Networking Gimp
Clare Quigley
problem is that we use roaming profiles, and 1800 students all creating a
user directory on each machine would soon eat up my hard drives. What I need
to do is force Gimp to create the user directory in the user's home
directory, which, obviously, sits on the server. that way their preferences
can follow them around.
We run Windows NT4 on the servers and Windows 98 on the workstations.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Clare Quigley
System Manager
Danum School
Branko Collin
Jun 2002 13:46:10 +0100:
>I would love to use Gimp in my school, where I am the network manager. My
>problem is that we use roaming profiles, and 1800 students all creating a
>user directory on each machine would soon eat up my hard drives. What I need
>to do is force Gimp to create the user directory in the user's home
>directory, which, obviously, sits on the server. that way their preferences
>can follow them around.
>
>We run Windows NT4 on the servers and Windows 98 on the workstations.
Run the GIMP on the server instead of on the workstations and have the
students access the GIMP through an X server running under Windows.
You'll probably need a sickening amount of RAM on your server, though.
Oh, and I have no idea if this works under NT, but you could always
consider putting a Linux machine in the network for this.
Another solution might be to have one 'user' per workstation, and copy
GIMP files per session to the workstation, overwriting the previous
real user's data. When a user logs off, their data gets written back
to their user directory on the server.
--
branko collin
col...@xs4all.nl
Tsu Dho Nimh
>I would love to use Gimp in my school, where I am the network manager. My
>problem is that we use roaming profiles, and 1800 students all creating a
>user directory on each machine would soon eat up my hard drives. What I need
>to do is force Gimp to create the user directory in the user's home
>directory, which, obviously, sits on the server. that way their preferences
>can follow them around.
I have GIMP installed on NT, with my "home" directory on the
corporate network server ... it automatically detected where
"home" was and put the user customizations there.
Try installing it on a couple of machines and see what happens.
Tsu Dho Nimh
It is my job to completely create professional technology
in order that we may seamlessly supply competitive data.
Clare Quigley
"Tsu Dho Nimh" <aba...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cf2uhush6m1dc8hj7...@4ax.com...
> "Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >I would love to use Gimp in my school, where I am the network manager. My
> >problem is that we use roaming profiles, and 1800 students all creating a
> >user directory on each machine would soon eat up my hard drives. What I
need
> >to do is force Gimp to create the user directory in the user's home
> >directory, which, obviously, sits on the server. that way their
preferences
> >can follow them around.
>
> I have GIMP installed on NT, with my "home" directory on the
> corporate network server ... it automatically detected where
> "home" was and put the user customizations there.
>
> Try installing it on a couple of machines and see what happens.
>
> Tsu Dho Nimh
>
yes, I can see that working on NT workstatons, but, as I say, we have 98
workstations, and the school doesn't have the finances, or I the time, to
reload all 400+ workstations to NT4! I have tried installing it on a
workstation, and it does put the user folders on the install path.
I can't even install Gimp onto the Server and set aside an area within the
install path as everyone full control, and allow users to write there, as we
have a load balanced 6 server network, spread over many buildings, linked by
fibre. Users log onto one server for their user area, but can pull apps from
any one of the six, depending on their location at the time. If I load Gimp
on one server and map shortcuts accordingly, it will increase network
traffic unacceptably.
It is finance again which prohibits getting a dedicated gimp server, running
Linux or any other op system, just to run one app.
Tsu Dho Nimh
>yes, I can see that working on NT workstatons, but, as I say, we have 98
>workstations, and the school doesn't have the finances, or I the time, to
>reload all 400+ workstations to NT4!
Save money - use Linux :)
>I have tried installing it on a
>workstation, and it does put the user folders on the install path.
I think each time a new user opens GIMP, it will create a
profile for that user on the install path, which should put it on
the network in that person's user area of the hard drive.
Try a couple of different user IDs on different workstations
and see what happens. I'm not at work, or I could try a couple
of the WIN98 machines to see what they do.
At worst, you would have to install GIMP on each of the 400+
workstations, which would be considerably cheaper than JASC
PaintShop Pro (by about $50,000) and mindbogglingly cheaper than
Adobe Photoshop (by about a quarter of a million).
Clare Quigley
> "Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> >yes, I can see that working on NT workstatons, but, as I say, we have 98
> >workstations, and the school doesn't have the finances, or I the time, to
> >reload all 400+ workstations to NT4!
>
> Save money - use Linux :)
>
> >I have tried installing it on a
> >workstation, and it does put the user folders on the install path.
>
> I think each time a new user opens GIMP, it will create a
> profile for that user on the install path, which should put it on
> the network in that person's user area of the hard drive.
> Try a couple of different user IDs on different workstations
> and see what happens. I'm not at work, or I could try a couple
> of the WIN98 machines to see what they do.
>
> At worst, you would have to install GIMP on each of the 400+
> workstations, which would be considerably cheaper than JASC
> PaintShop Pro (by about $50,000) and mindbogglingly cheaper than
> Adobe Photoshop (by about a quarter of a million).
>
> Tsu Dho Nimh
>
it. We use RM Connect, a piece of management software which cost the school
a lot of money, was decided on by the school management team, not me - in
fact I counciled against it, but management knew best! It can only be used
on Windows. This software will allow me to install Gimp, or any other
program, on one machine and then propogate it out to all the others.
However, if I install Gimp on the harddrive of a machine, and then 600
students log onto that machine, 300Mb+ will then be taken up with user
files. They do not copy back to the user area - I've checked. I need to
change the location that these files are saved.
