MP351 - Mark Platek
Here is a brief account of what I've been working on this semester.
COSI Lab Build
There have been many changes and improvements from the last one.
Major features:
- Ubuntu 9.10
- SPICE (limited functionality, intended as a trial, could be expanded if popular)
- static IPs for external and internal network, other cosi-specific network config
- Increased network security
- Improved scripts and script management
- Chromium browser, JVM, and many other new programs
SPICE will be available for those that would like a Windows environment. Only a single Windows VM will be available at a given time, if there is call for it, this number can be increased. SPICE may also be combined with the Kiosk at some point, allowing for different VMs to be started when required. Please see the wiki for copious documentation regarding the lab build.
POINTS
I have written a PHP web app for the Psychology department. Its purpose is to enable professors teaching PY151 to keep track of the number of "research credit points" that each student has accrued. This web app is to replace an inefficient email-and-spreadsheet based system.
Main features:
- Keep track of points per student, as well as metadata for each point (such as who added it and when)
- Keep track of which professors have given out which points (statistics)
- Student listings can be searched and sorted
- Students can request that an email containing their point totals be sent to their Clarkson address
- Different permission levels exist for Professors and TAs
A demo can be found here.
The latest source can be downloaded via svn: svn://wintermute.woodstock.clarkson.edu/points
...or you can download a tarball of revision 19.
Future goals
- I started writing this app with very little knowledge of PHP, and that's clearly reflected in the source code. I'd very much like to re-write most of it sanely.
- There are still a few small features that aren't implemented yet, and it has been requested that I resolve some usability issues.
This project is small, but I learned a lot, and I can learn more by improving it. Next semester, I'll be setting it up and maintaining it for the Psych department. I think that seeing its peformance during actual usage will be quite illuminating.