Userful MultiSeat™ Toolkit - Computer Lab Set-Up ... - ViewSonic

Userful MultiSeat Toolkit
Computer Lab Set-Up & Procedures Guide
Troubleshooting Tips

Userful MultiSeat Toolkit - Computer Lab Set-Up & Procedures Guide
Troubleshooting Tips
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Userful’s software that turns 1 computer into 10, Userful MultiSeat.
Userful MultiSeat replaces the Userful Multiplier brand.
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Troubleshooting Tips
Keep this handy reference guide in a safe place in the computer lab for quick reference .
Call the Userful representative if further assistance is needed.
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Overview
The following information is covered in this module:
Common Troubleshooting Techniques
1.0 Userful’s Control Center
1.1 What version of Userful MultiSeat is installed?
1.2 How do I submit a bug report?
1.3 Resetting system
1.4 Disabling multi-station (for troubleshooting)
1.5 Using recovery mode
2.0 USB Storage Device Troubleshooting
2.1 Unpowered audio USB hubs
2.2 Shared USB storage devices
2.3 No support for auto-assignment of USB Storage Devices
in Fedora 11 and Ubuntu 9.10
3.0 USB Sound Device Troubleshooting
3.1 Hot plugging sound devices during user sessions
3.2 Only one application can play sound at a given time
3.3 Not enough bandwidth
4.0 USB Keyboard/mouse troubleshooting
4.1 Re-assignment of input devices such as keyboard or mouse
4.2 Intermittent freezing or keys repeating?
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Common Troubleshooting Techniques
1.0 Userful’s Control Center
1.1 What version of Userful
MultiSeat is installed?
• From Terminal
sudo userful system --version
• For detailed information about the
Userful MultiSeat installation, go to
Help and Support > About Userful MultiSeat
1.2 How do I submit a bug report?
• From Terminal
sudo userful support --report
• To report a problem, click the “Report a Problem”
link near the bottom of the “Troubleshoot a
Problem” page. A new page will open with a
simple form to be filled out. When completed
and submitted, the information provided will be
e-mailed -- along with a selection of debugging
information pulled from the computer system
logs and files -- to Userful Customer Support.
This file contains a snapshot of your system’s
configuration.
1.3 Resetting System
• sudo userful system --reset
• Or click on “Reset Configuration” in the control center
• Reboot your system
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1.0 Userful’s Control Center - 2
1.4 Disabling Multi-Station (for troubleshooting)
You can turn off Userful MultiSeat from the Userful Control Center, in order to verify
whether an issue is being caused by the underlying OS or updates etc.
• You can also use the Terminal to disable multi-station.
sudo userful system --on
sudo userful system --off
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1.0 Userful’s Control Center - 3
1.5 Using Recovery Mode
If you are unable to access the graphical interface to turn off multi-station in the Userful
Control Center, you can access the command line from the recovery mode. When restarting
your machine:
• To get into recovery mode, hold down the shift key after hearing a beep. This will
give you the GRUB menu where you can select “Recovery Mode”.
• Once in recovery mode, select the netroot option, which will allow for network
connectivity in order to send a debug report.
• You will require the root password in order to work in this maintenance mode (this
is the reason for setting it during installation)
• You will be able to run the commands listed above.
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2.0 USB Storage Device Troubleshooting
2.1 Power issue with unpowered USB hubs
Some USB devices will not work if they are plugged into unpowered USB hubs. If the hub
is unpowered, all devices using it will share power from the USB bus on the motherboard.
Some devices may expect or need more power from the USB port, and the shortage will
cause them to malfunction, such as printers or external DVD-RW drives
If you have any problem with your USB devices, it is recommended that you use a powered
USB hub or connect it directly to the PC.
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2.0 USB Storage Device Troubleshooting - 2
2.2 Shared USB Storage Devices
To make a storage device available to all stations, simply use a USB port on the computer’s
system unit. Since these ports do not belong to any station, the device will be “shared” in
the sense that any station can access it.
Once a user opens (mounts) the device, it will belong to that user’s station. Other stations
will be unable to use the device. When the user unmounts the device, it will again be free
for other stations to claim.
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3.0 USB Sound Device Troubleshooting
3.1 Hot plugging sound devices during user sessions
We recommend that you connect the USB sound device before you log in to a session. If you
plug in a USB sound device after you log in, you will be prompted to restart applications
which are using sound such as your web browser or media player.
3.2 Only one application can play sound at a given time
Most USB sound devices do not support hardware mixing, and some closed-source
software -- for example, Adobe Flash Player -- does not work with the ALSA plugin for
software mixing (dmix). Because of these limitations, Userful MultiSeat uses ALSA devices
directly for sound support.
If sound does not seem work with some programs, please check whether there is another
program using the sound device and close the program. Then, try the first program again.
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3.0 USB Sound Device Troubleshooting - 2
3.3 Not enough bandwidth
A “not enough bandwidth” kernel error may prevent audio output on certain stations.
We recommend:
• Spreading USB devices to different USB buses on the machine. (That is, not
plugging all USB devices into a single bank of USB ports.)
• Using PCI USB expansion cards, since they do not share the same bus with the
motherboard’s built-in USB ports.
• Using USB 2 or USB 3 certified hubs and cables, and make sure full speed USB is
enabled in the BIOS and kernel
• Never connect a multiseat USB device directly to a USB hub
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4.0 USB Keyboard/Mouse Troubleshooting
4.1 Re-assignment of Input devices such as Keyboard or mouse
To re-assign a keyboard on a individual station
• Press Ctrl-Alt-Break on the keyboard, or unplug the device and plug it in again.
You will be prompted with the Userful MultiSeat screen (press F Screen) to reassign
the devices. You will not lose any unsaved work while assigning the input device.
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4.0 USB Keyboard/Mouse Troubleshooting - 2
To re-assign all monitors, keyboards and mice
Monitors, keyboards and
mice can be reassigned
by launching the Userful
Control Center and
resetting the configuration.
4.2 Intermittent freezing or keys repeating?
There are several possible causes for this problem:
• The USB cable is too long, resulting in loss of signal or power. The maximum
distance for stability is 5 m or 15 ft from PC.
• Keys may be repeating due to a faulty keyboard. Try switching the keyboard with a
different one
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NAME OF USERFUL SERVICE PROVIDER:
PHONE NUMBER:
AVAILABILITY:
Contact Us for Assistance
For assistance, please call your Userful service provider. Keep this guide handy for
quick and easy reference.
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