FOSS4G2007 Information for Instructors

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Introduction

This page provides information for the Instructors of the Workshops and Labs at the FOSS4G2007 conference in Victoria, BC, Canada (September 24-27, 2007).

Status

This section will be updated for each significant change to the content of this page.

• 2007/08/09
  • FOSS4G 2007 FTP server
    • add information about the FTP server
  • Data
    • confirm deadline
    • update, including note about Canadian Geodata
• 2007/08/07
  • Classroom Materials
    • specify formats for documents containing materials to be printed
  • Data
    • add clarification about students creating/downloading data
  • Classroom PCs Configuration
    • Application and Utility Software
      • revise information, in preparation for updates by Instructors
• 2007/08/03 Update #2
  • Workshop Classroom Details
    • reflect increase in room capacity for Saanich
• 2007/08/03
  • Classroom PCs Configuration
    • add more details
  • LiveCD/DVD
    • tentative deadline added for testing
• 2007/08/02 Update #2
  • Data
    • tentative deadline added
  • Workshop Classroom Details
    • update Workshop room allocations
  • Lab Dates, Times, and Rooms
    • add Lab room allocations and time slots
• 2007/08/02 Update #1
  • Pre-Conference communication
    • clarify how to communicate with the Workshop Committee
  • Classroom PCs Configuration - Network
    • update the information, including deadline
  • Classroom PCs Configuration - Operating System
    • update the information
    • deadline for providing request to use LiveDVD or Virtual Machine
  • Classroom PCs Configuration - Application and Utility Software
    • update the information, including clarification about not installing software
  • Classroom PCs Configuration - Other
    • update the information
  • Workshop Classroom Access
    • update the information
  • Lab Classroom Access
    • update the information
• 2007/08/01
  • Classroom Materials
    • deadline for submitting printed materials for copying
    • more information about non-printed materials
  • Workshop number of attendees
    • update/clarify the information
  • Workshop Classroom Details
    • add room names and sizes, and Workshop room allocations
  • Lab number of attendees
    • update/clarify the information
  • Lab Classroom Details
    • add room names and sizes
• 2007/07/23 Initial version of page

General Information

Pre-Conference communication

All Instructors are expected to join the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list.

For Workshops or Labs with multiple Instructors, all the Instructors should join the mailing list, even if one of the Instructors is handling all the pre-conference organizing for the group.

If you are an Instructor, and have any questions that are not answered by this page, please send an email to the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list.

If you need to communicate with the FOSS4G 2007 Workshop Committee, please send an email to the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list.

As this page gets updated, periodic reminders may be sent to the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list.

Communication during the conference

The package you receive when you arrive at the conference will contain information explaining who to contact, and how, if you have any questions or need any assistance during the conference.

FOSS4G 2007 FTP server

Workshop/Lab Instructors who need to provide files to the Workshop Committee prior to the conference may do so via the use of the FOSS4G 2007 FTP server.

You will need to use the FTP server if:

• you want the conference organizers to print Classroom Material for you
• you want to provide data that will be used for your Workshop/Lab
• you want to provide an image of a LiveCD/DVD for testing
• you want to use a Virtual Machine for your Workshop/Lab

All Instructors have been sent an email with the information about how to connect to the FTP server.

1. Classroom Material for printing
   • Upload your Microsoft Word document, Open Office document, or PDF document to the /printing/ folder for your Workshop/Lab.
2. Data
   • Upload your data files to the /data/ folder for your Workshop/Lab.
   • If no README file is supplied, the files will be loaded onto the classroom PCs under the C:\FOSS4G07\ folder for your Workshop/Lab. For example, for Lab-01, if you upload a file /Lab-01/data/lab1files.zip it will end up as C:\FOSS4G07\Lab-01\lab1files.zip
   • If you need your files loaded onto the PCs with a specific directory structure, use that directory structure for the files you upload to the FTP server
   • If your data files need anything done to them other than being placed onto the classroom PCs, include a plain text README file in your /data/ folder with specific instructions as to what needs to be done. For example, if you have provided a ZIP file containing a dump of database tables, we will load that data into your own database instance, provided you supply us with a README file containing the required database information, such as the database name, login ID, etc.
3. LiveCD/DVD image
   • If you want us to test your LiveCD/DVD, upload an image of it to the /software/ folder for your Workshop/Lab.
   • If no README file is supplied, the testing will consist of burning the image to a CD/DVD, and booting that CD/DVD in one of the classroom PCs.
   • If you would like any additional testing done, include a plain text README file in your /software/ folder with specific instructions as to what needs to be done.
4. Virtual Machine
   • If you are going to use a Virtual Machine, upload it to the /software/ folder for your Workshop/Lab.
   • If no README file is supplied, the testing of your Virtual Machine will consist of loading the Virtual Machine in VMWare Player on one of the classroom PCs, and booting it.
   • If you would like any additional testing done, include a plain text README file in your /software/ folder with specific instructions as to what needs to be done.

