Roaming Computing System (Windows Edition) 3.6 - Release Notes

Updates
Upgrading from Version 3.5 to 3.6

Server
Workstations
Windows User Profiles
Firewall
Impact On Users

Known Issues

Software Applications
Deployment
Server
Miscellaneous

Updates

See the general changelog and packages.xml changelog

Upgrading From Version 3.5 to 3.6

If you're upgrading from an even earlier version you should follow the upgrade advice for each version.

Server

Use this when upgrading an existing server rather than setting one up from scratch.

WPKG

Make sure you're already up-to-date with RCS 3.5 using packages.xml 1.6.0 and profiles.xml version 1.1.
Copy the updated WPKG packages to the server. Use either scp, WinSCP or FileZilla. If you copy it via Windows / Samba as winadmin then permissions should be OK. If you copy it as root then you'll need to set permissions, see 'Reset permissions' further on. These are the packages that have changed between RCS 3.5 and 3.6 (note that some of these versions will have since been superseded through security updates, so see the changelog):

7-zip 4.65
AdBlock Plus 1.2.1
CCleaner (Slim) 2.26.1050
Enigmail 1.1.2
FileZilla 3.3.0.1
Firefox 3.6.8
Flash Player 10.1.53.64
Foxit Reader 3.3.1.0518
GIMP 2.6.10
GIMP Help 2.6.0
Go-oo (Novell's OpenOffice) 3.2.0-13 + openoffice-installer-customisation.mst
Go-oo (Novell's OpenOffice) language pack for EN-UK
InfraRecorder 0.50
Inkscape 0.47
IrfanView 4.25
IrfanView Plugins 4.25
K-Lite Codec Pack (Standard) 5.7.0
Lightning 1.0beta2
Mail Redirect 0.7.4-RCS-3
Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0.1963
Notepad++ 5.6.6
Picasa 3.6 Build 95.25
Pidgin 2.6.3
QT Lite 3.1.0
Real Alternative Lite 2.0.1
Scribus 1.3.6
Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.6 update 21
Thunderbird 3.1.1
WinSCP 4.1.9
WPKG Client 1.3.9
Zotero 2.0.3
Zotero OpenOffice plugin 3.0a7

Copy WPKG 1.1.2 (just the bare WPKG files, don't include customised files like hosts.xml and you can ignore wpkg-start.bat as it didn't change): wpkg.js, config.xml, xsd/, tools/, documents/)
Copy packages.xml 1.7.0 (or the latest version in this series if it has since been updated with security and functionality updates - see the changelog)
Copy profiles.xml 1.2.0
Delete the old tweak-unattended directory, and copy over the new tweak-unattended 0.9.6 directory (using either Windows Explorer to copy it to \\server\windows-admin\tweak-unattended\; at the Linux command-line, or scp, WinSCP or FileZilla). If you copy it via Windows / Samba as winadmin then permissions should be OK. If you copy it as root then you'll need to set permissions, see 'Reset permissions' further on.
Add the logon script addendum, netlogon.txt, to the end of the updated logon script 2.0.0 (see below), NETLOGON.BAT at \\server\netlogon\NETLOGON.BAT (Windows), /home/samba/netlogon/NETLOGON.BAT (Linux).
Reset permissions:
chgrp samba-domain-admins /usr/windows-admin -R
chmod u+rwx,g+rwsx,o+rx /usr/windows-admin/tweak-unattended -R
chmod u+rwx,g+rwsx,o+rx /usr/windows-admin/wpkg -R

