Ken Foskey wrote: > On Tue, 2004-02-17 at 12:35, Phil Scarratt wrote: >>I have been spending the last six months working to get the first open >>source or free software CDs available in libraries as lending CDs. I >>have now succeeded; 415 public libraries out of a possible 507 have >>accepted them in Scotland.
> It was not quite that simple and guess what it was OpenOffice.org :-) > There is a definite market for a subscription service for updating these > CD's if a distributor was to take it on. Might be a SLUG project. What would be nice would be a jukebox/vending machine like thing in libraries. In its most basic use you could go up to it and from the screen select what open source software you want and it will burn it onto CD/DVD on-the-spot. It will always have access to the most up-to-date version as it would mirror or pull down the files from aarnet or pacfic.net.au etc when needed. But it can be a pain to stand in front of a machine and select 500 MB of software for a CD so it also has in it a web server. From any PC in the library you could view the web page and select the software that you want. Then wander over to the machine and pickup your CD. The business model is that it charges $10.00 for the CD and $20 for a DVD. Many libraries have the bandwidth for such a machine to keep up-to-date and the environment where the machine wont be abused. Still making a machine like that aint cheap :-( (Naturally it runs Debian internally) Mike -- Michael Lake Chemistry, Materials & Forensic Science, UTS Ph: 9514 1724 Fx: 9514 1460 UTS CRICOS Provider Code: 00099F DISCLAIMER ======================================================================== This email message and any accompanying attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender expressly, and with authority, states them to be the views the University of Technology Sydney. Before opening any attachments, please check them for viruses and defects. ======================================================================== -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