Classroom Materials

Materials are things that you may need to hand out in your Workshop or Lab, such as printed handouts, workbooks, quizzes, CDROM, etc. We ask that you do not hand out business cards, however, attendees are free to ask you for your business card.

1. Bringing your own materials
   • you may bring your own materials to hand out in your Workshop/Lab
   • you may bring those materials to the Registration desk when you arrive at the conference, and we will store them and deliver them to your classroom for your Workshop or Lab
2. Having your materials delivered prior to the conference
   • you may arrange to have your materials delivered to Victoria ahead of your arrival
   • the preferred method would be for you to make such arrangements yourself (e.g. have the materials delivered to your hotel)
   • we can put you in touch with a company that the conference is using, who can assist you with making shipping arrangements
3. Having your printed materials printed by the conference organizers
   • DEADLINE: September 7, 2007
   • the conference committee will provide the option of printing your printed Workshop/Lab materials
   • printed materials need to be formated for printing on 8.5"x11" paper
   • printed materials must be supplied using one of the following formats: Microsoft Word document, Open Office document, PDF document
   • information about how to get the materials to the conference organizers will be available in the near future
4. Non-printed materials
   • the conference organizers will not be providing services such as CDROM duplication
   • if you need something such as a copy of a LiveCD/DVD for each PC in your classroom:
     • you can bring those copies with you
     • as indicated above, you can ship them ahead of time
     • you can make the copies once you arrive in Victoria, however, you will be 'on your own' as far as getting this done. The conference organizers are not providing media, or PCs for duplication use(conference PCs may have only CDROM/DVDROM drives). You can purchase media at local stores, and use your own equipment to do the duplication.

Data

Instructors will not be able to load data for their Workshops/Labs onto the classroom PCs during the conference.

Attendees in the Workshops/Labs will be able to create and download files during their Workshop/Lab. See the Classroom PCs Configuration, Other section for more information.

If you have any data that you will need for your Workshop/Lab, you must provide it to the conference organizers prior to the conference. You provide your data by uploading it to the FOSS4G 2007 FTP server. See the FOSS4G 2007 FTP server section for more information.

DEADLINE: the deadline for providing your data is Monday August 27, 2007.

We had previously told you that there would be a server at the conference that would be hosting some Canadian Geodata, and that you would have access to that server for use in your Workshops/Labs. Unfortunately, while the server will still be used for the Integration Showcase, access for Workshops/Labs will not be possible, due to performance concerns.

If you need to have some data available on the PCs for your Workshop/Lab (regardless of whether it is Canadian data or from some other sources) here is what you need to do:

1. Acquire the data
   • If you want to use some of the Canadian Geodata, the Canadian Geodata wiki page has links you can use to download the free Canadian data
2. Process the data
   • If needed, "massage" the data as needed for your Workshop/Lab. For example, if you have a raster image, and for use with Mapserver it needs to be tiled, you will need to do that yourself.
3. Package the data
   • Gather together the data into a format, or formats, that you can use to share the data with the Workshop Committee. For example, export database tables, combine files together into ZIP files or tarballs, etc.
4. Upload the data
   • Using SFTP, upload your data to our FTP server. See the FOSS4G 2007 FTP server section for more information.

Conference GeoData

For this conference, there will be free, publicly available Canadian GeoData available for use. This data, and services to access it, will be available to Instructors, via the Internet, prior to the conference. While it is recognized that some Instructors may be using materials for their Workshop/Lab that are already prepared, making some use of the Canadian GeoData in your Workshop/Lab is encouraged.

Classroom PCs Configuration

The hardware configurations shown below are subject to change.