Other

From Debian 4.0 'Etch' Server guide 1.3.4

The main Debian archive no longer includes Debian 4.0 Etch packages and security updates, so ftp.uk.debian.org and security.debian.org have been replaced with archive.debian.org
GR Soft Virtual Mail Manager - So that it can be accessed from a saner URL: cp -a /srv/mailmanager/login.php /srv/mailmanager/index.php
GR Soft Virtual Mail Manager - To be able to forward mail to outside domains in version 1.7 series, in 'function fqdn_check($fqdn)' in /srv/mailmanager/mgr_main.php, replace 'return (preg_match("/^([a-zA-Z0-9-]{3,}+\.)+([a-zA-Z]{2,3})$/", $fqdn, $regs));' with 'return (preg_match("/^([a-zA-Z0-9-]{3,}+\.)+([a-zA-Z.]{2,10})$/", $fqdn, $regs));' (the bit that is replaced is '[a-zA-Z]{2,3}' with '[a-zA-Z.]{2,10}')
Mail server - removing old deleted mails - the line added to root's crontab to achieve this shouldn't have included 'root', should have read '00 1 * * * find /home/vmail/ -name '*,ST' -ctime +7 | xargs rm -f' rather than '00 1 * * * root find /home/vmail/ -name '*,ST' -ctime +7 | xargs rm -f'.

From 'Debian 4.0 'Etch' Samba guide' 1.0.0:

netlogon.bat (logon script) 1.1.0 / 1.2.0(?) → 2.0.0 - uses TWEAK (Unattended) to provide a framework to automatically deploy user configuration. Copy over the new logon script NETLOGON.BAT to \\server\netlogon\NETLOGON.BAT (Windows), /home/samba/netlogon/NETLOGON.BAT (Linux).

Workstations

Use this when upgrading existing workstations rather than setting them up from scratch.

Whilst WPKG is installing apps that are completely silent, if you want to see what's going on you can use Task Manager on the workstation, or smbstatus on the server.

WPKG should do the following:

Upgrade 7-zip to 4.65
Upgrade AdBlock Plus to 1.2.1
Upgrade CCleaner (Slim) to 2.26.1050
Upgrade Enigmail to 1.1.2
Upgrade FileZilla to 3.3.0.1
Upgrade Firefox to 3.6.8
Upgrade Flash Player to 10.1.53.64
Upgrade Foxit Reader to 3.3.1.0518
Upgrade GIMP to 2.6.10
Upgrade GIMP Help to 2.6.0
Upgrade InfraRecorder to 0.50
Upgrade Inkscape to 0.47 - this takes a long long time to complete. Though not common, we have seen this prompt with "such-and-such files have changed after installation - yes | always answer yes | no | always answer no".
Upgrade IrfanView to 4.25
Upgrade IrfanView Plugins to 4.25
Upgrade K-Lite Codec Pack (Standard) to 5.7.0
Upgrade Lightning to 1.0beta2
Upgrade Mail Redirect to 0.7.4-RCS-3
Upgrade Notepad++ to 5.6.6
Upgrade Picasa to 3.6 Build 95.25 - Picasa appears; Offers update; Requires turning updates off. Opens up the web browser to display release notes, which causes the Zotero upgrade to start up.
Upgrade Pidgin to 2.6.3
Upgrade QT Lite to 3.1.0 - this takes a long time to complete
Upgrade Real Alternative Lite to 2.0.1
Upgrade Scribus to 1.3.6
Upgrade Sun Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to 1.6 update 21
Upgrade Thunderbird to 3.1.1
Upgrade WinSCP to 4.1.9
Upgrade WPKG Client to 1.3.9 - The config screen (wpkginst.exe) appears, choose 'X' to close it down. If you don't have your ultravnc-program-settings.reg file ready on the server in the UltraVNC WPKG package directory, or if ultravnc-program-settings.reg doesn't contain the correct settings, this dialog will give you a chance to amend the settings. This is the last software to be installed.
In WPKG's log you will see the WPKG Client installer give the ERROR "Exit code returned non-successful value (3010)" but still the app installs OK.
Upgrade Zotero to 2.0.3
Upgrade Zotero OpenOffice plugin to 3.0a7
Replace Sun's OpenOffice with Novell's Go-oo OpenOffice 3.2.0-13
Install Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0.1963
Install OpenOffice language pack for EN-UK
Configure Thunderbird 'general system config' (using TWEAK Unattended)
Configure Thunderbird 'disable auto-sync', 'offline working' and 'don't display Migration Assistant' (using TWEAK Unattended)
Configure Thunderbird 'disable updates' (using TWEAK Unattended)
Configure Microsoft Security Essentials whitelisting of UltraVNC (using TWEAK Unattended) - it doesn't pull in the UltraVNC whitelisting. Initially it's OK but after a reboot it's not. So you need to either monitor this for when it flags up UltraVNC and RealVNC as suspicious programs, or force it to do a scan and find the UltraVNC files, then choose Allow → Apply this change. [This might be fixed with the later upgrade to MSE 2.0]
Remove system-wide shortcuts

