May 2009 Archives

Adobe Reader (acroread) has been updated to version 9.1.1 on the ms workstations. This version - just released - protects against a potential exploit in malacious PDF files. There are new versions for OS X and Windows, too.

See the CERT alert for details.

There will be a power outage of about 10 minutes in HH and BSB at 5:30 am on Tuesday, May 12th. The mail/web/file server and network will not be affected, nor will bayes. I recommend turning off office Windows or Macintosh computers; I will take care of linux workstations.

The latest version of R - 2.9.0 - has been installed on the ms workstations and the compute server. To run this version, use the command /usr/local/R/2.9.0/bin/R. The will become the default version started by the command R on May 25th.

[The following was sent to all departmental faculty, staff, graduate students and visitors]

AIMS Lab (HH-403) Printer Working

The AIMS-printer in HH-403 is working again after a last-ditch effort involving buggy replacement parts from another dead system. I'm cautiously optimistic, but will be keeping my eye out for problems. Please let me know if you encounter any problems.

I have made this printer the default for the HH-403 workstations.

Dead Printers - Accepting Reality

After extended health problems and then months of near death gathering dust, the printers in HH-402 and HH-105 are being declared officially dead. I've removed the queues from the workstations and servers. The default printer for the HH-402 systems in now the HH-303 HPLJ 4345.

There is a list of the current printers on the Printer page on the Computing Resources site.

Spam Spike

A number of us have seem a dramatic spike in the amount of spam in our inboxes over the past two days - this is a result not so much of more spam hitting the server but rather of more of the spam making it past the UTS and RHPCS filters. We are looking into the problem.

It would be helpful if you could file the missed spam into the folder rhpcs/spam-missed rather than deleting it.

Automatic Mail Trash Cleanup

We currently have about 6 Gb of deleted mail stored on mathserv (that's about 6% of all mail storage). The indexing and updating of the Trash/Deleted folders is an unnecessary drain on the server. Starting next Thursday, Trash/Deleted folders greater than 10 Mb will be removed each week. You will be notified two days before if your Trash/Deleted folder is slated for purging.

We currently have about 6 Gb of deleted mail stored on mathserv (that's about 6% of all mail storage). The indexing and updating of the Trash/Deleted folders is an unnecessary drain on the server. Starting next Thursday, Trash/Deleted folders greater than 10 Mb will be removed each week. You will be notified two days before if your Trash/Deleted folder is slated for purging.

A number of us have seem a dramatic spike in the amount of spam in our inboxes over the past two days - this is a result not so much of more spam hitting the server, but rather of more of the spam making it past the UTS and RHPCS filters. We are looking into the problem.

It would be helpful if you could file the missed spam into the folder rhpcs/spam-missed rather than deleting it.

After extended health problems and then months of near death gathering dust, the printers in HH-402 and HH-105 are being declared officially dead. I've removed the queues from the workstations and servers. The default printer for the HH-402 systems in now the HH-303 HPLJ 4345.

Here is a list of the current printers, from the Printer page on the Computing Resources site:

• BSB-B123 LaserJet 4100
• HH-214 LaserJet 4050
• HH-303 LaserJet 4345
• HH-403 LaserJet 4300
• HH-401 LexMark C750

The HH-303 HPLJ 4345 is the primary departmental printer: it is a high-speed, two-sided printer and scanner and is the only printer in a public area (i.e. not behind a door that is sometimes locked). The HH-403 and HH-402 are accessible from all systems but are primarly for use by the AIMS and Phimac labs, respectively.

The HH-303 printer has fresh toner and is printing again. Toner orders for the future appear to be back on track.

The AIMS-printer in HH-403 is working again after a last-ditch effort involving buggy replacement parts from another dead system. I'm cautiously optimistic, but will be keeping my eye out for problems. Please let me know if you encounter any problems.

I have made this printer the default for the HH-403 workstations.

We are awaiting toner for the HH-303 printer - it should arrive Thursday morning. The scanner is still usable. You can use the AIMS-lab printer in HH-403 until then.