Hardware - Rental PCs

• these PCs will be used for Workshops in the Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, and View Royal rooms
• these PCs will be used for Labs in the Esquimalt room
• all PCs will be substantially the same, with slight variations in the hardware
• a typical PC will have:
  • P4/2.8GHZ CPU
  • 768 or 1024MB RAM
  • 40GB Hard Drive
  • CDROM Drive
  • 3.5" Floppy Drive
  • Onboard Video
  • 10/100 Network connection
  • 17" LCD Monitor
  • Standard Windows keyboard
  • Mouse (possibly with scroll wheel)

Hardware - Nanaimo PCs

• these PCs will be used for Workshops and Labs in the Colwood room
• PCs will be DELL Optiplex 745 Desktop:
  • Core2Duo 6300 CPU
  • 2GB RAM
  • 80GB SATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive
  • DVD Drive
  • No Floppy Drive
  • Onboard Video
  • 10/100 Network connection
  • 19" LCD Monitor
  • Standard Windows keyboard
  • Mouse (possibly with scroll wheel)

Network

• All classroom PCs will be connected to the conference LAN, which will provide access to the server(s) hosting the Canadian GeoData
• Although the Conference Center will have WiFi access to the conference LAN, it is expected that classroom attendees will use the classroom PCs for the Workshops and Labs, not their own Laptops
• Classroom PCs will have access to the Internet. If a proxy needs to be configured, those details will be announced once they are known.
• Some Instructors who make use of Internet-based resources for their Workshop/Lab may want to provide their own 'backup server'(e.g. a notebook) to be connected to the conference LAN. DEADLINE: If you want to do this, you must let the the Workshop Committee know by August 6, 2007

Software

The majority of the PCs used for the classrooms are being rented, with the rest being on loan from the City of Nanaimo. The PCs will be prepared by installing and configuring various software onto a small number of 'master PCs'. Those 'master PCs' will then be "cloned" to create the full complement of classroom PCs. The timetable for preparing the classroom PCs will cause there to be certain deadlines, such as a deadline for when the conference organizers must have data that you will need for your Workshop/Lab. As soon as the timetable is finalized, any such deadlines will be announced on the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list.

Operating System

• All PCs will have Windows XP installed, with the latest service pack and patches (as of mid-September)
• LiveCD
  • Instructors who wish to use a LiveCD for their Workshop/Lab must provide the LiveCD
  • If you want your LiveCD tested on a classroom PC, the Tentative DEADLINE for providing your LiveCD to the Workshop Committee is Friday August 31, 2007. Unless you provide a 'script' of additional instructions, the testing will consist of making sure the PC will boot from the LiveCD.
• LiveDVD
  • there will be limited availability of classroom PCs that have a DVD drive
  • DEADLINE: If you plan to use a LiveDVD, you must let the Workshop Committee know by August 6, 2007
  • Instructors who wish to use a LiveDVD for their Workshop/Lab must provide the LiveDVD
  • If you want your LiveDVD tested on a classroom PC, the Tentative DEADLINE for providing your LiveDVD to the Workshop Committee is Friday August 31, 2007. Unless you provide a 'script' of additional instructions, the testing will consist of making sure the PC will boot from the LiveDVD.
• Virtual Machines
  • most Workshops/Labs will be using either Windows XP or booting from a LiveCD/DVD
  • if neither of those options is suitable for your Workshop/Lab, you may use a Virtual Machine
    • DEADLINE: If you wish to use a Virtual Machine, you must let the Workshop Committee know by August 6, 2007
    • the Virtual Machine must be provided by the same mechanism, and by the same date, as for "Data"(see above)

Application and Utility Software

• Information such as user ids and passwords, database connection details, etc. will be provided to Instructors in the Instructor Handout that you will receive at the registration desk and/or prior to the conference via the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list
• If your Workshop/Lab deals with software installation, it is expected that will be explained by the Instructor (e.g. via slides), and will not involve actual installation of the software
• The English-language version of software will be installed
• Web Browsers will have their homepage set to http://www.foss4g2007.org/

For Workshop and Lab Instructors who will be using Windows XP:

1. If there is any software that is needed for your Workshop/Lab that is not listed below, add it to the list, including a version number, and a link to where it can be downloaded
2. For each piece of software in the list that you require for your Workshop/Lab, edit this page and add your Workshop/Lab "ID number" to the line below the software
   • use "Wnn" for Workshops (e.g. W01,W02,W10) and "Lnn" for Labs (e.g. L01,L02,L10)
3. If the software doesn't list a specific version number, or only a major version number is shown:
   • if a version number is not listed, or only a major version number is shown, the version that is installed will be the latest non-beta release that is available when the 'master PCs' are being built
   • if you require a specific version for your Workshop/Lab add the specific version number after the software's name, and add a link to where it can be downloaded
4. If the software has a version number listed, and it is different than the version that is required for your Workshop/Lab, then please send an email to the FOSS4G2007-Workshops mailing list so that you and the other Instructors who need that software can resolve what version will be loaded onto the 'master PCs'

Software that will be installed under Windows XP on the 'master PCs':

