Hi Mark and etharp,
That indeed would be wonderful. Down here in Brazil there are a fair
number of poor communities that would benefit from such setups. Some people
already teach poor children/teens how to deal with computer on a voluntary
basis using donated/scrap salvaged hardware. Most of these are probaby old
386/486/pentium1 sys. I'm sure that most of these computers use pirated
window$ since they'd never have the money to buy the licenses to install it
in a dozen machines.
The entering of Linux in this field - which would be great both for the
Linux community AND the poor children which would get a chance to learn on a
REAL OS - have two barriers: most people that do that kind of work are not
quite computers experts, and hence would have a hard time configuring Linux
at the first time. Second barrier is that Linux is not so widely known and
available in poorer countries.
Solutions: The comm distros should give these people a hand, by setting
up a Linux network for them and providing training to the voluntary
teachers. A special "etharp-proof"version suitable for young users should
also be worked out. :^)
I don't know about other distros, but brazilian Conectiva (RH based) is
really geared towards bussiness users. There's no emphasis on home users. I
heard that Mandrake is getting an oficial "publisher" here in Brasil, if
that's right then doing these kind of things would be both a way of building
an user pool and a terrific advertising.
As a side question, suppose one had just one fast computer - say an
Athlon 1Ghz 256Mb of ram- would it be able to serve X applications to a
Linux net of about 10-12 clients that were crap computers (486/Pentium1
class) ?
And finally, if someone just got that new TFT and is going to dump that
clumsy 17 or 19 inch monitor , send it my way. :^) I have to put up with a
15 inch.
--Jeferson L. Zacco aka Wooky
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Linux registered user #221896
-------------------------------------
Computers are used to solve problems that wouldn't exist if computers
weren't invented in the first place.
FROM etharp>>
<snip> sounds like the best Idea since sliced bread... "Kinder-Mandrake"
even
better than AOL-Mandrake<grin>. that is an idea I could sink my teeth
into.... get LUGS to get local corps and Gov. office to donate scrap
computers, have high school computer student clubs test and replces cards or
Power suplies (what ever can be salvaged and made as a complete computer,
set
them up with a "etharp-proof" Linux OS, and donate them to be used to have
"internet appliances" in economically deprassed areas, either in the
community where the computer was donated or third world contries that could
REALLY need/use them. <<
>From Mark :
> I heard recently (from my wife, can't confirm the specifics) that MS is
> suing a very poor public school in Philadelphia for making copies of
Windows
> for its students to run in its classrooms. It seems that for such a
school
> (and really any school) that linux would be just a perfect fit.
>
> Does anyone know of any elementary and secondary schools using linux? I
know
> many, many colleges are, but I'm more curious to know about other schools.
>
> I could imagine all sorts of really cool things that students and teachers
> could do with linux. I would think that ISPs could donate or discount an
> internet connection so that the students and teachers could learn about
> setting up a LAN connected to the internet; bring up some private news and
> IRC servers for discussing homework; develop virtual web sites to show
case
> student work, syllabuses(sp?), and message boards, etc... They could use
> the OpenOffice, it would probably be possible for some of them to run
linux
> at home. If people would recycle and donate there old systems to the
> schools they could have contents for students to win those computers for
> home. We have a Goodwill Computer works in here in my town with some
> descent systems available that could easily run linux and even X. (I've
> heard some parts of the east coast have been having lead problems will old
> moniters begin tossed out - I shudder to think people are dumping thier
> computers in dumpsters!!!)
>
> It would be really exciting i think -- but maybe I'm too much of a geek.
> You'd really have to have buy in from the teachers and staff... most
likely,
> except for a few of them, will probably be too terrified of computers in
> general to even contemplate using linux...I would think local LUGs could
> train teachers and staff so they could become much more comfortable with
the
> whole thing.
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jeferson Lopes Zacco [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 6:51 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: [newbie] Use of Linux
> >
> > Speaking seriously now, If I ever get to be a good C/C++
> > programmer and ever manage to understand QT libraries and
> > whatever it takes to make programs for KDE/Gnome/X than
> > I really plan on releasing a ChildDesktop for Linux.
> >
> What a FANASTIC idea!!!!
>
>
