?Soft- ware? on Public. To access NAV 4.0, go to S:\WIN31\ANTVIRUS. Be sure to read the file ?README.TXT? for further instructions. If you have the Fall 1998 Duckware CD-ROM, you can run the NAV 4.0 installer directly from the CD by clicking on the follow- ing links in the Duckware interface: ? Install Other Software ? AntiViral Software ? Install Norton Antivirus for Windows 3.1 NAV 5.0 for the Mac The available antiviral software for the Mac used to be known as SAM (Symantec Antivirus for the Macintosh). The last version of this software was 4.5.3. Microcomputer Services has updated the SAM 4.5.3 installer to in- clude the latest virus definition files from Symantec. Symantec currently continues to support new virus defi- nition files for SAM 4.5.3, but this support may go away as future ver- sions of Norton AntiVirus for the Mac are released. We recommend upgrad- ing to NAV 5.0 when possible. New Features Some of NAV 5.0?s handy new fea- tures include ? faster scanning on PowerPC Macs ? the capability to download updates via modem or over the Internet using LiveUpdate? (not available in SAM 4.5.3) ? automatic repair of incoming files ? detection and removal of unidenti- fied macro viruses ? SafeZone? protection (alerts you to viruses from Internet downloads, email attachments, floppy disks, shared files, and networks) ? scanning of compressed files using StuffIt? technology Mac System Requirements Here's what you'll need to run NAV 5.0 on your Mac: ? Macintosh (68040 processor minimum) or Power Macintosh ? System 7.5 minimum ? 8MB of RAM (16MB or more strongly recommend) ? 10MB of hard disk space ? CD-ROM drive ? Modem and Internet connection (required for LiveUpdate?) The SAM 4.5.3 Alternative Based on these requirements, a number of users won't be able to use NAV 5.0. For the time being, these people can continue to use SAM 4.5.3. SAM 4.5.3 can be installed from the Fall 1998 Duckware CD-ROM and from the CC Public Domain AppleShare file server. You can find the UO SAM 4.5.3 Installer the same way you find the UO NAV 5.01 Installer as described below. Although no plans have yet been announced, remember that Symantec may discontinue support for SAM in the future. Where to Get NAV 5.0 You may obtain the new version of NAV for the Mac in one of two ways: 1 . ? from the Duckware CD-ROM If you have a copy of the Fall 1998 Duckware CD-ROM, you can install NAV 5.0 directly from the Duckware interface. To run the NAV 5.0 installer from Duckware, 1. Place the Duckware CD-ROM in your computer?s CD-ROM drive 2. When asked to run Duckware, press ?Continue? 3. Once the Duckware interface starts, click ?Install Other Software? 4. Click the ?Antiviral Software? link in the window that appears 5. Click on the link, ?Install Symantec?s Norton Antivirus for Macintosh 5.0" (At this point, those who need to install SAM 4.5.3 can click ?Install Symantec Antivirus for Macintosh 4.5.3,? instead) 2 ?from CC Public Domain If you're on campus, you can install NAV 5.0 directly from CC Public Domain AppleShare file server by following these steps: 1. Go to the Apple Menu 2. Select Chooser 3. Highlight the AppleShare icon (upper left in the Chooser) 4. Scroll down the AppleTalk Zone list (lower left) and highlight ?UOnet? 5. In the list of file servers (upper right), find CC Public Domain and highlight it 6. Click ?OK? 7. Click the ?Guest? radio button in the dialogue that appears, and then click ?OK? 8. In the next dialogue, highlight CC Public Domain and click ?OK? 9. An icon named ?CC Public Domain? will now appear on your desktop 10. Double-click on the CC Public Domain icon and open the follow- ing folders in order: Virus Software ->Norton AntiVirus Mac (NAV 5) You can now double-click the file ?UO NAV 5.01 Installer? to run the Norton AntiVirus 5.0 for the Macintosh installa- tion program. (Those who need SAM 4.5.3 should open the Virus Software- >Symantec Antivirus Mac (SAM 4) fold- ers and double-click ?UO SAM 4.5.3 Installer? to install SAM.) Need More Help? If you have questions or problems concerning antiviral software instal- lation, contact the Microcomputer Support Center at 346-4412 or microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu. You may also check their web site at http://micro.uoregon.edu Software Updated for Fall 1998 14 computing news fall 1998 Changes to GLADSTONE Mail System Speed Delivery, Increase Storage By Steve VanDevender stevev@darkwing.uoregon.edu Over the summer, GLADSTONE?s mail system was reconfigured to improve performance and to increase the amount of mail you can receive and store in your account. Bottlenecks Alleviated Storage Enhancements. As a result of the reconfiguration, GLADSTONE users can now store twice as much as they previously could (up to 10,000K) in their accounts. In addition, because mail is no longer stored separately, all account files count toward the same quota. If you don?t get a lot of mail and want to store other files (such as web pages or homework), you can use the space for that instead?but note that if you completely fill up your account, you won't be able to receive new mail. Under the old file storage system, a user named ?jersmith? had his mail delivered into the file ?