News for new and returning MCECS computer users in Fall 2022

The CAT has been busy preparing the computing infrastructure at MCECS for both onsite and remote users for the new academic year. Here are some of the highlights:

The front page of the CAT website includes a “Back to Campus Toolkit” and updated “New (Attend Anywhere) Students” section, where you will find links to the following guides and more:

How to activate your MCECS account or reset your password if you’ve forgotten it.
- https://cat.pdx.edu/users/computer-accounts/using-cram/
How to get 24×7 card access to FAB/EB and many popular computer labs as well as how to rent a locker in the building.
- https://cat.pdx.edu/users/getting-help/card-access-and-lockers/
Information about printing in the MCECS labs
- https://cat.pdx.edu/services/printing/
- Personal laptop users have a system called Mobility Print that provides an easy way to set up printing to a curated list of popular printers
  - https://cat.pdx.edu/services/printing/mobility-print/
Resources for New and Attend Anywhere students
- https://cat.pdx.edu/users/getting-help/for-new-students/
How to set up a VPN to access various internal resources
- https://cat.pdx.edu/services/network/vpn-services/
How to remotely run graphical programs from Linux systems
- Using VNC – https://cat.pdx.edu/platforms/linux/remote-access/vnc-in-mcecs/
- Using X Windows directly – https://cat.pdx.edu/platforms/linux/remote-access/remote-x/
How to watch out for email scams
- https://cat.pdx.edu/2021/09/20/fall-2021-time-for-a-new-wave-of-phishing-scam-emails/

Computer Labs (onsite)

Many computer labs have returned to onsite operation only. To learn which labs can only be accessed onsite and which can be remotely accessed, as well as how to remotely access these system, see:
- https://cat.pdx.edu/2022/09/26/fall-2022-remote-windows-lab-access/
- You can also look at the current computer lab reservation schedule at:
  - https://cat.pdx.edu/users/facilities/lab-reservation-calendars/
- EB 325 (the Cad Lab) has ALL NEW COMPUTERS. They are the fastest we have in our computer labs.
- Computers in the FAB 55-17 Intel Lab have been equipped with dual displays.
- EB 325 and FAB 55-17 reduced to a single BW printer in each lab.
- Lab rules for food and drink in MCECS general labs are returning their pre-pandemic state – store food on designated tables only, sealed drink containers allowed at workstations. Departmental labs may have more restrictive policies.

Computer Labs (remote access)

A dedicated MCECS Windows Remote Lab has been set up to replace the ad-hoc mixture of remote computers taken from the general computer labs used during the pandemic. They have a software load that is similar to that of systems in the MCECS general computer labs.

Access the new remote lab using the Intranet remote lab page
- https://intranet.cecs.pdx.edu/remote_lab/
Info on how to use remote desktop to connect to Windows systems:
- https://cat.pdx.edu/platforms/windows/remote-access/using-remote-desktop-at-mcecs/

Software

In Windows Labs – https://cat.pdx.edu/services/software/windows-labs/
- The Windows labs are running Windows 10 21H2
In Linux Labs – https://cat.pdx.edu/services/software/linux-labs/
- Ubuntu systems have been upgraded to the latest LTS release – 22.04 (Jammy)
- CentOS systems running version 7
Software for users to install on personal systems – https://cat.pdx.edu/services/software/users/
CAT supported Windows systems in non-computer lab environments moving to user initiated managed software package installs using Software Center.

Student volunteers in the CAT assisted in the preparations for Fall 2022 and generated much of the documentation you are reading. If you are interested in joining the CAT, visit the Braindump website:

https://braindump.cat.pdx.edu/