IKIOSK? Fortres? Both?

[Jim Richards]

Stacy Pober wrote:
> 
> When we started with public access computers in the library, the job
> of clearing added software and recovering from students "fooling
> around" in the system was still a burden, but was manageable because
> we just didn't have that many pc's.  Now that we are expanding
> rapidly, it's clear we should add some security software to protect
> our machines from students changing program settings, etc.
> 
> I notice that some posters to this list are running both IKiosk AND
> Fortres.  They seem to be the most popular security programs.  Are
> both really necessary, or are you folks just being extra-careful?  If
> you had to choose just one, which would you get?
> 
> Our set up will be mostly  Pentium computers (we still have a
> few 486's), some running Windows 3.1, some running Windows for
> Workgroups 3.11 (the current platform used on our campus network) and
> some will be running Windows95.  They are used primarily for web
> browsing (mostly using Netscape 3.01) but the students also have
> access through the campus network to a lot of other applications such
> as MS Word, WordPerfect, Maple, Quatro, and the like.   We are
> currently purchasing some new Pentiums to replace our dumb terminals,
> as we move to a web-based library catalog, and I surely want some
> security software on those as well.
> 
> Suggestions?  Things you would do differently if you knew then what
> you know now?
> 
> TIA.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Stacy Pober                   Internet: spober at manvax.cc.manhattan.edu
> Information Alchemist         http://www.manhattan.edu/library/mclmenu.html
> Manhattan College Libraries   Phone:  718-862-7980
> Riverdale, NY 10471           Fax:  718-862-7995
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First off, if you're running any product from MS Office 97, IKIOSK
doesn't work.  They told me the next version, due in January, will be
100% comaptible with Office 97.  If you're doing strictly web browsing,
use IKIOSK.  If you're doing multiple different apps use Fortres.  The
only reason I'm considering using both (we're currently just using
Fortres) is for a couple machines we have running nothing but Office 97
stuff.  Fortres just doesn't seem to cut it with Office.

im Richards	Network Administrator
Naperville Public Libraries