Proxy Server prompt

When you open Internet Explorer or Firefox, do you see something that looks like this? If we had sent this out when you first got the message, you wouldn’t be able to see this post. So please make sure you put this one somewhere you can access it when you are offline.

The problem you have is common after Microsoft pushes out updates about every 4 or 5 weeks. The solution for our network is easy.

Remove “Automatically detect settings” checkmark

If you are still having problems with this please come to the Help Desk in the IC.

How to uninstall the iFolder client from your computer

 

Since Whitfield is no longer using the iFolder server, the iFolder client which is on your computer is no longer needed. If you have visited the Help Desk in the last 2 weeks there is a good chance that we have already removed the iFolder client from your computer. If not, you might want to follow the instructions on this video to remove iFolder.

Help! My browser won’t connect to the internet!

There are a lot of things which can cause this, but I would just like to touch on two of them. First of all if you see something on the bottom (or top) of your screen which looks similar to this –> it may indicate that your wireless isn’t working on your computer. If you click on the icon you may see one or more connections. If one of them is called WHITLX click on it to see if your wireless card will connect to it. If you don’t see WHITLIX you may be having a hardware issue or the wireless card may be physically turned off, in which case you may see a switch on the front or left side of your laptop which when toggled to the on position will show you a little green square. Then try your internet connections again to see if WHITLIX shows up in about 60 seconds. If you have on of the small netbook computers this wireless switch is a small green push button on the top of your keyboard.
Secondly, if your wireless connection looks good you may be having a problem with your internet settings. This is only applicable to those of you who are using a Windows computer (which seem to be popping up more and more frequently). On your Windows 7 computer click on the Start button (something like this –> )  and go to Control Panel. We are looking for a control panel called which may be in the category. Once you are in Internet Options you will click on Connections at the top, followed by LAN settings. Once there, you will see a checkbox at the top which is labeled Automatically Detect Settings. If there is a check in this box, many applications will be negatively affected by it. You should remove the check from this box if you are planning on using the internet. Click OK and then click OK again.
There may be other things which cause internet problems (like all the servers being down) but these are just a couple things you can check and fix easily enough.

Yet another backup solution (Kingston Flash Drive)

This one isn't free but it is a good buy.

Kingston DataTraveler Micro 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive

Importing bookmarks to Firefox and Chrome

If you lost your Whitfield bookmarks or just find that some of them are missing, you can replace them by importing the file from Whitfield Bookmarks. You might want to delete or move any folder on your bookmarks bar named Whitfield Bookmarks before you import the new ones.

The instructions below are for importing bookmarks in Firefox and Chrome/Chromium. If you use a different browser and cannot figure out how to import the bookmarks, the technology department can lend a hand.

Before you start, save the file to your downloads folder, desktop or another known location. You will need to know where to find the file to import it.

To import bookmarks into Firefox:

1. Click the Bookmarks menu, then the "Unsorted Bookmarks" menu from the drop down.
2. A window named "Library" should appear. At the top of this window is a pull down menu named "Import and Backup". Pull this down and select "Import HTML..."
3. On the first screen of the import wizard, the only option, "From and HTML File" will already be selected. Just click the "Next" button.
4. Use the next screen to locate the file you saved earlier. When you have found it, select it, then click the "Open" button.
5. You will get no notification that the import happened. You will just be returned to the main "Library" window. Close this window and confirm that the Whitfield bookmarks are in your local bookmarks list.

To import the bookmarks into Chromium or Chrome

1. Click on the wrench in the upper right corner of Chrome, move the mouse to Bookmarks and then to Bookmark Manager and click again. (this will open another tab in Chrome so you will be able to switch between these instructions and what you are actually doing).
2. Now you will click on Organize and then Import Bookmarks from HTML file…
   
3. Next you will find the file you downloaded from one of the links above.
   
4. Finally you will see your new bookmarks on the Bookmark toolbar and in the Bookmark Manager.
   

The process is generally similar in other browsers, but if you need assistance, you can always ask.

Installing Dropbox on Ubuntu

 

Dropbox is another one of those cloud based backup utilities which you can install on your Ubuntu computer. Remember, you don’t want to save a file with your name, birthdate, SSN, address and vacation plans in a Dropbox folder since this information will all be on “the cloud” no matter how secure it may or may not be, you don’t want to make it easy for anyone to steal your identity or rob your home. Now that I’ve put that out there, here are the directions for installing Dropbox.

1. Since Dropbox is not available in native Ubuntu, we will start by going to the Dropbox website http://www.dropbox.com/. From here you can either watch the video explaining what Dropbox is, or you can Download the application.
   