You should do the following:

Get TWEAK 0.9.4.2 from http://thegoldenear.org/tweak/ and (optionally) copy to each workstation (in case it's required for system configuration), or at least it leave in \\server\windows-admin\.
Check that WPKG Client successfully installed all the new software, on one workstation:

Check WPKG's log (D:\windows\WPKG-<workstation name>.log) for the text ', ERROR' and 'non-successful'(?)
(optionally) in WPKG's log check each installer that was supposed to run.
In WPKG's log you will see the WPKG Client installer give the ERROR "Exit code returned non-successful value (3010)" but still the app installs OK.
Run wpkg-start.bat manually to see if anything runs each and every time by mistake. (Note that when run from the command-line, the log file will instead be at D:\<username>\windows\WPKG-<workstation name>.log).

Login as a regular user → check the TWEAK user log in %USERPROFILE%\tweak.log or that .log files exist for each specific change in %USERPROFILE%\tweak-log\

Windows User Profiles

Use this when upgrading existing Windows user profiles rather than setting them up from scratch.

People's shortcuts will be removed, then recreated. This will happen automatically, once, when each person first logs in. The following changes take place with shortcuts:

Repairs broken Foxit Reader Start Menu shortcut
Changes OpenOffice shortcuts to use 'openoffice.org 3' directory rather than 'openoffice'; we had to change the location because the langpack wouldn't install anywhere other than the default directory
Removes Start Menu/security/F-Prot shortcut

The script that set the Zotero data directory to H: wasn't being made because of an issue in TWEAK Unattended 0.9.5

Firewall

Upgrade pfSense to version 1.2.3.

Impact On Users

It's been necessary to update each person's shortcuts, so any personal alignment or removal of the shortcuts that we provide will be disrupted.

If the workstation is turned on and the upgrade is to take place at this bootup, when you login you will see a rectangular Window with just a back background. This is the software installer installing the updated software. You won't see this if the administrator has previously upgraded the software before you turned on the workstation. If you do see this, do not close the window and do not run any software until it has gone away.

Thunderbird - it's toolbar has changed its look. It is possible to revert to the old behaviour using Help → Migration Assistant and going to the 'New toolbar' section. If you use the Migration Assistant, Do not choose to 'Synchronize IMAP Messages'.

Zotero - will prompt for an upgrade when you first run the Firefox web browser.

Zotero - just the first time you use it it will actually need to be open within Firefox, otherwise items won't be added to it.

Known Issues

Known Issues in Software Applications

Internet Explorer - Is it OK that Internet Explorer says "Your security setting level puts your computer at risk"?
Picasa - settings aren't saved so it prompts you on each use to configure it. This is fixed in our test system, but it still prompts for update on one I tested in the field - I chose to update whilst logged in as regular user and it updated to the latest 3.6 version, build 105.67 (I don't yet understand how)
Picasa - because the setting to disable updates isn't saved, it prompts ordinary users to update it, when updates are available.
Notepad++ - comes up with multiple messages about ANSI plugins not being compatible, asking if want to remove them.
Scribus - When first run after an upgrade it says "there is a problem loading 2 of 28 plugins - oldscribusformat.dll, newfromtemplateplugin.dll" - probably old pluigns in install directory.
GIMP Help Browser opens in a plaintext editor, at least on the test system. Checkout GIMP Help Browser info at http://wpkg.org/Gimp

Known Issues in Deployment

Windows

Microsoft Update and Windows Genuine Advantage - WGA 1.9.0040.0 / 1.9.40.0 - it seems to have changed so we now have to take WGA rather than first being allowed to install updates through Microsoft Update

WPKG - Installs and Upgrades

All Users/Desktop/Inkscape.lnk may be being left in.
K-Lite Codec Pack (Standard) - would we appreciate any changes to klite-settings.ini?
Haali Media Splitter seen in notification area, disappeared when hovered over it, didn't re-appear on logout/login
Inkscape installer issues - http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Win32_Installer
OpenOffice 3.2, Firefox and Thunderbird shortcuts remain in Start Menu - maybe remove-shortcuts.bat is running too early
Microsoft Security Essentials whitelisting of UltraVNC is OK until first reboot where it's lost - though on one deployment it worked OK on a couple. You need to monitor this for when it flags up UltraVNC as a suspicious program and choose Allow → Apply this change(?).
Sound'em 1.0 on test system - what is it?

