The Shared Browser application enables AG2.3 users in a session
to have a shared view of web pages. The original version
was distributed with the AG2.3 toolkit itself, however it had the
severe limitation of working only with VenueClients running on
Microsoft Windows machines. The version available below adds support
for Linux based VenueClients.
In order to use the Shared Browser on Linux systems, the wxMozilla
package is required. To use wxMozilla from within an Access Grid shared
application (such as the Shared Browser application), the host system
must have a suitable wxPython installation. A "suitable wxPython
installation" is one compiled with GTK2 support; this has generally not
been the case, so a new version of wxPython will be required. To
summarise, the steps required are:
install (replace) wxPython with GTK2 support
install wxMozilla
install SharedBrowser
Downloads (or links) to perform these steps are below.
Downloads
Shared Browser
(~15KB)
as an AG toolkit installable package (platform &
distribution independent)
wxMozilla
(~1.9MB) as a Slackware linux installable package
wxPythonGTK2
(~6.8MB) as a Slackware Linux installable package
Method
An existing Slackware based AG node machine running
AccessGrid-2.3-1 probably has an "ordinary" wxPythonGTK installed,
rather than the wxPythonGTK2 which is needed. Remove the old version
with the command (as root): removepkg wxPythonGTK-py2.3-2.4.2.4-i486-2 (the exact name depends on what version is already installed)
Now install the new version with the command: installpkg
wxPythonGTK2-py2.3-2.4.2.4-i486-2.tgz
Next, install the
wxMozilla package with the command: installpkg wxMozilla-0.5.3-i486-1.tgz
Finally install the Shared Browser itself with the command:
agpm.py
-s -p SharedBrowser.agpkg
Done!
Now start a new session from the VenueClient's menu: Venue->Start
Application Session->Shared Browser. The new session will
appear in the Application Sessions section of the VenueClient
interface. To join it, double click on it (or right-click to see
options).
NOTE! The updated AG2.3 package
for Slackware (AccessGrid-2.3-i486-2) already contains the new
SharedBrowser and also installs wxPythonGTK2 and wxMozilla.
NOTE2 The procedure for
Fedora/RedHat systems is essentially the same, substituting Slackware
packages with RPMs and
installpkg/removepkg commands
with their rpm equivalents.
Acknowledgements
David Gwynne of the University of Queensland Vislab modified the
original SharedBrowser.py to successfully use the wxMozilla module, as
well as determining the dependencies between it and various wxPython
incantations.
