ITSD is continuing its plan to gradually roll out Mozilla 1.4 as the new Lab standard application for both email and Web browsing. However, due to limited support and a more complex installation procedure, the target date for having all Lab divisions converted to Mozilla is June. The rollout strategy was described in a previous article.

Rather than “blitzing” divisions with blanket installations, ITSD’s desktop support staff is phasing in Mozilla by installing the application when they are called out to do other work on desktop systems, Rosemary Lowden of ITSD told members of the Computing and Communications Services Advisory Committee on Dec. 5. Those divisions with desktop support staff matrixed from ITSD (about 40 percent of the Lab’s computers) are being addressed first, with others to follow. In some cases, technical support staff within other research divisions are moving forward on their own. In parallel, ITSD is working with ASD to identify ways in which ITSD can conduct "train the trainer" sessions for support staff in divisions that have internal support for deployment of desktop software and need assistance.

All computers being purchased through the Lab’s Basic Ordering Agreements are now being loaded with Mozilla as they arrive, too.

Lab employees are discouraged from downloading the generic version of Mozilla and should instead use the Lab-tailored version, which has customized settings.

ITSD has also been monitoring the use of Netscape 4.75, which is still supported by the Lab, though not by the vendor. Between May and August, the average number of daily “launches” of Netscape 4.75 was 4,195, but that daily average dropped to 3,773 between September and November, a 7 percent decline in the use of Netscape.

While there have been no major glitches in the move to Mozilla, the support staff is building its knowledge base and adding to its list of Frequently Asked Questions. Here are some of the most common questions and answers:

Question: What release of Mozilla does the Lab support?
Answer: Mozilla 1.4 for Windows and Linux is the supported release of Mozilla. For Macs, the supported version is 1.5. It can be found on the software download page under Web/Email.

The reason we have not moved beyond 1.4 for Windows is because of a bug that can cause "locally stored" mail on a network drive (Windows or Novell) to be deleted, seemingly randomly. This has been documented by others in Mozilla bug reports, although we have only been able to replicate it once within our test group.

If customers are storing local mail on a local hard drive, versions 1.4.1 and 1.5 seem to work. We are in the process of testing these versions (found under the software evaluation section of the download page). We may find that specific problems in Mozilla 1.4 are solved with these updates, in which case we may recommend them as a solution on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Where are LBNL's lessons learned with Mozilla being documented?
A: For help, check out the FAQs. There you’ll find help for all IMAP messaging questions, including Mozilla-specific issues.

Q: How many people at the Lab are using Mozilla?
A: Somewhere between 250 - 400 people, although it is hard to tell. We have chosen to adopt a go-slow approach with conversion (to avoid overwhelming the ITSD Help Desk with Mozilla conversion questions and because there is no urgency in making a massive switch). We are taking steps to develop some metrics, including measuring the reduction in use of Netscape 4.75 as well as the increase in Mozilla.

Q: Why should I wait for a technical support person to help me?
A: If you are technically up to speed with Mozilla, email clients in general, and desktop software in general (hopefully because you have done this kind of thing in the past), there may not be a reason for you to delay. However, if your starting point is non-standard (not Netscape 4.75 or even with Netscape 4.75 but with some local modifications to our standards), you may run into problems and we may not have the help you need readily available. Also, if you are a user of IRIS reports (many budget and administrative staff are), only Netscape 4.75 can be used at present. Finally, if you are a timekeeper and need WebLETS to do your work, some additional steps need to be taken to ensure Mozilla will work.

It takes at least a half hour to convert from Netscape to Mozilla for users with an average amount of locally stored mail, and just a few calls from confused users would completely dominate the resources of the Help Desk.

Q: How can I determine where the installation of Mozilla on my computer came from?
A: The locally developed installation package puts the LBNL logo (referred to as the "throbber") in the upper right hand corner.