2. Now when you do eventually click on the download button you be faced with several choices. For our Ubuntu machines you will want the Ubuntu 32-bit version. Click on that one and download it. Make sure you keep the file where you can find it (like your desktop) or even for faster results just Open with Ubuntu Software Center from Firefox.  If you saved the file on your Desktop, just go there and double click on it and it should open in Ubuntu Software Center.
3. Once you are looking at the following screen, click on the install button on the right and it will install automatically. The install button will then turn into a progress bar and when completed will read Reinstall. Your screen will look like this. Next close this window and reboot your computer.
   
4. After the reboot you should go to the main menu and under Internet click on Dropbox. This will start the setup for Dropbox.
   You will be prompted to accept an additional download. Just click on Ok.
   
5. We will assume for these instructions that you don’t already have a Dropbox account so just click on next to fill in the registration form.
   
6. You will then have the following options available.
   
7. Even though the free option says 2 GB Dropbox has upgraded this option to 5 GB which should be plenty for all students and most teachers. For setup options choose Typical. The next screen will welcome you to Dropbox and give you a tour if you want it.
   
8. When you have completed the tour or just click on next, Your new Dropbox folder will open. You will initially have 2 folders and a PDF file but anything you put in your Dropbox folder will immediately be synchronized with the Dropbox servers in the cloud. Please don’t forget to read my article on Cloud based backup since it also applies to Dropbox.
   
   
   

Backing up with Ubuntu One

First of all you should know that Ubuntu One is a cloud based (web) file synchronization utility. This means you will have one copy of your data on Ubuntu One and one copy on your laptop or desktop computer. If you lose/delete a file and you are unable to stop the synchronization process, your file will also lose/delete the file on Ubuntu One. Please read my post titled UbuntuOne - Cloud Based backup.

Here is how to get started with Ubuntu One.

1. From Ubuntu desktop click on the envelope icon on the top panel and click on Ubuntu One.
2. Now we will register for a new user by clicking on Join now. If you are already registered you can just click on I already have an account! and log in.
   
3. Now fill in the form and remember to translate the captcha words. Click Forward when you are done.
   
4. You are finished creating your account.
   
5. You will find an empty folder called Ubuntu One in your Home folder. Anything you put in there will be synchronized with the Ubuntu One server.  In addition, you can add any folder to Ubuntu One by right mouse clicking on the folder and selecting Sync this folder from the Ubuntu One menu. (see below)

You can find more information on Ubuntu One at https://one.ubuntu.com/help/

UbuntuOne - Cloud Based backup

When selecting an application to backup data there are several things to consider. I will touch on a few of them here.

• Should I used a local application or cloud based?
• What do I need to make it work?
• Will it cost me anything?
• How secure will my data and my backups be? 
• Will my data be readily accessible?
• How many versions of my files are there?

I'll answer these as they pertain to Ubuntu One

• Ubuntu One is a cloud based file synchronization tool.
• On Ubuntu, the application can be found by clicking on the envelope icon on your top panel 

• There is no cost to an individual user who is only using 5 gigabytes of space and this is more than most people will use
• Your data will remain on your laptop but will be synchronized with the Ubuntu One servers which use both SSL and secure certificates. The certificates ensure that you are communicating with an Ubuntu One server and SSL encrypts the data as it is being transmitted. This is the same method that is used by most banks so your data should be secure. However, you should only use any cloud based application with caution and never store any files with information which you should never share in public like your DOB and place of birth, home address, vacation plans, password clues, social security number, etc. 
• Since your data is still on your laptop it is always accessible there but you can also login to the website at https://one.ubuntu.com. The https lets you know that the site is secure and will require you to accept a certificate when you log in.  

Is Google Docs a backup utility?

Well, not exactly. Google Docs is a web application which you can use to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations which are compatible with Microsoft office.  A backup utility is an application which takes all of your files and copies them to another location other than your computer’s hard drive, usually with the option of having multiple copies in case you need to go back to a previous version.
Having said that, Google Docs allows you to upload any file or folder to the cloud (Google’s part of it) which is a different location than your local hard drive. This will only provide you with only one copy of your file or folder but at least it is one. You will find the instructions for doing this in Google help. Please Note: Although Drag-and-drop is included in the instructions, the browsers installed in Ubuntu are not currently compatible with this feature. You are advised to use the “File upload” method.
You say “…but Kupp, I have a lot of files I need to backup” Well, you are in luck. Google now allows you to upload multiple documents at once. Luckily there is a way to do this which is oddly enough described on the same instructions under “How to upload folders”.  (In Ubuntu you will need to either install a Java applet or the Chrome browser in order to do this.)
That’s all well and good, but what if you already have your documents on Google Docs? What do you do for a backup then?  Well, the procedure for downloading one or more documents is pretty easy and is documented here. All of these procedures will only provide one backup of your files at a time but I will tell you more about other methods in future posts.
I realize I haven’t been posting for awhile but I will pick up the pace a little now that we are full swing into a new year. Keep an eye on this space for more in the next few days.
If there is something your want to know about Whitfield’s technology please feel free to drop me a note at matt.kuppinger@whitfieldschool.org.