MacOS CD DVD LUI Install
From Isabel Plaza Wiki
This page is a tutorial intended to help newcomers to create a Live Ubuntu Isabel (LUI) CD or DVD to run Isabel without any modification of the users hard disk for easy participation in an Isabel session and can therefore be run on hardware with other operating systems. It describes the main requirements and the necessary steps to create, install and run Isabel from a CD/DVD from a Mac OS X operating system.
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[edit] Requirements
If you want to run Isabel as a session server we strongly recommend to do a hard disk installation due to performance reasons.
Otherwise, for a one-time only installation continue reading the instructions on how to create a Live CD/DVD from a Mac OS X PC.
The latest Isabel CD is an Ubuntu Karmic Koala Linux distribution with Isabel installed. The PC Hardware you will use to run Isabel must be supported by this Ubuntu distribution.
You require:
- A PC or laptop with following configuration
- CPU: Pentium IV 1.4 GHz or more
- RAM: 1Gbyte of RAM
- Sound Card and microphone: full duplex interface. Session or flow servers do not need sound card. Find here a very good and cheap microphone choice for small groups which connects directly to "mic in".
- Graphic VGA Controller: 1024x768 resolution is used in typical Isabel sessions.
- Video interfaces: video cards or Webcams supported in (Ubuntu). Additional useful information about supported Webcams can be found here and here.
- Network Interface: a 10 Mbps Ethernet is enough to connect to a session. Servers of FSs may need more, i.e. a 100 Mbps Ethernet connection.
- CD/DVD burner attached to the PC and a blank CD or DVD and a burning software
[edit] Burning the Live Ubuntu Isabel ISO on CD/DVD
- Download the latest Live Ubuntu Isabel CD ISO image. The Live Ubuntu CD ISO will have following naming convention: Live_Ubuntu_Isabel_X.X.iso. Follow the instructions of the Download page to get the ISO file. This file usually sizes around 700 to 900MB.
- Run the Disk Utility application located in Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility.app
- On a Finder window, locate the Live ubuntu Isabel CD ISO image. Drag it to the left hand window of the Disk Utility Application.
- Select the ISO image and clik on the Burn icon. A new window will appear with burning options, see Figure
- Insert a black CD/DVD and click on Burn.
[edit] Boot from the CD/DVD and run Isabel
When the LUI CD/DVD has been burned, insert it in the Mac and reboot it while holding the down the C key. On older Mac hardware you may need to reboot pressing Command-Shift-Option-Delete keys instead.
If you have troubles booting refer to the detailed booting instructions in section 4 of the Isabel LUI guide.
Once Ubuntu has finished booting, you can invoke any Isabel command by clicking on the upper left corner
"Applications -> Isabel"
and selecting the various commands: "Help", "Utilities", "Connect To", "Local Test", "Start Session Server", ... as shown in Figure 4. A "Connect To" icon can also be found as a Desktop shortcut for quicker access.
[edit] Update the Isabel version
We strongly recommend to upgrade to the newest Isabel version before connecting to a session. Isabel 4.11 installations can be updated to Isabel v5, as follows:
Add the following line to your Ubuntu 9.10 repositories list:
deb http://ubuntu.dit.upm.es/ karmic extras
This can be done inside the application Synaptic Package Manager, from System->Administration menu, or you can also add the Isabel v5 repository line to the file: /etc/apt/sources.list.
Once the line is added, the Isabel installation can be updated to the latest version over the Internet from the Ubuntu menus (see figure 5):
"Applications -> Isabel -> Utilities -> Isabel Update"
Please ensure you accept any agreement shown on screen while installing Isabel.
[edit] Firewall/NAT traversal
Isabel v5 needs only 1 UDP unicast port (bidirectional) to connect to an Isabel session. It connects to the session entry point (session URL) over UDP port 53018. In case port 53018 is closed by the firewall, Isabel will try to connect over one of the following UDP ports: 53, 88, 161, 162, 500, 1080, 1720 and 4672. If any of those ports is open no further configuration is needed in the firewall.
If none of them is open, request firewall administrator to open UDP port 53018 for bidirectional communication with the session URL's IP address.