/var/spool/mail/jersmith?. With more than 15,000 GLADSTONE users each having a file in /var/spool/mail, searching this directory to find a particular mail file took a significant amount of time. Since all mail was delivered to, and retrieved from, this single file system, on very busy days the mail files system was ?maxed out? just trying to read and write mail files. To eliminate this bottleneck, GLADSTONE?s mail software was reconfigured to deliver mail to, and retrieve mail from, a file called ?.mail? in each account?s home directory. Consequently, the user ?jersmith? now has mail delivered to ?/home11/jersmith/.mail?. This distributes the effort of mail delivery and retrieval over about a dozen home directory file systems. Now, even during the busiest days, you should experience faster mail delivery to other GLADSTONE recipients and faster access to your own mail. Increased Quotas. In addition, all us- ers with the standard 5000K quota have had their quota doubled to 10,000K. Some Changes to Watch for? If you're a typical GLADSTONE user who reads mail with PINE or uses a remote mail reader like Eudora, Mulberry, or Microsoft Outlook, you may have noticed little more than faster access to your mail and greater storage capacity. However, if you have a customized mail configuration or use un- supported mail software (anything other than PINE, POP, or IMAP on GLADSTONE) you may experience problems. To avoid as many of these problems as possible, we took the following steps during the conversion: 1. The environment variable MAIL has been set to $HOME/.mail, which tells most unsupported mail soft- ware where to find your mail. 2. If your PINE configuration in .pinerc had set ?inbox-path? to the word ?inbox? or something containing ?/usr/spool/mail/?, ?/var/spool/ mail/?,?/var/mail/?,or ?/newmail/?, it was automatically edited to use the correct default of ?~/.mail?, and your original .pinerc was saved in .pinerc.old. 3. If your .procmailrc had set the ORGMAIL or DEFAULT variables to something containing ?/var/spool/mail/?, ?/var/mail/?, ?/usr/spool/mail/?, or ?/newmail/?, these settings were automatically changed to use ?$HOME/.mail? instead, and your original .procmailrc was saved in .procmailrc.old 4. If you already had a file named ?.mail? in your home directory, it was automatically renamed to ?.mail.old?. Problems? If you're still experiencing problems, it may be because you're not using the standard shell (/bin/csh) or because you have an unusual customized mail configuration. Examine your configuration to make sure it doesn't attempt to store mail in, or retrieve mail from, /var/spool/mail or /var/mail. Also check to see that it looks for incoming mail in ~/.mail. If you use PINE, make sure you leave the value of ?inbox-path? blank in your PINE configuration. To do this, 1. Start PINE by typing the command ?pine?. 2. Choose ?SETUP? (type S) in the main menu, then type C to do general configuration. 3. Highlight the ?inbox-path? field using the arrow keys. 4. If the ?inbox-path? field says something other than ?No Value Set:?, followed by the correct default mail file, type D to set the default value for ?inbox-path? and Y to confirm that you want to delete the non-default value. 5. Type E to exit configuration, and confirm that you want to save it by typing Y. You should then be able to reselect your inbox from the folder list (L in the PINE main menu) and find your incoming mail. Questions? If you have other questions about these changes to GLADSTONE?s mail system, contact our UNIX consultants at consult@gladstone.uoregon.edu or 346-1758. 15computing news fall 1998 Two new Digital AlphaStation 500/400s were added to the ALPHA cluster this summer, increasing the number of AlphaStations in the cluster to five. The ALPHA cluster supports such compute-intensive research applications as ? rendering graphics ? calculating genetic relationships ? designing 3D molecular models ? solving complex mathematical equations ? running statistical analyses Users should experience less contention for cpu resources now that there are more computers to share the load. Please remember to be courteous of other users and run only one background job per machine so that others? jobs will finish in a timely fashion. Who Can Use ALPHA? Anyone with a DARKWING account can use the ALPHA cluster. To access it, simply log in to alpha.uoregon.edu with your DARKWING username and