• 52n
  • -
• 7-Zip
  • -
• Acrobat Reader
  • -
• Ant
  • -
• Apache
  • -
• CartoWeb
  • -
• deegree 2.1 RC1 WMS (depends on Java 5.x and Tomcat 5.5)
  • - L16
• deegree 2.1 RC1 iGeoPortal standard edition (depends on Java 5.x and Tomcat 5.5)
  • - L16
• Eclipse 3.3 RCP Europa from here
  • -
• Filezilla
  • -
• Firefox
  • - W05
• Flash Browser Plugin
  • -
• FME
  • -
• FWTools
  • -
• GeoNetwork
  • -
• GeoServer
  • -
• GeoTools (Is this needed? maven repository should hold us)
  • -
• gettext
  • -
• Google Earth
  • -
• Internet Explorer 7
  • -
• IrfanView
  • -
• Java Runtime Environment 6 update 2 with JAI 1.1.3and ImageIO 1.1
  • -
• Java Software Develoment Kit 6 update 2 with Java Advanced Imaging and ImageIO extentions
  • -
• Java (Sun) JDK 5.x
  • - L16
• Maven 2.0.5
  • -
• Mapbender
  • -
• MapBuilder (SVN trunk version, or recent release if available by deadline)
  • - L02
• Mapguide
  • -
• MapStorer
  • -
• ms4w
  • - W05
• OpenLayers
  • -
• pgAdmin III
  • -
• PHP 5
  • -
• PostgreSQL (8.2.X)
  • - W04
• PostGIS (1.2.2)
  • - W04
• PuTTY
  • -
• Quantum GIS 0.8.1
  • - W02
• Tomcat 5.5
  • - L16
• uDig 1.1 (includes JRE 5)
  • -
• VMWare Player 2.0
  • - W12, L14, L16
• VTP
  • -
• Windows Media Player
  • -

Other

• Every PC will have a C:\FOSS4G07 folder, and under that will be one folder for each Workshop and Lab. For example, for Lab-01, C:\FOSS4G07\LAB-01. This is the location you should use for any files that the attendees will be creating/downloading during your Workshop / Lab.
• If using a webserver on the PC, configure it to have it's root directory under your Workshop/Lab's main folder (e.g. C:\FOSS4G07\LAB-01\webroot\).
• The Default Input Language, and installed Keyboard, will be English (United States)
• The Windows XP userid will be the same on all PCs, and will have Administrator access
• Most (perhaps all) of the classroom PCs will have CDROM or DVDROM drives, so attendees will not be able to burn copies of Workshop/Lab materials. If your students should have such material, you will have to arrange to provide it as a handout, or make it available for download from the Internet.
• Some Workshop/Lab Instructors may make some of their classroom material available via a handout, or via the Internet, including packaged with software. The conference organizers will not be supplying a CD/DVD of the software that is loaded onto the classroom PCs.

Workshops

Workshops are 3-hour hands-on courses in full computer classrooms. They are only open to registered workshops attendees.

Workshop Dates and Times

• Monday, September 24, 2007
  • 09:00-12:00 six Morning Workshops (W-01 to W-06)
  • 13:00-16:00 six Afternoon Workshops (W-07 to W-12)

Workshop number of attendees

The conference secretariat will notify Instructors via email on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 how many people are registered for your workshop. For Workshops that have not reached their maximum size (based on the classroom sizes), that number may change because people can register for the Workshops at the conference. It is anticipated that all Workshops will be fully booked, because Early Bird registration, which ended July 27th, has filled 9 of the 12 Workshops.

Workshop Classroom Details

• the following rooms have been allocated for the Workshops:

Room	Computers	Max Attendees	AM Workshop	PM Workshop
Colwood	20	40	W-02	W-11
Esquimalt	20	40	W-05	W-10
Oak Bay	42	84	W-06	W-09
Saanich	42	84	W-04	W-07
Sidney	20	40	W-01	W-12
View Royal	15	30	W-03	W-08

• the above room capacities and allocations are subject to change (but capacities will not be reduced)
• the classrooms vary in size and layout
• Two attendees per computer
• The Classroom PCs Configuration section shows how the classroom PCs will be configured
• The Instructor will have a PC (in addition to the classroom computers)
  • it will have the same configuration as the classroom PCs
  • it will be connected to a projector(with a screen at the front of the classroom) via a Y cable, to enable the PC's monitor to be used by the Instructor
• There will be a 'Room Monitor'(a conference volunteer) for each Workshop
  • they will be checking attendees against the registration list as they arrive
  • they will remain for the duration of the Workshop, and can assist the Instructor with any issues related to the room
  • they will collect the evaluations from attendees and the Instructor(s) at the end of the Workshop
• no food or drink is allowed in the classrooms
• water will be provided at a table at the back of the classroom

Workshop Classroom Access

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Workshop Instructors will have access to their classroom from 15:00 to 17:00. This is subject to the classroom setup (which starts at Noon) being completed by 15:00.

