18 replies to this topic

[Iluro80]

Well i explain a little what i should do and need and hope someone have any clue to do it

To make the project we've 2 computers and limited soft (the legal one that the school have). We've 2 harddisks in each pc (internal and external one) and we could use VMWare && packettracert to test and show the 'project exemple'.
We also have any GNU Linux we want (if it's free) and WinXP home/Pro/2k server

In the cyber we should have 2 kind areas, the gamming zone and internet/office. The gamming zona will have powerful computers to run the latests games and Autocad, etc... heavy programs. And the other area, normal computers to handle internet, internet office, etc...


The part we've NO IDEA on how to do it:
In each person who comes in the cyber, we should give a 'code'. This code is needed to start his assigned computer session. When his session starts, we start to count how many minutes uses the PC. Once he poweroff the computer (or close session), we need to know the time expend, and create another code.

It's supposed that we must create the app needed, but no idea.. the option to buy it and implement is forbidden (its supposed that we must make it for ourselves :| )

Any idea :?

Thanks in advance!

[MaLing]

That I believe involves programming, with which I am not familiar, and it is also hard to discuss here. That will need to discuss how to start a counting session by logging in, and end the session by logging out.

[Iluro80]

Thats the problem :/

Today we've thought about Linux server... we're sure there's an app that could manage a windows domain like Active Directory. If it's free and not too difficult, we could try to creat a shell-script that changes passwords and takes the time logged in ..

[Jito463]

Sounds like what you need is a replacement for the Windows Explorer shell that can be controlled more easily. Though I don't have a clue how, since I'm not a programmer.

[Iluro80]

Found it...
SAMBA and LDAP it''s the linux solution of the windows domains & active directory, and compatible

Now looking some mandriva guide

[MaLing]

Found it...
SAMBA and LDAP it''s the linux solution of the windows domains & active directory, and compatible

Congratulations.

Now looking some mandriva guide

Please refer to this:

Found it...
XXX and XXX it''s the linux solution of the windows domains & active directory, and compatible

(That means you will later on find it out yourself.)

Edited by MaLing, 06 April 2007 - 07:18 AM.

[Iluro80]

Later on :?? ouch i should try to find my lost dictionary again.

If i understood well (after re-re-reading ALL the last time)... not all GNU Linux are the same... all distro have it's own peculiarities... for exemple, some weeks ago all people of my class were making the same exercice... trying to set up the HTML server APACHE, we're using 3 different distros (Fedora Core, Kubuntu and PCLinuxOS), we'll had problems to do it well, because in all distros we've different configuration files, some had all in one file with the name the teacher gave, other (Kubuntu's ones) had troubles because had 2 different files and had to try many times the correct configuration (trying in one and another file xD) and i've all in only one file In other exercices, happened the same, different files for the same thing, different names of the files and the path they're stored, etcetc...
So, the service is the same, but we should find also the documentation for the distro we're using, in my case, PCLinuxOS, a Madriva's based release (but with many peculiarities of other distros).

MaLing... remember that i'm Spanish... and Spanish people are not compatible with English language xD (Am I right Jito463??)

[zamiel]

Yes, that is correct. Whilst some distros have striking similarities, others are completely different and configuring one distro may not be the same for another.

Looking at your problem, I don't believe SAMBA & LDAP is really the 100% solution you are looking for (unless SAMBA has changed over the past year - we sort of dropped Linux, although one of our external hosts are Linux based, we host internally on Windows (Apache & IIS)).

SAMBA just provides file and print sharing between different OS's so I don't see really how this is going to help you at the moment, unless I've missunderstood what you are trying to do. (English people aren't compatible with the Engligh Language )

This is what I'd probably look at based upon my current understanding of your project:

1. Create a policy that limits the user to specific rules (ie: limits them to what they can do).

2. Create an application or service that captures the logon process so I'd have a start point (time). Write this to a database. Code is the PK. I'd rather record the login time and logout time for a better audit trail. I could just record the time elapsed, but it does not tell me when they logged on etc.

I would also have to either hide the application from the current running process (easy in earlier Windows, more difficult in the later) or stop the service from being terminated. Though a policy may be able to help here. The majority of users would not know that the process even existed, but there's always one...

3. Capture the logoff process and update the database.

4. The new code would be issued at the counter via another App that ties in to the same database.

5. Collect my A+++++

[Iluro80]

Yup, it's that.

A teacher confirmed us that it is, so maybe Samba has changed

Well, what the user does with the computer is not our problem, it's supposed that we'll frize (froze :?) the system, so each session will have the same.

1.Samba creates the windows domain, and your host should identify by the same SAMBA, LDAP or NIS.

2. We create a script that checks the start and end of session of that user (we're very lost in that, we know how to create a recursive scripts that were's checking every 'x' seconds, etc, but we don't know much about if there's an easiest way to do it... or i f the system stores the start and end session times).

3. Once we've the user log-off we automatically create another pass for that computer (another script that changes the pwd once we specify the computer).