If it were simple, I wouldn't be asking :)
Michael Schumacher
[...]
> No it doesn't. As I said, it put the files on the install path. I have tried
> it. We use RM Connect, a piece of management software which cost the school
> a lot of money, was decided on by the school management team, not me - in
> fact I counciled against it, but management knew best! It can only be used
> on Windows. This software will allow me to install Gimp, or any other
> program, on one machine and then propogate it out to all the others.
> However, if I install Gimp on the harddrive of a machine, and then 600
> students log onto that machine, 300Mb+ will then be taken up with user
> files. They do not copy back to the user area - I've checked. I need to
> change the location that these files are saved.
Set the environment variables
HOME or GIMP_DIRECTORY
to the students home directory. I'm pretty sure that this could be done
at login time, even on Win98.
Gimp will create and/or look for its profile directory there.
Michael
Tsu Dho Nimh
>No it doesn't. As I said, it put the files on the install path. I have tried
>it. We use RM Connect, a piece of management software which cost the school
>a lot of money, was decided on by the school management team, not me - in
>fact I counciled against it, but management knew best!
Bummer ...
>It can only be used
>on Windows. This software will allow me to install Gimp, or any other
>program, on one machine and then propogate it out to all the others.
>However, if I install Gimp on the harddrive of a machine, and then 600
>students log onto that machine, 300Mb+ will then be taken up with user
>files. They do not copy back to the user area - I've checked. I need to
>change the location that these files are saved.
gimprc appears to be the file that is used at runtime to set some
variables. It should be possible to set it to point to the USER
directory based on who logged in.
Clare Quigley
> "Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> >No it doesn't. As I said, it put the files on the install path. I have
tried
> >it. We use RM Connect, a piece of management software which cost the
school
> >a lot of money, was decided on by the school management team, not me - in
> >fact I counciled against it, but management knew best!
>
>
> Bummer ...
>
> >It can only be used
> >on Windows. This software will allow me to install Gimp, or any other
> >program, on one machine and then propogate it out to all the others.
> >However, if I install Gimp on the harddrive of a machine, and then 600
> >students log onto that machine, 300Mb+ will then be taken up with user
> >files. They do not copy back to the user area - I've checked. I need to
> >change the location that these files are saved.
>
> gimprc appears to be the file that is used at runtime to set some
> variables. It should be possible to set it to point to the USER
> directory based on who logged in.
>
> Tsu Dho Nimh
>
environment variable Gimp_environment to the path I want. I'll try that
during the week and let you know how I got on. Thanks for the help.
Clare
Clare Quigley
"Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote in message
news:afnqg9$l3p$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk...
worked a treat. Thank you all
Clare
Tsu Dho Nimh
>That worked. Adding the line set gimp_directory=n:\mywork to autoxec.bat
>worked a treat. Thank you all
Clare -
Be sure to let your Pointy-headed bosses know that GPL software
saved them THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!
and they would save even more if you went to an all Linux
system with open source software ... no need to track licenses or
pay for them either.
Branko Collin
10:23:53 -0700:
>"Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote:
>>That worked. Adding the line set gimp_directory=n:\mywork to autoxec.bat
>>worked a treat. Thank you all
>
>Clare -
> Be sure to let your Pointy-headed bosses know that GPL software
>saved them THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!
>
> and they would save even more if you went to an all Linux
>system with open source software ... no need to track licenses or
>pay for them either.
I have got better advice: sell them the 200 or so GIMP licenses for a
steep price. Tell them that that's what one pays for a high-quality,
professional imaging solution. Sell them a support subscription too.
My guess is that that is the stuff they understand.
--
branko collin
col...@xs4all.nl
Tsu Dho Nimh
>Tsu Dho Nimh <aba...@hotmail.com>, you wrote on Tue, 02 Jul 2002
>10:23:53 -0700:
>>"Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>>That worked. Adding the line set gimp_directory=n:\mywork to autoxec.bat
>>>worked a treat. Thank you all
>>
>>Clare -
>> Be sure to let your Pointy-headed bosses know that GPL software
>>saved them THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!
>>
>> and they would save even more if you went to an all Linux
>>system with open source software ... no need to track licenses or
>>pay for them either.
>
>I have got better advice: sell them the 200 or so GIMP licenses for a
>steep price. Tell them that that's what one pays for a high-quality,
>professional imaging solution. Sell them a support subscription too.
And split the money with you, of course, for having such a great
idea.
Branko Collin
>col...@xs4all.nl (Branko Collin) wrote:
>>Tsu Dho Nimh <aba...@hotmail.com>, you wrote on Tue, 02 Jul 2002
>>10:23:53 -0700:
>>>"Clare Quigley" <cl...@thequigleys.fslife.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>>That worked. Adding the line set gimp_directory=n:\mywork to autoxec.bat
>>>>worked a treat. Thank you all
>>>
>>>Clare -
>>> Be sure to let your Pointy-headed bosses know that GPL software
>>>saved them THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!
>>>
>>> and they would save even more if you went to an all Linux
>>>system with open source software ... no need to track licenses or
>>>pay for them either.
>>
>>I have got better advice: sell them the 200 or so GIMP licenses for a
>>steep price. Tell them that that's what one pays for a high-quality,
>>professional imaging solution. Sell them a support subscription too.
>
>And split the money with you, of course, for having such a great
>idea.
Nah, the responsibility...
--
branko collin
col...@xs4all.nl