WPKG - Installs

UltraVNC isn't pulling in its configuration file (whether installed through WPKG, or with the same line run manually) so requires manually setting password and disabling tray icon
Some WPKG config relies on the server being called 'server':

UltraVNC installer prefs and application config
TWEAK Unattended - parts that use dtreg.exe

WPKG Client hasn't yet been configured to bring in settings.xml on a new install, so it will need that doing manually - you can import the file from disk.
Notepad++ - could not process '1' on move command, then it doesn't appear on subsequent restart

WPKG - Upgrades

Picasa prompts about an updated version being available right after installation - "Picasa update is ready - Picasa is ready to install an update. Restart Picasa and install this update now?".
? Java - "the applications listed are currently running and must be closed to allow the install to proceed - jqs.exe". - see http://wpkg.org/Java#Update
UltraVNC - doesn't pull in the settings file so we can't deploy changed settings
WPKG Client fails on error 1310, what is this?

WPKG - Removal

Ogg Codec Pack - We're trying to remove it but it tries to uninstall on each reboot, despite there not being anything in add/remove programs and despite it being removed from profiles.xml
eraser - error 1619 - msiexec /uninstall %SOFTWARE%\eraser\EraserSetup32.msi /qn /norestart'
inkscape -1 - %PROGRAMFILES%\Inkscape\Uninstall.exe /S - no such file anymore
k-lite -1 can't find file
kompozer -1 - couldn't find file specified - cmd /C rmdir /S /Q "%PROGRAMFILES%\KompoZer\unins000.exe" - the command works on its own
nero burning rom - non-successful value 10005 - maybe just needs restart
oggcodecs - system can't find file
Pidgin OTR failed - "pidgin otr not found on your comptuer" - %PROGRAMFILES%\pidgin-otr\pidgin-otr-uninst.exe /S isn't there
Pidgin OTR - are you sure you want to completely remove pidgin-otr 3.2.0-1 and all of its components? → Yes
Picasa - some error with a very long number
Scribus - could not process (remove) scribus - "%PROGRAMFILES%\Scribus\uninst.exe" /S - uninst.exe isn't there
Scribus 1.3.3.11 - uninstall - remains in when upgrade installed, so remains in when remove
Windows Media Player Firefox plugin 1619 - msiexec /uninstall "%SOFTWARE%\wmp-firefox-plugin\ffplugin.msi" /passive
zotero failed - cmd /C rmdir /S /Q "%PROGRAMFILES%\Mozilla Firefox\extensions\zotero@chnm.gmu.edu"
Non-silent uninstall:

ghostscript - choose "Uninstall" → Exit
pidgin otr - are you sure you want to completely remove pidgin-otr 3.2.0-1 and all of its components? → Yes
Ogg Codecs - requires you to answer prompts, so isn't compatible with automated removal
putty - remove saved sessions and seed file? Yes → OK
Scribus says "Scribus x.x.x was successfully removed from your computer"
odf converter integrator / odf-converter-integrator - "OK"
pidgin otr - pidgin otr not found on your comptuer
picasa - system cannot find the path specified.

Known Issues with the Server

The Debian server version 4.0 'Etch' is out of date. The only reason we've not upgraded to version 6.0 'Lenny' is because we haven't mastered the mail server setup under this version yet. If you don't have an internal mail server then this RCS will work with Debian 5.0 'Lenny'
With UPS software installed, get "cannot execute /etc/init.d/powerfail". There's no such thing as /etc/init.d/powerfail - see man upsd.

Miscellaneous

Scribus installs over a previous version, leaving mention of the previous version in Windows' Add/Remove Programs. If you were to use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall the older versions, Add/Remove Programs is actually now pointing to the latest version of Scribus rather than these previous versions.