More or less is that what we're thinking about. It's supposed that we don't need a DB for that... we only have a DB to store our employees information and the best clients we've (if they comes every day or so), in that point we thought to insert the client names in DB and then count how many times they comes to the cyber, and in about 1-2 months store them as good clients or deletes from DB. (Yup with their names, in Spain we've Name + 2 surnames (father surname and mother surname), so it's veryveryvery difficult to have a duplicity... we'll maybe better log their DNI.


The truth is we don't take a deep look into the problem, because we've another to choose, that seems easy too, but with more programmer skills, a hughe DB and a lot of php programation, easy and loooong problem.
We've 3 weeks more to check them before officially choose it.


Thanks Zamiel , I really love your great experience and help, everybody need the help of old people and its knkowledge
Jejeje but you're 10000000000 times more compatible with Engl. Lang. than me

[zamiel]

I myself would look at the PHP/DB option rather than the Linux "Internet Cafe" side of things as I see more practicle use for it.

A recursive script checking every X seconds seems to be a tad inefficient. The system stores login information generally in /var/log/lastlog and you can use the lastlog command from a bash prompt to display/filter this information. This only gives the log in time, no duration or session termination time.

However there are some scripts that might be of use for you and locations differ between distros:

User scripts:

.bash_logout - Run by the shell when a user logs out. (Located in user's home dir).

.bash_login - Run by the shell when a user logs in. (Located in user's home dir).

Could record the date and time a user logs in and out with a little scripting knowledge. You'd have to ensure that each user gets your custom scripts.

System Default scripts:

.login - Run whenever a user logs in.

.logout - Run whenever a user logout occurs.

.profile - Default script ran when user logs in. (Located in /etc/).

All are editable by root if you know a little scripting. The "." at the begining of filenames is intentional

[Iluro80]

I said that script, for saying something i really dont know much about linux as i've only used this year jeje.
I was trying to make it thought VMWare, but i've a little problem with networking (in that computer i've an usb-wireless connection and couldn't configure the 'bridge simulation' in eth0 in vmware... and it seems i need internet to update packages for wireless connection inside the linux xD (i will install it again but giving the USB-wireless connection to vmware ).


Yes, we also thing php/sql will be "easier", and with practical use, but it's supposed i'm studying Administration, so i should know this kind of service things, for that it's an interesting exercice. But also i would know more about php/sql, as we've only started and just the teacher gave us some php files to make an 'address book' (it's not the word... mmmm 'agenda', where you put name,surname,telephon,address,etc, i really don't know the word in Engl. :| ) in php, now we're understanding all, and we'll look to upgrade it a little and then create the javascript validations

Anyway, if we make the sql/php we'll also work with linux to use named and apache services (named=dns)

Thanks again

[zamiel]

You would have to assume that each project is on par difficulty wise or it would be pointless giving both out. So one would have to assume there is quite an easy way to set up the internet cafe because a php address book with server and client side validation could be done very quickly indeed.

I use to give that one as one of the first assignment to first year web programming students

[Iluro80]

Nono, the address book it's an easy example that a teacher gave us as an exemple of PHP-sql communication.

It's supposed that we create a language academy with 2 languages at start, we should make the course online and in the accademy. And users can preregister online, make tests online, etc. The users also have their control pannel & etc. So we don't see it difficult at all, but soooo long.

We could choose 1 of 4 projects, one of them is a hosting service, we see it as impossible. other too are about the same, the language accademy and an online shop (well, cathalog) and the last is the cybercafe. We thing that cyber is the easier/quicker one if we can deal with linux services / scripts. And the language one it's interesting but too much work to do.

Now i'm thinking about i've a couple of php/sql questions... do you know much about it??

[zamiel]

There appears to be a bit of disparity when it comes to the level of each project. I will answer your PM soon, just gotta get some work done, been slacking off too much

[Iluro80]

Yes, it could be a bit of disparity (i think it too), but we all see them difficult = xD We should read and read again all what its needed in each project and once done the points assigned in each part.
Ie in sql/php exercices are few documentation points, but in cyber there're doule points for documentation, and what they requiere of documentation is very hard, we should document all we do :|
Also i've explain quickly the general points, but there're many other things to do for the project.

Anyway, all people see hosting as impossible, and i think they'll take sql/php project because they think it's the easiest one... and the real reason, the cyber needs much linux knowledge and services and we'll scared with services and linux jeje. They don't see php/sql have much work... even with lot of them have low programming skills.
(ah i forgot, the lang. project... the web doesn't need to work at all. We need a working sql interface, but with only one page of each done... so a template of test, of how the web will look like, etc.. with one exemple is enought (but all the sql work is the same).

What 'slack off' means :?

[zamiel]

I've sent you a long-winded PM

Do you have an english tranlsated set of project requirements?

What 'slack off' means :?

Means I hadn't got much work done as it was the least interesting thing to do.

[Iluro80]

Noooooo i don't have them translated to English! Even they're not translated to Spanish xD

Thanks for the PM, i'll look twice to understand better!! (once translated, of course).

Thanks again!
PM 'answered'.

[Robbo]

I've sent you a long-winded PM

Do you have an english tranlsated set of project requirements?

What 'slack off' means :?

Means I hadn't got much work done as it was the least interesting thing to do.

Means zamiels up to his usual tricks

[zamiel]

Ssssssssssshhhh, secret squirrel