Linewize - release notes

Connect for Windows 3.2.0

19 January, 2022

Welcome to Connect for Windows release 3.2.0!

This release primarily addresses support for verdict V3 in the Linewize Connect for Windows agent. We will be rolling this update to all users automatically from today (19th of January 2022, starting at 3:00 pm AEST). We strongly encourage you to ensure that all Windows devices using Connect have been updated to 3.2.0.

We’re fixing an issue in this release that stopped YouTube from functioning correctly with Force Safe Search mode. The Linewize Connect for Windows agent will now poll for updates every five minutes instead of every 30 seconds. Lastly, we’re also updating the routine icons for consumer accounts to be inline with our mobile application.

School Manager 2022-001 Release Notes

19 January, 2022

Welcome to School Manager 2022-001!

This release introduces Share Feedback, which makes it easier for you to inform us about your experience with School Manager. We’ve also upgraded the Website Object Pool Configurations where you can set up filtering rules based on Top Level Domain Extensions (TLDE). 

The Weekly Report Email now sports an improved look and feel, featuring links to essential information and few Linewize brand elements. We’ve also fixed a few bugs that affected Red Flag Alert emails and guest user access.

New Features & Improvements

New Share Feedback Form

Request new features and functionalities, or share your experience with our School Manager product team, directly from any screen by clicking the new Share Feedback link.

New Website Object Pool Configurations Using Top Level Domain Extensions
You can set up Website Object Pools to allow or block sites with TLDEs based on country (.ru, .cn, or .au) or category (.adult, .casino, .io or .porn).

Similarly, the Website Object Pool now gives you a way to configure more education-friendly TLDEs such as .school, .education. art or .science.

New Weekly Report Email Features

We’ve given the Weekly Report Emails a new look and feel, and added a few useful links to make it easier for you to:

  • Sign in to School Manager
  • Know how to use the Weekly Report
  • Contact the Linewize Support Team
  • Know more about Linewize’s Privacy Policy

We’ve also made sure to include other relevant details, such as Copyright and link to the Linewize website.

Fixes

Fixed Guest User Page

We fixed an issue that caused School Manager to crash when a guest’s username or full name included non-ASCII characters. Now guests with non-ASCII characters on their usernames or full names can connect to the network without issues.
Fixed Broken Links in Red Flag and Filter Alert Realtime Reports

We corrected an issue with Red Flag and Filter Alert Realtime Reports where links pointed to incorrect pages within the application. Now, links open to the correct pages, such as the Searches page for alerts that are triggered by searches or the Apps and Websites page for alerts that are triggered by blocked sites and apps.


 

Connect for MacOS 2.5.3

24 December, 2021

Welcome to Connect for macOS 2.5.3!

This is a small but important release that updates several packages in the Linewize Connect for macOS agent that may have been susceptible to the log4j vulnerability. We will be rolling this update to all users automatically from today (24th of December 2021 at 2:30 pm AEST). We strongly encourage you to ensure that all macOS devices using Connect have been updated to 2.5.3.

This release also marks the removal of the agent’s icon from the macOS Dock.

Connect for Windows 3.1.2

23 December, 2021

Welcome to Connect for Windows release 3.1.2!

This is a small but important release that updates several packages in the Linewize Connect for Windows agent that may have been susceptible to the log4j vulnerability. We will be rolling this update to all users automatically from today (23rd of December 2021, starting at 2:30 pm AEST). We strongly encourage you to ensure that all Windows devices using Connect have been updated to 3.1.2.

We’re also fixing an issue in this release that stopped the text-to-speech Chrome plugin Co.Writer from working when Man in the Middle (MITM) is enabled.

School Manager 2021-019 Release Notes

23 December, 2021

Welcome to School Manager 2021-019!

We have introduced more improvements to the Advanced Connection Search to help you generate reports more quickly and accurately. We have also introduced improvements to the emailed reports and squashed a few bugs.

The Advanced Search Report is on limited release to our Early Access Schools. To know more about this feature, contact  Linewize Support (United States (844-723-3932) | Australia 1300 687 052 | New Zealand 0800 445 206).

Updates & Improvements

Improved Advanced Connection Search

The Advanced Connection Search now features more accurate report generation.

The Date Picker now lets you choose a specific date range

The date picker now lets you choose a specific date range for generating Advanced Search Reports. Instead of selecting from a preset number of days, you can now specify the date range which results in more accurate and faster report generation. Should you reach the limit on the data set, the application will prompt you to adjust the parameters.

The Date Picker defaults to the current date

When you open Advanced Connection Search the date picker will show the current date by default, allowing for a more efficient and relevant report generation. And when you refresh or go back to the page, the date picker will still automatically select the current date.

Dropdown lists display options based on your selected date range

The dropdown lists which set the parameters for generating reports now more accurately reflect the selected date range. The options available in the dropdown lists increase or decrease according to the date range that you have selected.

The options for each dropdown reflects the available options that occur within the selected date range. If an option is not available in the drop down list, then that option did not occur within the specified date range.

Improved user experience for Emailed Reports

We have introduced several improvements to the Emailed Reports to give you a better user experience, including giving a crisper look to the Linewize logos in Red Flag Alert and Filtering Alert emails. We have also removed extra spaces to give our Rate Limiting emails a better look and feel.

