ANNOUNCEMENTS

WREQ Problem Reporting Tool

Email work requests and problem reports are now being entered into the WREQ problem reporting tool. You should submit all requests directly to WREQ and not to ntadmin or individual staff members. You can do this by posting a request through the web interface at: http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~wreq or simply by sending your email request to WREQ at cs dot sunysb dot edu.

When you use WREQ for your request it goes to the entire staff simultaneously, so that the person best able to help you sees it immediately. It is logged in a central location so that it cannot accidently be overlooked in someone's mailbox. You will automatically receive updates by email when the problem is either resolved or updated along the path to resolution. Finally, you can look it up online yourself at any point to see its status and any notes a staff person may have made.

Security

A door leading into the Visualization Lab has been found propped open on several occasions. Please do not under any circumstances ever prop open a door to any of the labs. There has been computer equipment stolen in the recent past from one of our labs and leaving the doors open is an invitation to a repeat. If you have problems with the heating, cooling or ventilation in any of the labs please notify our Acting Building Manager, Kathy Germana (kathy AT cs DOT sunysb DOT edu).

Graduation 2003

Pictures from graduation 2003 are online at http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/news/stories/graduation2003/index.htm.

Faculty Retreat

Pictures from the faculty retreat are viewable online at http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/news/stories/faculty_retreat/index.html.

New/Upgraded Software for Solaris

The ImageMagick collection of tools and libraries for manipulating graphics has been upgraded to version 5.5.7. Two of the most useful utilities are "display" which can display most types of graphic images and "convert" which can convert an input file in one image format to an output file with a differing format. Documentation for these utlitiies is available on our website or at http://imagemagick.org/www/utilities.html.

Infrastructure Changes and Upgrades

VMware accounts are now available for students wishing to experiment with the Linux operating system. Please use the WREQ system if you would like to request an account.

Some Usenet news groups previously hosted by the department appear to have become inactive. Please enter a request into WREQ if you wish to have any of the groups reactivated.

sbcs.link.*, sbcs.library, sbcs.rewriteing, sbcs.narrow, sbcs.fp, sbcs.reports, sbcs.sun-nets, sbcs.clp, sbcs.logic, sbcs.posets, sbcs.sml, sbcs.ifip, sbcs.categories, sbcs.osconcepts.

In addition, if you require a mail interface to a course newsgroup please enter a request into WREQ to activate this feature.

New labs

The SAMSON lab under the direction of Dr. Eugene Stark and Dr. Tzi-cker Chieuh has moved to room 1307.

PCs and Laptops

The W32.HLLW.Mankx@mm mass-mailing worm has been detected on several department members' PCs. Please make sure you have current anti-virus software installed on your PC and that your virus definitions are up-to-date. You can download Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition from our downloads website at http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/Downloads/index.html.

You can download virus definitions from http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/defs.download.html.

Please keep in mind that it is never a good idea to open an email attachment if it is not from somebody you know *and* you were not expecting it.

The following new software is now available from the MSDNAA program:

• Visual Source Safe
• Visual Studio .Net 2003 Professional
• Windows Server 2003 (Web and Standard)
• MSDN Library April 2003
• Windows 2000 DDK
• Windows XP DDK - Windows Server 2003 DDK

You can access the MSDNNA system through: http://www.translab.cs.sunysb.edu/MSDNAA/MSDNAA-1.php.

Labs

The Visualization Lab was visited by ABC News to report on the patent granted for Virtual Colonoscopy to Dr. Ari Kaufman. Pictures of the ABC visit are viewable at:
http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/news/stories/vicon/abcnews/index.html.
The New York Times article reporting on the patent is available at: vicon-nytimes-may03.pdf.

The Campus Computing Center has announced an expansion of its free computer based training program, which includes access to 400 Information Technology on-line courses. For complete information and access see: http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Admin/HRS.nsf/p/Training_SkillSoft.

HOW TO REPORT A PROBLEM or MAKE A WORK REQUEST

First you should check the FAQ pages at:
http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/FAQ/index.html

There is also a link to an index of FAQs.

If the answer to your question is not in the faq's you should use wreq to report the problem or make a work request.

There is a short blurb on wreq in the faq area (search by index)

Wreq lives at:

http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~wreq

You can also send email to: WREQ at cs dot sunysb dot edu from your dept account, or campus account. The subject line should cover what is wrong or what you need. The body of the email can supply any details.

Your problem report must include the following information for us to be able to help you promptly:

1. The room you are working in, either room number or lab name.
2. The name of the host you are working on (hostname command in Unix, machine number in 1239, the number written on the bookshelf by your desk in the student offices).
3. The sequence of things you did just prior to having the problem as best you recollect.
4. The exact text of any error message you see on the screen, or a complete description of the problem that occured.

Please report problems promptly as they occur so they can be investigated under the same set of conditions as far as possible.

When in doubt, feel free to send email to:

• Unix and network problems: ROOT at cs dot sunysb dot edu
• PC problems: NTAdmin at cs dot sunysb dot edu

Previous Newsletters

• April 2003
• March 2003
• February 2003
• January 2003
• December 2002
• November 2002
• Index of Newsletters