Internet course:
(Morten Ariansen)
Facilities at UiO
User account
Applications on the computers in the PC room
Access to printers
Computer Viruses
Using the Web
Email
Computer Orientation
User account:
Your user account is your key to the University resources. With it you get:
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Personal email account
Personal disk space on the network
Access to high speed internet.
Access to a wide number of computers on campus
Access to the World Wide Web
Access to make personal web pages
Access to databases (medline cinahl )
Do not allow others access to your account.
Changing your password for your user account
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Start IE and enter http:\\passord.uio.no on the location field and press enter.
Choose "English" read instructions.
Enter Username, old password, and new password (twice) click change and READ message.
The program will report that the password is accepted or not.
Password program only accepts passwords that have a combination of digits and letters and special
characters like +, %, or &.
Try again, if not accepted, with a more complex password by clicking on the back button.
PC room
Nr of computers: 15 computers
room nr: 50
Network printer: ut_isam12
Programs available on the computers
Office xp: Word, Excel, Powerpoint
Reference database tool: Endnote
Spss 11.0: Statistical program
Email: Eudora or webmail
Internet Explorer:
F-secure ssh: Encrypted Terminal emulator; can be used to connect to a unix server, (f.eks studmed).
Literature databases: through WWW http://www.uio.no/usit/bss/bibliotek.html
Antivirus program F-secure, automatic and manual scanning of files on M: and A:
Where to store documents
Store documents on either A: (diskettes) or M: (network disk, your private user area)
Disk quota (about 25 MB).
Printing
Printer queue name for PC room is ut_isam12
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Contact Peder Nielsen or Morten Ariansen on tlf 50 665 ROM 117 to report errors:
A printer quota is set for students.
Printer problems:
When printing, the computer sends the printout to a printer queue located on a server (not directly to the
printer). This server queues printouts received from any PC and prints each document out in turn (sorted
By size)
This "printer queue server" may stall without the computer giving any error message. Any subsequent
printout will be placed in the queue and be printed out when the printer queue is fixed. Therefore there is
use in repeating printouts if the PC doesn’t give any error messages, check the printer or call for help.
You may check the following points, and if that doesn’t help you may call Ariansen (tlf 50 665) and leave
a message.
Check the following points before calling:
Check if the printer is connected to the mains, printer display says ready.
Check if the printer is connected to the network, cable falls out on occasions
Check the display for error messages
IF "paper jam" is on display, open the printer and carefully remove any paper that might be stuck in the
printer.
Call for help if the printer prints out an error message in stead of your document.
Restrictions set on the student computers.
We have tried to restrict access on the computer to limit the following
Change the system settings
Install new programs
Delete existing programs, and menus
Store documents on the computers local disk
The restrictions aren’t foolproof, but we hope that the existing restrictions will keep the system stable and
unchanged over time.
Internet, a short description.
The computers in the PC room are connected to the Internet.
The Internet can be described as a collection of services located on computers worldwide communicating
through standard protocols(languages). The Internet communications has changed dramatically as new
services and protocols have been introduced over the years.
The transport of this data is provided by communication highways built up of, optical cabling, satellite
communication, radio signals, telephone lines all connected in much the same way as roads and
highways.
Some examples of services are:
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World Wide Web
Email
Search engines, and databases on the net.
Network disks
Conference systems
Music, film, distribution
There are no direct costs involved in the use of the Internet at UiO. The costs lie in the investments in the
infrastructure built up over the years in the cabling.
Email (electronic mail)
All students and employees at the UiO have an email address.
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We suggest using web mail (webmail.uio.no)
Messages to students are often sent only through the email, keep up to date and read email.
The system administrator sends messages though the email to report on any errors or .problems
with the system, these messages may only come in Norwegian (get some help to translate or ask
sender to write you in English.
There at 2 email applications available webmail.uio.no and Eudora. We suggest using Webmail.
