Several weeks ago, no, nearly a month ago we installed a lab at Hahaione. It was in many ways one of our greatest successes, but in some ways it has not gone quite as well as the TC deserves. There is no hurry, yet, to have the project complete, but without an update from me there is no chance of collaboration or volunteer assistance.
Of the 30 computers in her lab and the 12 or so going to classrooms, only about 15 have come from HOSEF. We should get an accurate count. The rest were already tested and ready for us to use. Lenora, the T.C., had two community volunteers, Mark and Marvin test the computers she accumulated as well as make most of the cables. When we arrived most of the lab was already set up. The gratitude of the school for HOSEF's time and expertise was quite clear. The install day brought out new faces like Tim Newsham and Ben Timmerman, Mark and Marvin. It also brought seasoned veterans like Karen Loftstrom, Debbie Nishihira, Andy Stroble, and Ted Kanemori. A good time was had by all. Unlike most installations, we took on the task not only of setting up a thin-client lab but also of setting up 5 classroom pods of 5 or fewer computers. The volunteers performed amazingly, and we would have pulled this off had the law of Murphy not prevailed. It is always something, and this was no exception. We set up diskless workstations requiring a fast network over which to retrieve the OS and Apps. This install was the first time that we used two switches separated over two subnets. Problem is, the switches cannot handle NFS traffic. Yes, I said it, and it is true, but we/I have 5 TrendWare switches that prevent the clients from booting from the server. Replacements have been ordered and are here. Problem is, that switch dilemma destroyed all of my productivity, vision, and cheer at the install and on a follow-up visit to the school. With the issue resolved and never again to be repeated, it is time to tidy up. A few tasks remain that could use your help. Lenora is able to allow visits during school hours if you wish contact her. Please let me know. 1. Deploying Pods Andy, Karen, and I have installed the K12LTSP on the needed pod servers. I have tested the servers, labeled the nics, and made Pod Piles for deployment. Each pile has a switch, clients, server, and is labeled for the required room. We need a. To carry the pods to the classroom where monitors await us (custodians?) b. To confirm if keyboards or mice will be needed in the rooms c. To connect the pods and add a few generic users in the classrooms d. To install Ubuntu on 2 designated computers fast enough to be stand-alone 2. Tidying up the Lab a. Peter, Karen, and Lenora organized the room in a way that requires the cabling of 5 more pods. One cable and a switch can do this. We have a 5-port switch that came in which can nearly take care of this. b. Replace bad switches with new ones. I plan to do this tomorrow. c. Add users That's It. --scott