This time is for things such as:

• familiarization with the classroom facilities
• connecting your Notebook to the projector (if you are not using the provided Instructor PC) and making sure it works properly
• a 'dry run' of your Workshop
• applying, or changing, configuration settings such as database connection strings, etc.

This time is not intended to be used for loading software or data onto the classroom PCs.

During this time you may be sharing the classroom with one other Workshop Instructor:

• access to the provided Instructor PC and projector will be 'first come, first served'
• access to the classroom PCs:
  • you will be assigned roughly half of the PCs that will be primarily for your use, to enable you to test your Workshop
  • if you need access to all the classroom's PCs (e.g. to change a configuration setting), you will have to coordinate that with the other Workshop Instructor who may be using the room at the same time

Monday, September 24, 2007

Workshop Instructors will have access to their classroom 30 minutes prior to the start of their Workshop.

This time is for things such as:

• distributing classroom materials
• rebooting PCs or booting from LiveCD
• connecting your Notebook to the projector, if you are not using the provided Instructor PC

Attendees will be allowed into the classroom starting 15 minutes prior to the start of their Workshop.

Labs

Labs are 1.5-hour courses, usually hands-on, in full computer classrooms. They are open to all conference registrants.

Lab Dates, Times, and Rooms

• the following rooms and time slots have been allocated for the Labs:

Day	Time	Colwood	Esquimalt
Tuesday	13:00 - 14:30	L-01	L-09
Tuesday	15:00 - 16:30	L-02	L-10
Wednesday	08:30 - 10:00	L-03	L-11
Wednesday	10:30 - 12:00	L-04	L-12
Wednesday	13:00 - 14:30	L-05	L-13
Wednesday	15:00 - 16:30	L-06	L-14
Thursday	08:30 - 10:00	L-07	L-15
Thursday	10:30 - 12:00	L-08	L-16

Lab number of attendees

The maximum number of attendees for a Lab will be 40. The actual number of attendees in a Lab cannot be determined in advance, as no advance registration is required for Labs - it is "first come, first served".

Lab Classroom Details

• the Colwood and Esquimalt rooms will be setup as computer classrooms
• the two classrooms are virtually the same size, and very similar in layout
• there will be 20 classroom computers in each room
• Two attendees per computer
• The Classroom PCs Configuration section shows how the classroom PCs will be configured
• The Instructor will have a PC (in addition to the 20 classroom computers)
  • it will have the same configuration as the classroom PCs
  • it will be connected to a projector(with a screen at the front of the classroom) via a Y cable, to enable the PC's monitor to be used by the Instructor
• There will be a 'Room Monitor'(a conference volunteer) for each Lab
  • they will be controlling the 'first come, first served' admittance to the classroom
  • they will remain for the duration of the Lab, and can assist the Instructor with any issues related to the room
  • they will collect the evaluations from attendees and the Instructor(s) at the end of the Lab
• no food or drink is allowed in the classrooms
• water will be provided at a table at the back of the classroom

Lab Classroom Access

Monday, September 24, 2007

Lab Instructors will have access to their classroom from 16:00 to 18:00

This time is for things such as:

• familiarization with the classroom facilities
• connecting your Notebook to the projector (if you are not using the provided Instructor PC) and making sure it works properly
• a 'dry run' of your Lab
• applying, or changing, configuration settings such as database connection strings, etc.

This time is not intended to be used for loading software or data onto the classroom PCs.

During this time you may be sharing the classroom with other Lab Instructors:

• access to the provided Instructor PC and projector will be 'first come, first served'
• access to the classroom PCs:
  • you will be assigned two of the PCs that will be primarily for your use, to enable you to test your Lab
  • if you need access to all the classroom's PCs (e.g. to change a configuration setting), you will have to coordinate that with any other Lab Instructors who may be using the room at the same time

Tuesday through Thursday, September 25-27, 2007

Lab Instructors will have access to their classroom 20 minutes prior to the start of their Lab.

This time is for things such as:

• distributing classroom materials
• rebooting PCs or booting from LiveCD
• connecting your Notebook to the projector, if you are not using the provided Instructor PC

Attendees will be allowed into the classroom starting 15 minutes prior to the start of their Lab.