Subject: [LON-CAPA-dev] New libraries, etc - need to install for CVS Head

From: Gerd Kortemeyer <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 12:36:24 -0400

Hi,

This is forwarded on behalf of Thomas Onken:

Enable PDF-Forms in LON-CAPA

First you need to install the AcroTeX-education bundle from ctan.

Get the package and unzip it:

     [root@loncapa ]# wget http://tug.ctan.org/get/macros/latex/contrib/acrotex.zip
     [root@loncapa ]# unzip acrotex.zip

go into the acrotex-folder and install

     [root@loncapa ]# cd acrotex
     [root@loncapa acrotex]# latex acrotex.ins

Now move the folder acrotex file into the latex path. You can easly  
find it by searching for "cite.sty" or some other tex-packages.

     [root@loncapa /]# locate cite.sty
     /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/cite/cite.sty
     /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/cite/drftcite.sty
     /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/cite/overcite.sty
     On CentOS5 the latex path is: /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/

     [root@loncapa acrotex]# cd ..
     [root@loncapa ]# mv acrotex /usr/share/texmf/tex/latex/

Remove the acrotex.zip

     [root@loncapa]# rm acrotex.zip

After that you must rehash tex:

     [root@loncapa ]# texhash

Now you are able to print PDF with Forms (Radiobutton-, Comboboxes-,  
Textfield based problems).

The second thing to do is to enable the Upload-script lonpdfupload.pm.  
Before you can use it you have to install CAM::PDF for perl. It is  
available on CPAN so you can use the perl –MCPAN -eshell.

     [root@loncapa ~]# perl -MCPAN -eshell

     cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v1.7602)
     ReadLine support enabled

     cpan>install CAM::PDF
     (…follow installation and also install the dependencies)
     cpan>exit

Next you need to copy the upload-script from CVS to the LON-CAPA  
Apache folder.

     [root@loncapa ~]# cp [your-cvs-folder]/loncom/interface/ 
lonpdfupload.pm /home/httpd/lib/perl/Apache/

Now restart httpd:
     [root@loncapa ~]# /etc/init.d/httpd restart

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From: Mark Lucas <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:04:00 -0400

Gerd,

Out of curiosity, what does this buy us pedagogically?

Does this allow you to create a pdf form that students can fill in
remotely? Would this be used on tests? Assignments?

Just curious from an educator point of view.

Mark

On Fri, 2009-04-03 at 12:36 -0400, Gerd Kortemeyer wrote:
> _______________________________________________
> LON-CAPA-dev mailing list
> [email-masked]
> http://mail.lon-capa.org/mailman/listinfo/lon-capa-dev

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From: Gerd Kortemeyer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 07:56:18 -0400

Hi,

> Out of curiosity, what does this buy us pedagogically?

Nothing, just logistics - doing LON-CAPA offline, but then be able to  
immediately upload the answers.

> remotely? Would this be used on tests? Assignments?

Both.

Germany has nice public transportation, and students asked for a means  
to be able to work on homework on their laptops while offline in a bus  
or train, and then readily upload it.

For tests, one could give them on offline machines (so students cannot  
browse the web, chat, send email, instant message, etc), and then  
upload the stuff when done.

- Gerd.

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From: Mark Lucas <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:07:10 -0400

Thnkas!