[K12OSN] Mass remote login to computer lab systems

[monteslu at cox.net]

I think the original question here deserves some consideration.

Sure most kids these days have no problem logging in and remembering passwords but auto-login could be helpful for kids that are young enough to still be learning the alphabet.

The school I volunteer for is pre-k through 8th. There are four year olds that we have using the lab.
Why shouldn't something like the thin client manager be able to log in and out a group of machines?

Luis


---- "\"Terrell Prudé Jr.\"" <microman at cmosnetworks.com> wrote: 
> James P. Kinney III wrote:
> > On Fri, 2008-02-01 at 16:18 -0800, Hung Phan wrote:
> >   
> >> WOL is something we are working on too for the lab but the current
> >> issue is to send the login credential to 40 remote systems. The
> >> teacher wants to log into 40 systems at the beginning of every testing
> >> period to save time. We accomplish something like this on the Mac by
> >> scripting but not sure about Linux. May be someone have a better
> >> solution? We are open to all solution: open source, script, or
> >> commercial.
> >>
> >>     
> > <rant>
> > At the risk of sounding like a jerk, why are the teachers incapable of
> > instructing the students on how to log into the machines. It takes all
> > of 15 seconds and is a valuable part of the learning process. I've seen
> > first graders happily logging into their own account using a username
> > and password. I've also seen teachers unable to access their email
> > because they can't remember to look at the caps-lock key.
> > </rant>
> >
> >   
> 
> Gotta agree there.  Remember, folks, kids today are growing up with
> computers the same way that my generation grew up with televisions and
> VCR's.  Even the youngest of schoolchildren today have no problem
> putting in a username and password.
> 
> > If the teachers can't make that work just setup the machines for
> > autologin and do a wake on LAN startup. Now they are always running and
> > ready for use by anyone who sits down.
> >
> > If the schools are going to be able to effectively use this tremendous
> > technology upgrade to Linux thin clients (or Linux at all) the
> > technologists who make it happen have to raise the bar on the knowledge
> > expectations of the teachers. The kids will generally be running circles
> > around the teachers in a week on new tech in the classroom. The teachers
> > MUST step up and gain at the barest minimum a functional foundation of
> > computers. Linux systems are extremely powerful tools and training of
> > teachers of good practices and habits is mandatory.
> >   
> 
> It never ceases to amaze me how teachers preen themselves with their
> pedigrees, but then will nearly-violently refuse to learn to use a new
> tool, claiming, "waaah, it's too hard!"  Then their "uneducated" kids
> walk up to it and use it with aplomb....
> 
> Case in point.  Just last month I popped a 12-year-old kid in front of a
> CentOS 5 box.  He had never even *heard* of Linux or GNU before.  Within
> seconds, he had Firefox up and was otherwise moving around the computer
> like there was nothing to it.
> 
> Here's another:  I know a high school kid whose English teacher was
> getting all upset and bent out of shape because "THE COMPUTER'S NOT
> WORKING!"  She was all set to take this up the chain of command.  Well,
> without saying a word, this kid walked up to the computer, pressed the
> button marked "POWER", and the computer magically started working.  Did
> she thank him?  Nope.  On the contrary, she gave him what he described
> to me as a most baleful, nearly hateful, look.  Right then, he lost all
> respect for her, and I don't blame him.
> 
> --TP