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MISTC FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions

              Downloading               Installing               Connecting               Using               Recordings              


Question:
Who may download MISTC?
Answer:
The MISTC software is free for academic purposes.

Question:
How do I get help with MISTC?
Answer:
For help with downloading and starting up MISTC, send email to MISTCHelp@netlab.gmu.edu. If the problem can't be resolved without spoken consultation, we'll set up a phone conversation.

Our staff is very limited, and though we are willing to offer you some help in getting started, we cannot offer any significant technical support. As you probably know, this is the policy for most open-source software. But we have tried to anticipate questions and difficulties in our documentation, so we hope you will be able to set up and use MISTC readily. Feedback from you is welcome.

This web site for MISTC (http://netlab.gmu.edu/MISTC/) includes a download page - use the "download" link in the menu on the left side of the MISTC home page - that provides download links for the MISTC client, server and web management pages. These downloads each contain a README file with extensive instructions. You should begin with the Server download.




DOWNLOADING

Question:
Can I use the MISTC software with Windows XP?
Answer:
We have experienced no problems running MISTC under Windows XP.

Question:
Can I use MISTC with Windows Vista?
Answer:
Yes, MISTC will run under Windows Vista. Please note that the installation requires Administrator privileges. More information

Question:
On the download web page, it says that the size of the MISTC Client is 10MB. Unfortunately, when I downloaded it, I only received 163KB. What did I do wrong?
Answer:
When you allow all of the tools to load, it will be at least 10MB. The tools will load if you allow the download to execute as set in the zipfile. Alternately, you can install just the master client and then click on newadd.bat.

Question:
The clients that I downloaded do not have Floor Control.
Is it the way it should be?
Answer:
In MISTC releases through 4.0.0, the Floor Control does not load until the first time it is used in an online session.

INSTALLING

Question:
How do I run MISTC on Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion)?
Answer:
The newest version of Mac OS 10.8 includes security features to prevent the execution of unsigned apps. In order to use MISTC, you must do the following:

 1. Download the MISTC.app normally and copy it into your Applications folder
 2. Right click the MISTC.app and select open, then click open again at the security warning
 3. The app should then launch and you should not be prompted for the warning again.

You may also be prompted about "gs" requiring X11. If you click OK, it will take you to an Apple webpage with a note to download XQuartz version 2.7.2 or later from SourceForge. Follow the link to http://xquartz.macosforge.org/landing/ and download the .dmg file. Then open the .dmb file and install XQuartz. The Whiteboard should work normally after this.

Question:
I am trying to install MISTC on Windows 8 64-bit and it's not working. What should I do?
Answer:
MISTC has been tested with Windows 8, but there are possible quirks yet to be worked out. One user found that with the 64-bit version of Windows 8 you have to install both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Java for Java to work properly. So try this out, and if you still have a problem, contact MISTC Help.

Question:
I am using Windows Vista and get the message, "error in 16-bit waveInOpen testing format" when starting MISTC. What should I do?
Answer:
For many users this problem has been remedied by updating the audio drivers on their system. Try visiting your system manufacturer's support website and installing the latest audio device drivers. If this does not fix your problem, send email to help@netlab.gmu.edu.

Question:
I tried to download and install, but I get an error message saying to install java 1.5. I think I did download J2SE 1.5.2. Is there another option?
Answer:
Try uninstalling all versions of java on your machine. Then goto Java and download the latest 1.5 by clicking the 'download now' button. If you need the JDK, try the Java Sun website. The problem is that java isn't in your path and MISTC isn't able to find it on your system. A proper installation should remedy this.

Question:
Does the MISTC install program use the JAVA_HOME environment variable to find the installation of the JDK?
Answer:
The installation program tries several ways to locate Java 1.5 runtime. JAVA_HOME is on the list; but it tries the Windows registry first. If there is a problem with the registry setting, JAVA_HOME will not be consulted. Reinstalling Java 1.5 typically resets the registry values.

Question:
When I try to install the MISTC software with my Windows 98, I get an error message about the installer. What should I do?
Answer:
Download and install the Windows Installer from Microsoft. You can download it from here.

Question:
My MISTC installation freezes. The console reads:
MISTC Master Client 040300 starting java cmd:
"C:\Windows\System32\java.exe" -classpath "C:\PROGRA~1\NEW\NEWC040204" testJava14"

What should I do?
Answer:
You should install (or reinstall) the Sun's Java Runtime Environment from here.

