dan@uwmacc.UUCP (dan jatnieks) (05/23/86)
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I am in need of information with regard to setting up a large (around 75
workstations) Macintosh Lab that will be used by college students for
introductory computer science classes. Each workstation will be a Mac Plus with
a HD20, and about every five will share a printer over AppleTalk. The items
I would like to get feedback from others who have set up such labs (or anyone
else with suggestions, hints, etc.) are the following:
Hardware Security
Aside from the Apple Security Kits, are there other systems that are
more effective? Specifically, how does one secure a HD20 and prevent
cables from being tampered with ? (The Apple Kits do not include a way
to lock down a HD20) Does someone make a case that encloses the whole
system?
Software Security
Software such as MacPascal can be 'locked' with MacTools to prevent
the casual user from copying them. Are there any alternatives to this
method that are better? more secure? Is there any way to prevent at
least most people from re-initializing the HD20? This could be a
serious problem. Has anyone made a patch to the Finder to disallow
the 'erase' option if the disk is a hard disk? Is there a way to make
the HD20 *always* be the startup disk? I seem to recall that it was
possible to set the default boot drive using PRAM editor. Will this
method work on a Mac Plus and a HD20? (If we had the Mac enclosed in a
security case, the battery would be inaccessable and the change would
be permenant)
Networking Software
We plan on putting every five or so Mac+'s on an AppleTalk network so
they can share an ImageWriter II. We also plan to go the software route
rather than the hardware route. (Although comments on hardware solutions
are welcome too!) I have heard that MacServe crashes a lot. Is a new
version coming? How is it overall? Does anyone have experience with
other servers like HyperNet or Omninet? Does anyone make a gateway
that allow more than 32 machines on the network? Does any software
support this? Does any of the networking software support print
spooling?
If anyone has experience with such a project we would appreciate
hearing about your experiences, solutions and problems. These are just
some of the major points that have to be dealt with, any other comments,
suggestions, warnings or hints would be greatly appreciated as well.
Mail replys to:
...{allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dan
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"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible,
whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth"
-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
dan jatnieks
Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison C.S. Dept.
Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison Academic Computing Center (MACC) Micro Consultant
NetMail: ...{allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dan
USMAIL: Work - c/o MACC-MIC Home - 1301 Spring St.
1210 W. Dayton Apt.#601
Madison, WI 53706 Madison, WI 53715
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