For readers new to Stanford, Essential Stanford Software (ESS) is a collection of applications -- some free, others licensed by the University -- that help faculty, staff and students accomplish day-to-day tasks and keep their computers secure.
New students should have received a CD with a set of ESS software, but the latest versions are always available on the web at:
There have been some recent changes and additions to the ESS site:
- Eudora 6.2.3 is now available for both Mac and Windows. This version fixes a number of problems, mostly related to IMAP.
- SecureFX 3.0.1 and SecureCRT 5.0.1(file transfer software) are now available on ESS for Windows. SecureFX has much improved drag-and-drop capabilities. If you use both applications, you can integrate the session files and just have one for both. Please read the configuration instructions for details.
- Fetch (version 5.0.2) has replaced MacSFTP as our recommended secure FTP application for Macintosh OS X. ITSS polled the local support community over the summer and the overwhelming response was in favor of making this switch. For those who prefer to use MacSFTP, since the license is valid through the end of the academic year, ITSS will still keep it on ESS. However, to avoid confusion, they've moved it to the "Previous Software Versions", under the "Resources" category.
- As of this writing, the version of Symantec AntiVirus (for Windows) is still 9.0.3. Version 10 was released by Symantec, but its startup scan uses an inordinate amount of system resources and many users reported extreme slowness until the scan was completed. Version 10.0.1 was subsequently released to remedy this, but Symantec has acknowledged that startup scans under this version do not run. As soon as a version fixing these problems has been released and tested, ITSS will place it on ESS and notify the support community.
- Adobe has released Acrobat Reader 7.0.3, which addresses security holes in previous versions of 7.x. However, there is no stand-alone installer for 7.0.3, so please encourage those whose computers you support to run the "Check for updates now" from the Help menu in Acrobat Reader.
Please note that ESS is far from the only software available for your use while you're at Stanford. Check out the Software Licensing site as well at http://www.stanford.edu/services/softwarelic/.
If you have questions about ESS applications, please submit a HelpSU request.