Question:
When installing the client, the application fails with the message, "MISTC client software download failed." What should I do?
Answer:
If you are connecting from behind a web proxy server or have local firewall software running, such as Norton Internet Security or ZoneAlarm, try disabling these while installing MISTC. Or you could configure your security system to grant access to the MISTC java application. MISTC needs to connect to the Internet to download additional components during the initial installation and may need to do so again later to install updates.

Question:
I am running 64 bit Linux and I keep getting error messages about missing whiteboard libraries. What should I do?
Answer:
With Red Hat based Linux distributions, such as Fedora/RHEL/Scientific Linux, install these packages:
  > yum install glibc.i686
  > yum install libstdc++.i686
  > yum install libX11.i686
  > yum install libXScrnSaver.i686

For non Red Hat based Linux distributions, look for the libraries in their respective package managers (e.g., on Ubuntu use the   > apt-get   command) or search in Synaptic.

Question:
When I installed MISTC, why didn't I get an icon in the programs menu?
Answer:
MISTC does not install an icon in the programs menu. It is a client for Web access, and as such it is not normally run independently of a webpage. The MISTC clients will be invoked when you access the live class from your Moodle account.

To run the MISTC client offline for playback or recording: on Windows or MacOSX navigate to Documents/MISTCDATA and click OFFLINE.nwm; on Linux, type command /usr/local/MISTC/MISTC in the terminal window. In addition, on Windows or MacOSX you can play a MISTC recording simply by clicking on its icon.



CONNECTING

Question:
My Speak Freely window says it cannot support the audio format. What should I do? Answer:
This is a Windows problem and the answer is to reboot.

Question:
I normally use 800x600 monitor resolution and there just is not enough room for everything. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer:
If you are not planning to ask spoken questions, run the LISTEN-ONLY version of MISTC. It has a smaller GUI.

Question:
Though I can hear the instructor with the MISTC software, he cannot hear me. What should I do?
Answer:
First ensure sound is working on your computer. Use the "sound test" button on the MISTC Speak Freely panel. It will capture a short segment from your microphone and play it back.If the green bar does not bounce when you speak, either your microphone is not working or the volume needs to be increased. If the bar bounces, but you do not hear sound coming back soon after, either your speakers/earphones are not working or the play volume needs to be turned up.

Question:
When trying to run MISTC on a modern 64 bit Linux OS, I get an error like:
-bash: ./MISTC: /lib/ld-linux.so.2: bad ELF interpreter: No such file or directory
What should I do?
Answer:
You need to install the i686 GNU C Library. On Fedora, run:
> yum install glibc.i686
or similar, and a similar procedure must be done in Ubuntu using
> apt-get

Question:
I am getting disconnected from my live class repeatedly. What can I do?
Answer:
There are several sources for this problem. Check for them with these steps.
First, if you have been connecting with video, try connecting without it.

Second, reboot your machine before connecting with MISTC. This is especially important if you have not rebooted for some time.

Third, if you are a GMU student, check if your disconnects are due to your web connection by trying the GMU dial-up connection--instructions. When using the dial-up, be sure to deactivate your call-waiting by preceding the number with "*70". Be aware that not all ISPs provide good connection to GMU at all times. If other network applications are sluggish, MISTC will not be able to work, because it needs streaming delivery of at least 56 kb/s.

Fourth, be sure there is no background application running on your machine such as messenger/AIM or a P2P program.

Finally, check your machine for spyware/worms/viruses that may be creating general instability and/or saturating your network connection. Try installing Microsoft Anti-spyware and running an anti-virus scanner. Look in the task manager for DLLHOST.EXE or SVCHOST.EXE. These can be legitimate processes, but if the names are all capital letters, it may be the w32 welchia worm. To eliminate this worm, run the tool at Symantec website. You may safely run this tool whether you have the worm or not.



USING

Question:
When I try to use MISTC with my linux computer, I get the report that MISTC cannot locate the audio system, and the console output states that the hardware is busy. What should I do?
Answer:
In some distributions of linux, this error occurs. It can be fixed by running MISTC as root with the command sudo /usr/local/MISTC/MISTC. When MISTC has been started as root once, you may close it and open it normally (/usr/local/MISTC/MISTC)

Question:
When I send a message to the professor, it is displayed in the window for text received. Do the other online students see that message?
Answer:
Typing in the pink text window sends messages for the instructor alone to see. The white text window is a chat area for all participants to see.

