The Teaching Machine itself is written in Java.
To display our examples on our web pages we also employ JavaScript.
Thus you must have both Java and JavaScript enabled in your browser.
You must also have Java (specifically the Java Runtime Environment or JRE) installed on your computer.
You must also have a recent, supported browser .
We test the Teaching Machine and the web pages on recent versions of
Firefox uses the same codebase as
so although we don't test these browsers explicitly, we do expect that both the web pages and the Teaching Machine will run on them (as long as they are set up properly and Java is installed).
We plan to add the following browser to our supported list (by May, 2006):
These browsers are not supported and are not likely to be supported.
Operating systems are not an issue. per se, except to the degree that they can or cannot run modern browsers or the JRE
The Teaching Machine is known to run on Windows XP, Linux and the Mac OS.
You must get and install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). This allows Java to run on your computer. Make sure you get the version appropriate for your operating system. Here's Sun's get JRE button.
Just follow Sun's download and installation instructions. (Did we mention you should be sure to get the version appropriate for your operating system?)
Firefox is the browser we recommend. Make sure you have a recent version. You can get it here.
Alternatively, you may use a recent version of Internet Explorer which you may get from Microsoft
You must set up Firefox so that it will use both Java and JavaScript.
Here's how it is done in Firefox, as of Feb. 15, 2006.
Click on Tools
and choose Options
, as shown below
You will get the following screen. Pick the Content
tab as shown and make
sure
Block Popup Windows
is unchecked
Enable Java
is checked
Enable Javascript
is checked.
The others don't matter.
Click OK
and restart your browser.
You must set up IE so that it will use both Java and JavaScript.
Warning: Microsoft has changed setups overnight in the past. If they do so again, and your browser is automatically updated, it may invalidate these instructions.
Here's how it is done in IE, as of Feb. 15, 2006 using IE version 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519 (and thank-you so much, Microsoft, for not allowing me to cut and paste this from my help-about box).
Click on Tools
and choose Internet Options
, as
shown below
Click on the Security
tab and click Internet
Now, select Custom Level...
to get the window below. Note,
there are a lot of settings so you will have to scroll down to find the Java
VM
settings shown below. You want to make sure that Disable
Java
is not selected.
As you can see here, High safety
will work just fine.
Before you click OK
scroll down again…
…to find these settings: Make sure that Scripting of Java Applets
is checked Enable
.
Now you can click OK
. That will get you back to the Security
tab.
Now select the Advanced
tab and scroll down until you see these
check boxes. Select the Java(Sun) JRE
and not the Microsoft
VM
(although that ought to work for
the moment, we expect to leave the Microsoft VM behind soon).
Now you can click OK
.
Close your browser and restart it to make sure all settings take effect.