CCS Update
Posted on August 19, 2009
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You can now download the new CCS Software that should work for XP – Windows 7 via http://files.bryanprice.info Enjoy.
Tags: CCSWhat is CCS?
Posted on August 19, 2009
Filed Under CCS Project | Leave a Comment
You may have heard about CCS in my blog post here, but here’s a brief description anyway. CCS allows teachers to block websites and programs on student computers (both blacklists and whitelists) as well as perform other actions such as remote desktop. The teacher software can be found here and must be setup first. The student software can be found here and can be setup on multiple computers with the same configuration.
FAQ
Posted on August 19, 2009
Filed Under CCS Project | Leave a Comment
What operating systems are supported?
Windows XP – Windows 7. This software is untested on 64 bit OS’s.
Are there any prerequisites?
.Net Framework 3.5, Java Runtime Environment, and Bonjour. Links are provided in the readme and the installer.
Is CCS secure?
Yes, CCS is in face very secure. Commands sent to student machines are validated via RSA encryption so that the student machine is positive that the source of the command is legitimate. Additionally, students cannot turn off the software (unless you give them administrative privileges). If a student kills one of the processes that runs as a regular user, another process will respawn it.
Do the machines need to be set up any special way?
Yes, the teacher software should run on an administrative account and the student software should run on a limited or standard account. Furthermore Fast User Switching is not supported at this time and should be cut off.
Are there any known issues?
Yes, installing from network shares seems to cause some problems.
Anything else I need to know?
The CCSSUService (which runs as an administrator) does not start all software required to run on the student’s machine. It will, however, stop all of the software when it shuts down. So when you log into the administrator’s account on a student machine, you can stop the service to stop the software.