Question:
How do I use my computer's microphone to speak in class?
Answer:
To participate with audio, you need a computer with sound interface and a microphone (which is already built into most laptops).

Before participating in class with audio, you should run Sound Test using button on the MIST/C control panel. This will capture a snippet of audio and play it back, showing that you are ready to participate. If you can't get sound to work you can contact mistchelp@netlab.gmu.edu.

When you want to speak in class, you must first request the floor using the button on your Floor Control. When you instructor grants you the floor, your name cell will turn red and you may speak.

Question:
My Windows 7 audio control does not show a microphone even though my computer has one. What should I do?
Answer:
Go to Start --> Control Panel --> Hardware and Sound --> Sound. Click on the Recording tab. Next, right click in the area where the devices should be listed and pick the "Show Disabled Devices" item.

  

All of your disabled recording devices should appear (if there are any). Right click on the device you wish to enable, then choose enable.

  

You should see a green check mark on the device to indicate that it has been enabled.
Select "OK" to save your changes.



Question:
How about adding student microphones to MISTC?
Answer:
If you are going to add student microphones, they need to be combined through a mixer with the instructor microphone, not brought in through MISTC running on student machines. The half-duplex sound in MISTC assumes no two machines are within sound reach of each other; otherwise you get feedback. There are basically three options for the student mics:
1. leave them open all the time- this results in a great deal of noise going out on the net and into the recording.
2. voice-activate the mics- this is expensive and ends up being just the same as #1 because any cough, dropped item, etc. activates the mic.
3. have the students push a button to activate--this results in the instructor constantly saying, "Push the button on the mic before you speak."
Bottom line: Our experience shows student mics are not a good use of money, instructor time, class time, or technician time. I strongly prefer a single wireless mic that can be worn by the instructor and passed to a student who has something long to say. (A two-channel system with one worn by the instructor and the other available to pass around is even better. In this case, the second should be hand-held not clip-on.) When the student has a short question or comment, the instructor should repeat or paraphrase it for the group. This is actually the best teaching technique in any case, whether you are online or not.

Question:
ImportWindow worked for a while on my Mac but now it won't work. What is wrong?
Answer:
We have found it necessary to reboot Macs before a class that uses ImportWindow. It seems there is something in the Mac getting filled up, but we've not been able to learn now to empty it without rebooting.

Question:
ImportWindow button doesn't work to transfer the image of a screen window to the whiteboard on my Linux system. What is wrong?
Answer:
Most likely, your XWindows package is missing some files. On Linux, ImportWindow needs files xwd, pnmtojpeg, and pnmtopng.

To load them on Fedora:
>yum install xorg-x11-apps
>yum install netpbm-progs

To load them on Ubuntu:
>apt-get install xorg-x11-apps
>apt-get install netpbm

Question:
I see this in Mac console log:
                      newwbd[...] : kCGErrorInvalidConnection: CGSGetWindowTags: Invalid connection
Answer:
According to various web posts, this message appears under MacOS 10.7 "Lion" but is spurious; does not indicate a real problem.


                                                          RECORDINGS

Question:
How do I play MISTC recordings?
Answer:
Directions for playing MISTC recordings.

Question:
When I try double clicking on PLAY STANDALONE, I get the following error: "unable to connect to record/playback server - continue anyhow? (click CANCEL to quit)." Could you tell me how can I solve this problem?
Answer:
This is usually a symptom that you do not have Java installed. See the downloads page for a link to get it.

Question:
When I playback a class, sometimes the slides seem to be out of order. Why?
Answer:
There was a bug in the playback resequencing. When the instructor went forward a slide, and then back, the slide did not in fact go back. So all the marks got made on the wrong slide. This bug has now been fixed so future classes will not have this problem. We are resequencing the files of past classes, but this may take some time.

Question:
Why do the slides not play properly when I change classes on playback?
Answer:
The whiteboard caches slides as received. You should restart MISTC when you go to the second class and the problem will not occur.

Question:
I would like to stop and come back to the same point in a lecture recording, but when I use the forward button to position the recording, the slides and the instructor's markings get out of sync. What should I do?
Answer:
The recording works by playing back a stream, so what you want is virtually impossible. However, the player is built to skip forward by exactly one slide each time you click the double-arrow-forward button. If you do that, you'll get to see the slide.

Question:
Is it possible for me to use MISTC to make a recording?
Answer:
Yes, you can make your own recording and play it back with MISTC. Follow these instructions.






Last updated: 11/08/2012