iNoticeboard v3.0 Full Installation Guide

    Introduction
    System Requirements
    How to Get iNoticeboard
    Where To Install
    Installation
    Starting iNoticeboard on the Server
    Starting iNoticeboard on other Computers on the Network
    Running iNoticeboard for the First Time
    Licencing
    Glossary

Introduction

This guide shows how to obtain a copy of iNoticeboard, install it and run it.

iNoticeboard is a client-server application. It is installed once, on a server computer, and can then be used from any other computer on the network, including wireless laptops etc.

It is run for the first time on a computer using a web browser, after which a shortcut will be created, allowing you to run iNoticeboard the next time like any normal program installed on that computer.

System Requirements

The requirements for iNoticeboard are minimal. Any computer that can run Java version 6 (build 1.6) or above will be suitable.

The iNoticeboard server has the following minimum system requirements:

Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016 or above operating system.
Pentium II CPU (Pentium III or above recommended)
128MB of RAM (256 or more recommended)
150MB Hard disk space

The iNoticeboard client has the following minimum system requirements:

Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016 or above operating system.
Pentium II CPU
256MB RAM (512MB recommended)
Java version 6 (or above) Runtime Environment (JRE)
A suitable web browser to run iNoticeboard for the first time. (IE 6.0 or above or Firefox 3.0 or above etc.)
Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer (optional)

The client part of iNoticeboard runs under the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 6 or above. If this is not already present it will be downloaded and installed automatically from the Java web site the first time iNoticeboard is run.

The Java JRE can be downloaded from here and installed manually if required.

The Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer is required to view the iNoticeboard Help document and to view and print the PDF files that can be exported from iNoticeboard. It can be downloaded from here.

How to Get iNoticeboard

The latest version of iNoticeboard is available for download from our website here

If you have problems downloading from the above link, there is a direct link to the setup file here

Note: A browser popup blocker or network firewall may prevent you from downloading the setup file. If you are having problems with the download, check your web browsers popup blocker settings or see if the web browser is setup to prevent file downloads. If the network firewall is preventing the download, you would have to see your network technician about this.

If all else fails, you can obtain a copy of iNoticeboard on CD-ROM. Please send an email and give the name and address where it is to be posted to. You can start an email from this link here or send it to: support@inoticeboard.co.uk

Where to Install

For iNoticeboard to work properly, it is important to install it on the right computer. It only needs to be installed once and then every other computer on the network can use iNoticeboard.

iNoticeboard needs to be installed on a server computer. This is a computer where shared software and files are stored, which are then accessible from other computers on the network. Server computers are usually located in a secure location and may only be accessible by the network technician.

The following diagram shows a typical network setup. iNoticeboard is installed on the server computer and can then be used on all the other computer on the network, even on wireless laptops etc. connected by Wi-Fi.

Network Diagram

If you don't have a dedicated server computer, you can install iNoticeboard on any computer that is permanently connected to the network. Ideally that computer will be in a secure location so unauthorised people cannot access it. As long as the computer can be seen by the other computers on the network (via the server's IP address or server name), you will be able to access iNoticeboard from those other computers.

If you are installing iNoticeboard for just one person to try, you can install it on any computer, such as one of the client computers in the diagram above (e.g. a desktop computer or a laptop). However it might not be useable from other computers on the network.

Installation

iNoticeboard should ideally be installed on a server computer (see above). There are just 2 or 3 configurable settings during installation, most can usually be left at their default value.

The installation settings are:

Installation folder
iNoticeboard Server Port Numbers (8124 and 8125)
iNoticeboard Server IP Address (if the server has more than one)

The installation is very straight forward and in most cases you can just keep pressing the Next button at each setup screen.

To start the installation double click the setup.exe file you have downloaded or found on the CD-ROM:

1. Click Next to proceed with the installation.

2. Click Next again after reading the Licence Agreement details and selecting the "I accept..." option.

3. This screen allows you to choose the folder where iNoticeboard will be installed to. You can probably use the default location, which is the Program Files folder on the hard drive where Windows is installed.

If you normally install programs in a different place, e.g. on a different hard drive, press the Change button and choose the folder where you want iNoticeboard to be installed to.

e.g. if you normally install your programs on the D: drive rather than on the C: drive, choose:

D:\Program Files\iNoticeboard

Note: if you choose a different location, you must ensure it contains the name of the iNoticeboard folder. When you choose a different location, e.g. D:\Program Files you will have to type \iNoticeboard manually to complete the location folder.

Once you have chosen the installation folder press the Next button to proceed.

4. It will take a few moments for the installer to run. The installer will then proceed to the next screen automatically when it has finished.

5. Here you have the option to choose the port numbers that the iNoticeboard server program will use. Normally you can leave them set to their default values.

The port numbers are used by other computers on the network to communicate with the iNoticeboard server program.

You only need to change the port numbers if you know that either or both are being used by some other program on the server. Each port number must be between 1024 and 65535 and they must not be the same number.

Press the Next button to proceed.

6. If the server computer has more than one network card, you will probably see the Choose IP Address screen.

Here you need to choose which IP address that iNoticeboard will use. This IP address will be used by the other computers on the network to access iNoticeboard, so pick one that they can see and use.

