[13952] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: CD-ROM use on Public Internet Access PC's: Reboot with CG or Deep
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Donald A. Barclay)
Fri May 25 20:12:35 2001
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 08:51:47 -0500
From: "Donald A. Barclay" <dbarclay@LIBRARY.TMC.EDU>
In-reply-to: <AC5E0922C325D511A22000B0D078ECF20F45AE@hera.dvc.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
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As in Dan Lester's shop at Boise State (which happens to be my Alma Mater),
we don't reboot unless there is a problem. We have our machines set up so
that they reboot and log themselves back in every night at 1:00 am. We used
to spend a lot of time rebooting and logging in computers, but since
Centurion Guard the machines pretty much take care of themselves.
It sounds like Deep Freeze is a good product, and if it costs less than
Centurion Guard, so much the better. I would certainly compare both products
carefully if I were looking to beef up the security of public workstations.
As I said, we are really pleased with CG.
Donald A. Barclay
Houston Academy of Medicine-
Texas Medical Center Library
Houston, Texas 77030-2809
713.799.7120
always the beautiful answer
who asks a more beautiful question
--e.e. cummings
-----Original Message-----
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum
[mailto:PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU]On Behalf Of Kivel, Andy
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 1:48 PM
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
