[K12OSN] Fl_Teachertool Distribute File Problem

[Nick Fenger]

Robert,

Per your questions:

I do have visudo per the docs and all of the other teachertool features work
for non-roots. 

As far as accessing homes is concerned, it is not only a teachertool
problem. When I log directly into the k12ltsp server (i.e. start a Gnome
session) and open File Browser I can see all of the mounted home directory
names but I cannot list or access the files. It is as if root on my local
box is not really acting as root? 


Does the teachertool distribute feature need root access to homes even if
you are running is as a non-root user? (see below for clarification of my
problem).

Thanks,

-Nick

-----Original Message-----
From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf
Of Robert Arkiletian
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 11:06 PM
To: Support list for open source software in schools.
Subject: Re: [K12OSN] Fl_Teachertool Distribute File Problem

2008/3/3 Nick Fenger <nick at trilliumcharterschool.org>:
>
> Hello K12OSNers,
>
> I am getting the following errors when using the Distribute Function in
> Teacher Tool (Fl_Teachertool version 0.41) on a K12LTSP 6.0 box w/
seperate
> PDC/LDAP box.
>
> cp: cannot stat `/home/oceans/test.txt': Permission denied
> cp: cannot stat `/home/alekst/test.txt': Permission denied
>
> I get the error when non-root users to run teachertool and when I am
running
> it logged in under root. I'm not sure if this is important, but, the root
on

fl_teachertool will not work properly for non root users. You have to
setup visudo for teachers as described here
http://www3.telus.net/public/robark/Fl_TeacherTool/installationk12ltsp.html#
sudo

Also if you run it as root make sure you become root like this
su -
not just
su

> the terminal server can only list the home directories but not access or
> change the files. We have a separate PDC/LDAP server where the home
> directories are kept. I am not entirely sure why I cannot read/write
student
> directories under root, this happened when I had the LDAP server rebuilt
> last year (it used to work).

Are you talking about specifically with fl_teachertool or in general?
I don't have LDAP experience maybe someone else can help here.

>
> I am thinking that I need to somehow give users in the Teacher's Group
> access to the directories of the students (or at least a directory on
their
> desktop)? Is this something I need to configure on the LDAP server (like
> permissions or group membership) - OR - Do I need to configure every user
to
> accept the files (is there a script that does this?)

Are you wanting teachers to access student homes so they can mark
stuff? If that's the case, I would recommend handin folders where
students (others) only have write and execute permission with the
sticky bit set but the teacher has full access.

>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated, i've got everything else in the
tool
> working (even did the recomple of vncreflector.) - I LOVE this program, it
> has changed the way I teach!

Glad to hear it. I enjoy using it too.

-- 
Robert Arkiletian
Eric Hamber Secondary, Vancouver, Canada
Fl_TeacherTool http://www3.telus.net/public/robark/Fl_TeacherTool/
C++ GUI tutorial http://www3.telus.net/public/robark/

_______________________________________________
K12OSN mailing list
K12OSN at redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>