Fixes

Removed hyperlinks from URLs of blocked sites in emailed reports and alerts

To prevent accidental opening of filtered sites, we removed the hyperlinks from the URLs that are included in Email Alerts. When you receive a new Email Alert, the URL provided in the message will be in plain text instead of linked text.

An additional upcoming update will remove the hyperlinks from URLs for Red Flag emailed reports.

Fixed SIS import using OneRoster Oauth2

We have fixed an issue with OneRoster Oauth2, which caused importing data to fail. Data integration through Oauth2 now works and presents no issue.

Fixed a bug that caused a utility library to crash when emails have unicode characters.

We have fixed an issue with a shared library which previously crashed and prevented School Manager from sending important email alerts that contained unicode characters.

School Manager 2021-018 Release Notes

6 December, 2021

Welcome to School Manager 2021-018!

This release of School Manager introduces an update to the Knowledge Drawer by making it context-sensitive.

When you select Help on the toolbar, the Knowledge Drawer immediately presents links to help articles that are relevant to the School Manager screen that you are viewing. Previously, users had to refresh the screen to access the relevant guides on the Knowledge Drawer.  

School Manager 2021-017 Release Notes

25 November, 2021

Welcome to School Manager 2021-017!

This release of School Manager features improvements to the Red Flag and Filter Alert emails.   

New Red Flag and Filter Alert Features

Link to sign in to School Manager

We’re making sure that email alerts and reports help you jump quickly into School Manager whenever you need to take action immediately. Once you have reviewed the emails, simply scroll down the page to find the Sign in to School Manager link. 

Links to School Manager help articles and support 

School Manager email alerts and reports now include links to help guides that are relevant to the reports. Simply select How to use this report on the footer for instant access to our knowledge base articles. 

If you want to speak or chat to our technical support specialists, select Contact Support.

A consistent and modern appearance

The Red Flag and Filter email alerts now have a more consistent and modern appearance, featuring branding elements, such as background colors, logos, and alert or report type. The new design ensures it’s easier for you to scan the message without missing relevant information.  

School Manager 2021-015 Release Notes

11 November, 2021

Welcome to School Manager 2021-015!

This release contains a fix that was affecting the behavior of the “What’s New” icon on the School Manager dashboard, as well as an update to the date picker behavior.

Updated Date Selector

The date picker now defaults to the current date. In addition, when a user selects a different date, their date selection will appear on all subpages, and School Manager will retain the date until the user picks another date,  logs out, or closes the School Manager screen.  

Stationary “What’s New” icon 

We have fixed an issue with the “What’s New” icon on the toolbar, where the icon would move around the screen while the user scrolls through the application. This icon now remains stationary. 

 

School Manager 2021-014 Release Notes

3 November, 2021

Welcome to School Manager 2021-014!

We continue to introduce improvements to School Manager by giving you quicker access to help documentation. We have also renamed some of Classwize’s configuration items within School Manager.

New Features & Improvements

Knowledge Drawer integration

We have made it easier for you to access Help pages by embedding links to documentation within School Manager. Access our feature and and how-to guides by clicking the Help button at the top of the interface, and the knowledge drawer will appear on the side.
The knowledge drawer opens with document categories and you can also use the Search feature to instantly locate the most relevant articles.

Renamed Classwize configuration items within School Manager

We have given several configuration elements of the School Manager application that control Classwize functionalities a new name.
These elements have been renamed to better clarify their use, and when you navigate to Configuration > Classwize, you will notice that:

  • “Lock” has been renamed to “Pause Internet”
  • "Message Class" has been renamed to "Class Announcement (one-way)"
  • "Policies" has been renamed to "Classwize Rules"
  • “Open tab” has been renamed to “Open site”
  • “Close tab” has been renamed to “Close tab” (Chromebook only)

Fixes

Teacher sign-in should only display teachers

We have fixed an issue where the list of teachers who have signed in to the application includes non-teachers. This correction now only allows teacher sign-ins to be displayed on the list.

School Manager 2021-013 Release Notes

14 October, 2021

Welcome to School Manager 2021-013!

We continue to add improvements to School Manager with the release of Advanced Connection Search,  updates to emailed reports’ look and feel, and bug fixes to Safe Search display issues and LDAP configurations.

New Features & Improvements

Advanced Connection Search (ACS)

ACS is a new feature that allows users to generate connection data reports to help them troubleshoot issues with access, conduct forensic analysis, and build detailed usage reports. Data generated in the reports are based on the device’s timezone, and users have the option to select child devices from the Device Selection menu.

Access to ACS data is limited to users with Owner/Global, Filtering/Reporting, and Global Support administrator roles.

ACS is on limited release to our Early Access Schools. For more information about this feature, contactFor more information about this feature, contact Linewize Support (United States (844-723-3932) | Australia 1300 687 052 | New Zealand 0800 445 206).

Improved look and feel for emailed reports

The device ID has been removed from the Weekly and Welfare Report emails. Users now receive emailed reports that look better and are easier to use.

From Student Journey Report to User Journey Report

We tweaked our naming conventions a little by renaming the Student Journey Report to User Journey Report, referring not only to students but also to other users within the School Manager Network.

Fixes

Fixed the Safe Search display issue

We’ve corrected an issue with the Safe Search configurations where the modal appeared broken when group criteria is used. The modal now displays correctly.

Fixed the LDAP Server Port display issue

We’ve corrected an issue with the LDAP configuration that occurred whenever the port text was removed. The configuration now displays correctly.