7. Finally press the Finish button to complete the installation.

Starting iNoticeboard on the Server

Once iNoticeboard has been installed, there should be an iNoticeboard Client Startup shortcut on the server computers desktop:

It is also found in the Start menu:

Start -> Programs -> iNoticeboard -> Client Startup

This shortcut will start iNoticeboard for the first time using your web browser. If you already have a browser open, it may start in a new tab within that browser's window.

Note: You only have to use the web browser to start iNoticeboard for the very first time on a computer. Once it has been run once, a shortcut called iNoticeboard will be placed on the desktop and in the start menu (Start -> Programs -> iNoticeboard -> iNoticeboard):

That shortcut will start iNoticeboard directly the next time, just like running any other program installed on the computer.

Note: If the Client Startup shortcuts do not work on the server, it may be because the computer has been moved to a different network and now has a different IP address (e.g. if you have installed it on a laptop to try it). In this case use the Local Startup shortcut from the start menu:

Start -> Programs -> iNoticeboard -> Local Startup

(This uses the localhost server name and will only work on the computer where iNoticeboard is installed).

Once you have clicked the Client Startup shortcut, see the Running iNoticeboard for the First Time section for further details.

Starting iNoticeboard on other Computers on the Network

To start iNoticeboard for the first time, from other computers on the network you will need to use the iNoticeboard Client Startup shortcut from the server computer where iNoticeboard was first installed.

That shortcut should be found on the server computer's desktop and in the start menu:

Start -> Programs -> iNoticeboard -> Client Startup

You can send the shortcut via email, by clicking with the right mouse button on it, and selecting the Send To -> Mail Recipient option:

Another way to send the shortcut is to run the iNoticeboard Server Tools program on the server computer where iNoticeboard was first installed:

Start -> Programs -> iNoticeboard -> iNoticeboard Tools

The top section of the Server Tools program shows the address of the iNoticeboard Client Startup.

Press the Copy button to copy the address to the clipboard.
Press the Email button to start an email that includes the address, so you can send it to other people.
The Open button will open the address in a browser window and start iNoticeboard on the server computer.

Once you have clicked the iNoticeboard Client Startup shortcut or entered the address into your web browser, see the Running iNoticeboard for the First Time section for further details.

Running iNoticeboard for the First Time

When you use the iNoticeboard Client Startup shortcut, as covered in the above two sections, iNoticeboard is started via the web browser.

The first page you should see is the following:

Press the click here link to start iNoticeboard, it will check Java is installed and if not prompt you to install it from the Java web site.

You should then see the next screen in your browser:

Browser start page 2

You may find that the browser's popup blocker may stop iNoticeboard from running. A blue strip usually appears at the top of the page. Click on that and follow the instructions to allow iNoticeboard to run.

It may take a moment or two for iNoticeboard to be downloaded to your computer, after which you should see the Sign in screen:

To login you can use the default username: admin and password: admin

Press the Help button on the Sign in screen for more help with signing in, and see below for the full list of default user accounts.

You can now close the browser window, and the next time you need to run iNoticeboard on this computer, use the iNoticeboard shortcut on the desktop or in the start menu (Start -> Programs -> iNoticeboard -> iNoticeboard):

The 4 default user accounts are shown below. These can be changed to grant more or less access rights, and you can create your own custom ones as well. See the iNoticeboard help document for full details.

Username	Password	Description
admin	admin	The admin user has full control. They can add, edit and delete all items, send Messages and Chat and can change the various administration settings.
create	create	The Create user can add, edit and delete Noticeboards, Calendars, Planners and Forums, as well as Notices and Topics and send Messages and Chat.
write	write	The Write user can add, edit and delete Notices and Topics and send Messages and Chat.
read	read	The Read user has read-only access, and can only view existing notices and topics.

Licencing

The demo version of iNoticeboard will run with full functionality for 30 days. After this the application will revert to read only mode for all users. It will not be possible to add, edit or delete anything or access the administration functions until the product is fully licenced.

Licencing involves sending the demo licence key that is generated when the application is installed and receiving back a full licence key to replace it.

The licence key can be accessed from the Licence Key button (yellow key icon) at the bottom left of the main iNoticeboard window.

Press it and follow the instructions in the Licence window that appears.

Once a full licence key is received, press the Licence Key button again to enter the new licence.

To request a new licence key click here

Glossary

Client-Server Application - A type of computer program that is installed on a server computer and is then used from client computers on the network.

Client - A computer that you use to work on, e.g. a desktop computer or a laptop

Server - A computer that is usually locked away securely and runs programs and stores shared files. An example would be a web server that holds all the pages and images for a web site. Other computers (clients) can connect to the web server and view the web pages and run the programs.

iNoticeboard Client - The computer where you login and use iNoticeboard. This will be a desktop or laptop computer.

iNoticeboard Server - The computer where iNoticeboard is installed. This will usually be a server computer as explained above.

Firewall - A computer or program that blocks access to certain things. For example it will prevent hackers on the Internet from hacking into your computer network and might also prevent users on your network downloading certain files that may be harmful.

Network - A collection of computers linked together so they can share information (e.g. documents) and resources (e.g. a printer).

Port - A server uses numbered ports to provide access to different programs running on the server.