Unwanted mail/ junk mail (SPAM): Spam filtering is done through web mail (UiO settings)
World Wide Web
WWW is a standardized Internet service for distributing electronic information (text, pictures, sound,
video, and Computer programs)
UiO uses the web to distribute a wide variety of information like student, course, and staff information as
well as a means of student registration, database connections, and computer program installations.
Some WWW examples:
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Literature databases on the web ->http://www.uio.no/usit/bss/bibliotek.html
University’s WWW home page http://www.uio.no/
A homepage for Africa http://www.afrika.com/
Search engine on the web http://www.yahoo.com/
BCC Britain http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/today/index.shtml
BBC world Wide http://www.bbcworldwide.com/
Africa online http://www.africaonline.com/
CNN side in America http://www.cnn.com/
Worms and viruses
worms.
Once infected a worm on infected computers search out and infect other computers through the internet
by exploiting weaknesses in the computer system. To prevent worms from infecting our computers
through these weakness’ the computers are regularly patched. This is done automatically on all UiO
computers at night.
This is one reason why we want all computers to be on at all times.
Log off your computer but do not turn them off.
Viruses.
A program is a document that contain set of instructions that when read by its appropriate system are
executed.
Computer systems (like Windows) and applications (like MS Word) are built up of thousands of small
programs all integrated together to give the functionality you see in a computer today. Systems and
applications are often upgraded by adding more or replacing of some of these small programs. One or
more of these programs may be deleted or corrupted but the computer will not be affected until that actual
program is used.
A computer virus is a program that once opened searches for other programs it can infect by copying
itself into it. A virus may also do a variety of damage to the system by ether deleting files or attempting to
open the system to access from other computers. Some viruses may even damage specific electronic
components. (f.ex BIOS.)
People make these viruses. The threat of virus infections to computer have increased dramatically over
the years due to the ease of communication through the Internet.
The most common way a user infects his computer is through opening infected attachments sent through
the email. The most contagious viruses around are viruses that infect the computer's local mail and starts
sending out copies of itself as an attachment through your account. It searches through the computer for
addresses to send to and often generates an innocent text designed to trick the receiver into opening the
attachment.
How to avoid viruses:
If you suspect at document of being infected it is harmless so long as it is not opened. Do not open
infected documents.
Familiarize yourself with file types, do not open file types you are unfamiliar with.
Not all documents are programs. Some documents only contain data and are safe to open. Other types of
documents may contain both data and program instructions. (Word documents may for example contain
MACROS which are instructions that the word application execute on behalf of the document)
A document type in Windows is defined by the three-lettered suffix in the filename, f.ex:
TELEPHONELIST.DOC Microsoft word document
TELEPHONELIST.EXE A program
TELEPHONELIST.TXT A text (content is not read as instructions)
TELEPHONELIST.BAT A text file that is read by the system as instructions.
One can to some extent avoid being infected by treating documents that can contain instructions with
great care. Scan these files with an up-to-date anti virus program when you receive them from others.
Read letters you receive critically. It may have been sent by a virus infected computer.
The "SIRCAM" virus which lately has infected many UiO computer send out letters asking you for your
advice on the attached document. You should ask yourself if you are expecting such a letter from this
person.
The attached document of the SIRCAM virus has to suffixes (which is common for many viruses sent
through the email for example: TELEPHONELIST.DOC.PIF
This is an other indication of it being a virus. If you EVER receive a letter with double suffixes in the
filename it is most probably a virus. This is an attempt to fool you into thinking it is (in the case of this
example) a word document. Do not open it.
Scan your hard disc (C:) and home area (M:) often.
(Especially on student PCs, these may have been infected by others before you)
All the UiO computers are installed with “F-secure anti virus” from http://www.datafellows.com/
This program allows you to scan your hard disks, diskettes and networks disks for viruses and disinfects
most known viruses.
Keep informed of viruses that are common by Checking anti virus websites:
There are various anti virus sites that keep up-to-date information on viruses and disinfections programs
for some specific viruses.
http://www.antivirus.com
http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/
http://www.us.sophos.com/virusinfo/