[ILUG] Computers for schools

[Frank Duignan]

Hi Shane, in DIT Kevin st. we are rolling out linux net booted (ltsp) thin
clients.  These are based on old Dell machines we had in the labs.  They
boot into rdesktop and connect back to a windows terminal server.  The main
reason for doing this is to slow the upgrade cycle and reduce maintenance at
the desktop.
FOSS is creeping into other things we do like teaching programming, computer
architecture, web development (LAMP) and so  on.  OpenOffice is *very*
slowly gaining ground.  I use it and encourage students to do likewise (the
equation editor and pdf export functions are "must haves").
I've been pushing FOSS for quite a few years now but it is still a long way
from becoming the standard desktop - not because anything is wrong with it:
Inertia/caution of users and support staff is a big obstacle;  Windows media
and documents attached to emails is another.

I visited Scoil Caitriona last year and pushed OpenOffice.  They seem to be
happily running with it from what I hear.  They are also managing to do the
ECDL course - though how they square this with OpenOffice I'm not sure -
perhaps a kludge around the StarOffice version of ECDL?
f.

On 2/17/07, Shane <skenn_ie at eircom.net> wrote:
>
> My attitude to this is that
> 1) The ECDL should be renamed MSCDL...that is MicroSoft Computer Driving
> License, as that is all that is taught.  The first step would be to have
> Openoffice as the main application.
>
> 2) Schools should be encouraged to use a netboot/ thin(or fat)
> client/application server system, thereby vastly extending the useful
> life of the client computers.  With local swap space, these clients
> could easily see a 20 year life, albeit, with more frequent blasts of
> compressed air to allow them to keep cool !.
>
> I look after the IT needs of 2 primary schools, but only one of them has
> any interest in deviating from the simplest route.  They certainly, are
> open to trying alternatives.  Is there anyone out there who could assist
> me in that pursuit ?
>
> S.
>
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