password. Who to Contact If you?re interested in using one of the many commercial software packages available on ALPHA (see the software table on page 16), or if you want to write your own Fortan, C, or C++ code, contact Hans Kuhn (hak@oregon.uoregon.edu, 346-1714) for more information. New additions promise easier , quicker access to cpu resources n Good News for ALPHA Users! More ALPHA Stations Added By Hans Kuhn hak@oregon.uoregon.edu Bellevue Computer, Inc. U of O Faculty, Staff & Student Discounts Academic Software Systems, Components Upgrades, Repairs, Networking, On-Site Bellevue Computer, Inc. 1020 Greenacres Rd Delta Oaks Mall (near GI Joe?s) 342-3509 (fax) 342-3701 16 computing news fall 1998 Software Available on ALPHA, DARKWING, & OREGON By Hans Kuhn hak@oregon.uoregon.edu Type of Software ALPHA DARKWING OREGON Statistics Packages sas sas SAS spss bmdp SPSS minitab Splus SCA Splus eqs PRELIS/LISREL rats/estima rats/estima SHAZAM lindo SLAM slam LINDO Text Editors pico pico EVE vi vi VI emacs and xemacs emacs and xemacs MicroEMACS eve TEX and LATEX TEX and LATEX Network Software ftp (remote file transfer) pine (email) PINE (email) telnet (remote log-in) ftp (remote file transfer) FTP (remote file transfer) lynx (Web browser) telnet (remote log-in) TELNET (remote log-in) ssh (secure log-in) lynx (Web browser) LYNX (Web browser) pgp (encryption) trn, tin, nn (USENET News) TIN (USENET News) ssh (secure log-in) pgp (encryption) X Window-Only netscape (Web browser) ileaf6 (desktop publishing) NETSCAPE (Web browser) xv (image manipulation) coreldraw (graphics) acroread (Acrobat Reader) netscape (Web browser) xv (image manipulation) acroread (Acrobat Reader) Programming cc and gcc cc and gcc C c++ and g++ c++ and g++ FORTRAN f77 and f90 (FORTRAN) f77 (FORTRAN) PASCAL pc (Pascal) pc (Pascal) IMSL math/stat libraries IMSL math/stat libraries IMSL math/stat libraries NCAR fortran graphic libs NCAR fortran graphic libs Java developer's kit Java developer's kit tcl/tk (scripting language ) tcl/tk (scripting language) Mathematics mathematica mathematica MATHEMATICA maple matlab Miscellaneous rasmol (3-D molecules) RealAudio server (Also radiance (3-D rendering) available on GLADSTONE) clustalw (gene sequencing) 17computing news fall 1998 We Repair Monitors & Macs Quickly, reasonably, and most important, correctly. Free Pickup & Delivery! RMSELECTRONICS 24951 McCutcheon, Veneta, OR 97487 (541)935-8623 TechMedic COMPUTERS (541)935-3526 * Expert monitor repair * HP Laser Printer repair * Refubished PC and Mac * monitors at great prices * Mac repair specialists * Peripheral repairs * Upgrades * Internet setups 18 computing news fall 1998 By Matthew Latterell mlattere@oregon.uoregon.edu ?Start Menu? folder and release the mouse button. When you're done, drag the original shortcut to the Recycle Bin. Modifying the Programs menu. If you want to add to the Programs menu, you'll still need to open the Start Menu by right-clicking it once and choosing ?Open.? The folder that opens won't show every item in the Start Menu (only ?Programs? and any shortcuts found above Programs in the Start Menu can be modified). Double-click the Programs folder to display all folders and shortcuts under the Programs option. These can then be renamed, deleted, or reorganized. Any changes you make will be immediately available through the Start Menu. Creating shortcuts. To create a shortcut, ? find the icon for the real item ? click on it once with the right mouse button ? select ?Create Shortcut? The new shortcut will appear next to the real icon with the words ?Shortcut to? in front of the original name. This shortcut can then be added to the Start Menu by dragging it to the open Start Menu or Programs folder. You can also place it on the main Windows 95/ 98 desktop by dragging it there. If you're using Microsoft Office and have the Office toolbar on the screen, try adding a shortcut to a program or document on the Office toolbar by dragging it over the toolbar and re- leasing the mouse button. Windows 98 and Microsoft Internet Ex- plorer 4.01?s Windows Desktop Update add more shortcut options through en- hancements to the Windows taskbar. Other programs, like Corel's WordPerfect Suite, also have toolbars that can ac- commodate additional shortcuts. Macintosh Since the release of OS 7.5, the Apple Menu has automatically provided a handy list of utilities and shortcuts to ?Recent Applications,? ?Recent Docu- ments,? and ?Recent Servers.? These built-in shortcuts offer quick access to the report you wrote last night or the database you accessed yesterday. This is a vast improvement over the multi- step process of opening a succession of folders to find the file you want. Built-in Aliases. The Apple Menu is actually a folder inside the Mac System Folder. The majority of