[13950] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: CD-ROM use on Public Internet Access PC's
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jim Rosaschi)
Fri May 25 20:01:05 2001
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 08:59:52 -0700
From: Jim Rosaschi <jimros@SONOMA.LIB.CA.US>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-id: <01C0E4F9.0FF9E980.jimros@sonoma.lib.ca.us>
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN
We have dozens of Centurian Guards in place on
Windows 98 public PCs.
We tried Deep Freeze, which many libraries are using
successfully, and had enough trouble to make us stick
with the hardware solution (CG). One of my ongoing
desires is to reduce the amount of time tech staff needs
to actually go to and touch a PC in order to fix it. I want
more remote (proxy) style access to remote machines.
Both Centurian Guard and Deep Freeze require human
hands to get past the security.
With the Centurian Guard computers here, just about
any change made when the security is enabled is written
to a temp partition.
When the PC is booted (from the permanent patrition)
everything works as it did when the PC was locked down
initially. So, when the PC is acting wierd, you push the
power botton off and back on and you go back in time to
the day that PC was locked down.
All in all I do find the Centurian Guard to be a little
expensive, klutzy, and tricky to install, but most
important of all -- it is consistently effective.
It should be noted that many libraries are using registry
hacks on NT computers to get good security. Others are
using a variety of software solutions on Windows 9x
(PC Cop, Deep Freeze, STOPit, Full Control, and others),
but each software solution has a different set of features
and may or may not need to be used in conjuction with
other solutions to get things the way you want.
Some libraries do not care about having an idle application
timeout. I require it. Some use screen savers. I hate screen
savers on public computers. I want a welcoming screen
showing what we offer. I suspect we all have these lists.
(How about an automatically printed separator sheet between
public print jobs??)
Good luck.
Jim Rosaschi
Sonoma County Library
Santa Rosa, California
-----Original Message-----
From: Kivel, Andy [SMTP:AKivel@DVC.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 11:48 AM
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Subject: Re: CD-ROM use on Public Internet Access PC's
RE: Deep Freeze and Centurian Guard. Are you still left with having to
reboot whenever you think there has been a change or do you do it in some
automatic way to return the machine to the original image?
**************************************************
Andy Kivel
Information Technology/Reference Librarian
Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 685-1230, ext. 1105
Fax: (925)798-3588
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Lester [mailto:dan@RIVEROFDATA.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 11:58 AM
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Subject: Re: CD-ROM use on Public Internet Access PC's
I've seen CG and it works fine. However, there are two reasons I'd
recommend DeepFreeze or another solution.
First, CG is hardware, and has to be installed. Second, the hardware
costs more than the software licenses for any of the other products.
DAB> I recommend that you install Centurion Guard (or an equivalent product)
on
DAB> whatever computers you allow users to run their CDs on. With Centurion
DAB> Guard, users can do whatever they like to the computer (load files,
delete
DAB> files, etc.), but when the machine is rebooted, it goes back to the way
it
DAB> was when you set it up.
True of DeepFreeze as well.
DAB> One nice thing about Centurion Guard with CD-ROMs is that if users need
to
DAB> download copyrighted software to run the CD, that software does not
stay on
DAB> the computer after it is rebooted.
Also true.
DAB> We've been using Centurion Guard on 50 public workstations for several
DAB> months, and have had zero problems. In fact, one of the reason that
nobody
DAB> hacks Centurion Guard is that they don't know it is there. Would-be
hackers
DAB> sit there thinking they are doing all kinds of nasty stuff to our PC
hard
DAB> drives, but everything goes back to normal on reboot.
The same is true of DF, though we've been using it for almost two
years now with no compromised computers (on 46 computers).
DAB> I know I sound like a commercial, but I have no connection with
Centurion
DAB> Guard other than as a satisfied customer.
Same is true for me with DeepFreeze.
As to other questions originally asked, we don't provide anything but
web access on the majority of our PCs. Several have headphones in our
curriculum center. (This is in a university library)
cheers
dan
--
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler dan@RiverOfData.com
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho 83716-7115 USA
www.riverofdata.com www.postcard.org www.gailndan.com