[edit] Flash Gateway Web Access
TCP Port 1935 needs to be open for connecting to Isabel through the Web gateway.
[edit] Hard Disk Installation
If you are going to be using Isabel frequently, we recommend to do a hard disk installation for better performance and customization storage.
A permanent installation on the hard disk can be done using the LiveCD LUI removable media of your choice. Boot from the removable media and click on the installation icon present on your Desktop. Detailed instructions can be found in section 4 of the Isabel LUI guide. It may be advisable to call a Linux expert to do the installation.
[edit] Test the Isabel installation
The local test mode of Isabel can be entered by executing the menu option (see Figure 4):
"Applications -> Isabel-> Local Test"
This Isabel mode facilitates local audio and video testing. The Desktop background is modified to guide you through the different local tests. Running Isabel on Local Test mode won't let you connect to a session nor start one, but it eases the steps for your local configuration.
You will be able to see if you webcam has been recognized and renders a good image. If you see a black image or the quality of the video is not well adjusted, click on the Isabel Local on the tools icon and select Video -> Video Camera Icon as shown in Figure: Isabel Local Menu. A Video Configuration window (Figure: Video Configuration Window) will appear where you can change the camera to use as well as the contrast, brightness and saturation settings, if your webcam allows it.
Clicking on the mixing board icon opens a software mixing board with your audio vumeter. If you click on Configure button (upper right cornter) a new Aduio Configuration window appears. The Audio Wizard (see Figure: Audio Configuration Window), lets you test your audio output and capturing levels as well as possible echo problems of your mic.
If Isabel has to be connected to the audiovisuals system of a room or auditorium, an audiovisual experts should be contacted. The Isabel Audiovisuals Guide provides guidelines on how to connect the Isabel terminal to the auditorium audiovisuals.
[edit] Connect to an Isabel Session
To connect to an Isabel session click on the menu option
"Applications -> Isabel -> Connect To"
A window will appear (see Figure 6) with following parameters to fill in:
- URL: the session URL (an IP or URL provided by organiser, i.e. mcu1.dit.upm.es)
- Nickname: your company acronym (UPM, UC3M, UPC, MIT, NASA, …) or your name such that your video can be identified and recognized by all other session participants.
- Location: your town or company (Madrid, Paris, NewYork, ...) to allow other participants to indentify your phisical location.
and click on the “Connect” button to join your Isabel terminal to the session URL.
Connection to the session can be made using the URL of any other Isabel PC connected to the session that will then act as a session proxy.
[edit] Run your own session
To organise your own session, start an Isabel session server through the menu option
"Applications -> Isabel -> Start Session Server"
A window will appear (see Figure 7) allowing you to fill in the proper session parameters. The session server will be initiated by clicking on the "Start Server" button. The session URL will be composed by the IP or FQDN of the PC running the server and any contents of the session name you filled at session start.
To connect to this session the session participants will have to click on "Connect To" with the session URL indicated in the panel (i.e. isabel://serv1.dit.upm.es/MySession, serv1.dit.upm.es or 123.45.67.89). Clients will enter in demo mode if the session server has no license installed (Live CD case). Licenses can be installed only in servers with hard disk installations.
[edit] Isabel v5 new features
- New Affero GPL License for the Isabel software
- New Web gateway
[edit] Isabel 4.11 new features
- Firewall friendly tunneling over 1 UDP port with unicast. Isabel attempts to cross the firewall by sequential probbing following UDP ports: 53018, 53, 88, 161, 162, 500, 1080, 1720 and 4672.
- SIP gateway. Allows SIP VC clients to connect to an Isabel session, i.e. comercial VC systems supporting SIP, MSN Messenger, etc.
- Multi version support: Isabel 4.11 also includes version 4.10, such that this version can be used to connect with session servers running Isabel 4.11 and 4.10.
- Asymmetric bandwidth allocation for ADSL lines.
- Enhanced user interface.
- Video quality enhancements.
- Several improvements and bug fixes.
[edit] Troubleshooting
We are in the process of building a FAQ page for easy troubleshooting of problems. If you do not find help here, please give us feedback.
[edit] Feedback
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