items listed in the Apple Menu are ?aliases? to a real program or document stored on the hard drive. Aliases are simply shortcuts to the actual item, a road map that the Mac OS can follow to find and open the program or document. The ?Apple Menu Items? folder also contains a set of utilities such as a cal- culator, a notepad and a ?find file? pro- gram, as well as other folders or aliases to folders found on your hard drive. Items like ?Recent Applications,? ?Recent Documents,? and ?Control Panels? are especially useful because they expand to display what's inside the folders. Creating your own aliases. The flex- ibility of the Apple Menu makes it possible to add your own aliases to specific files and folders. To create an alias, find the icon of the real item, click on it once and press the Command and M keys (or select ?Make Alias? from the File menu). An alias of the file will appear next to the real item. Aliases are always italicized and usually have the word ?alias? in the name (e.g., an alias of the folder ?Excel Documents? would be ?Excel Documents alias?). To add this new alias icon to the Apple Menu Items, move it to the ?Apple Menu Items? folder in- side the System Folder. Organizing the Apple Menu. You can also rearrange the items inside the Apple Menu Items folder. I usually create a folder named ?Toys? or ?Utilities? and stick most of the default applications like Calculator and Stickies inside it to get them out of the way and shorten the Apple Menu. Of course, aliases can be created and placed anywhere, including the desktop. If going to the Apple Menu Items is one step too many, put the alias for your most used applications or document folder right on the desktop. Save Time by Using System Shortcuts and Aliases A recent Dagwood comic strip poked fun at the ?timesaving features? of personal computers. Dagwood tells Blondie he just finished two hours of work on their new home computer. How long would it have taken without the computer? Blondie asks. Dagwood delivers the punch line: ?30 minutes.? While the joke is an old one, for many of us it can still ring true. One way to increase computing efficiency is to sim- plify access to frequently used files and programs. In addition to using the built- in shortcuts most Windows and Mac- intosh systems provide, you can cus- tomize shortcuts to your particular needs. Here are some tips to get you started: Windows 95/98 The Windows 95/98 Start Menu pro- vides several levels of shortcuts to documents and programs. For example, ? most items listed under the Start Menu are shortcuts to actual docu- ments, folders and applications ? most applications add a program file shortcut to the ?Programs? option of the Start Menu ? the ?Documents? option contains any recent documents (including graphics, test and sound files, etc.) you opened by double-clicking For easier access, many applications (such as Microsoft Office and Corel WordPerfect) allow you to place shortcuts on a level above the existing Start Menu choices. Adding shortcuts to the Start Menu. The easiest way to add shortcuts to the Start Menu is to drag the item you want to ?shortcut? over the Start Menu icon and release the mouse button. This places the shortcut above the Programs option. For example, if you want to move the shortcut to your Dial-Up Networking connections off the desktop, you can drag it to the open Computing Tips 19computing news fall 1998 Virtual Office Systems Computing Center Web Site http://cc.uoregon.edu Microcomputer Services (Room 202) ? Windows and Macintosh software and hardware ? Internet connections, file transfers ? public domain software, virus protection ? help with damaged disks, files 346-4412 microhelp@oregon.uoregon.edu http://micro.uoregon.edu Large systems consulting (Rooms 233-239 ) ? VMS, UNIX (GLADSTONE, DARKWING, OREGON) ? statistics packages ? email 346-1758 consult@darkwing.uoregon.edu consult@gladstone.uoregon.edu consult@oregon.uoregon.edu Help Desk (south entry lobby) ? computing accounts, passwords Documents Room Library (Room 205) 346-4406 http://cc.uoregon.edu/~docsrm Electronics Shop For computer hardware repair, installation, and upgrade services, call 346-4403. Network Services Designs, installs, maintains, and trouble- shoots networks and network software for a wide variety of platforms. 346-4395 nethelp@oregon.uoregon.edu http://ns.uoregon.edu Modem Numbers Dial-in modem numbers for UOnet, the campus network: ? V.90/x2 346-6520 ? Kflex/V.90 346-3565 ? V.34+ (33.6 Kbps) 346-5975 Computing Center Hours Sunday 9 am - 8:30 pm Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 8:30 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 4:30 pm COMPUTING NEWS UO COMPUTING CENTER 1212 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE, OR 97403-1212 COMPUTING CENTER GUIDE ? N