What is the current recommendation for a LiveUSB image? -walter
On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 6:42 PM, David Farning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Clinic next door to a School - A health clinic located right next door > Sasha's school has a close partnership with the school. Many students are > scene there so they decided to add a donated computer to their waiting room > just for kids to use Sugar. This computer still has its hard-drive, but its > dedicated for Sugar. Some of the basic sugar files are located on the hard > drive and it is set up to allow students to log out rather then shutting > down and restarting between each student. > > This is an very interesting idea. A hybrid harddrive usb solutions. From a > technology perspective it would not be that hard to implement. When the > computer boots from the hard drive it waits at a login prompt for the user > to either login or insert a USB with the users /home directory. The current > generation of linux distribution has excellent support for DBUS to > communicate the status of hot swapped devices such as USBs. > > A big advantage of this method would be to take advantage of the hard-drives > speed while storing user data on the USB. Furthermore, the users login > criteria would be stored on the USB. This would allow passwordless login. > > The main concern that I have heard about storing user data on a USB is that > kids will lose them. Kids can be trusted not to lose their textbooks and > folders. Why not reverse the trend of shrinking USBs and make textbook > sized USBs for kids:) We make big pencils and big crayon for younger > students. Why not big USBs? > > The Zoo: .... > > This seems very similar to the clinic. > > YMCA: After school and on snow days and vacations Sasha goes to the local > YMCA. There is a bank of 10 computers for kids to use. They are thin clients > run from one server. There is a USB port, and the user experience is just > like booting on a stand alone computer, except because it doesn't really > have to fully boot for each student switching users is much faster. > > The difficulty here seems to be defining what is a thin client. One > interesting approach is the one taken in the Extremadura region in spain. > Several years ago they start putting computers on the desks of all of the > students in the region. Now, as the computers are becoming outdated (the > students have faster computers at home) they are adding high powered servers > to schools. By configuring the existing laptops and desktops as clients for > the new servers, they are able to extend usefull life of the existing > equipment by several years. > > For this to become possiable with Sugar we will need to engage the LTSP > developers. > > > At School: Due to the E-Rate program Sasha's school and all the schools in > tow are well connected so the schools system decided to take advantage of > the economies of scale and hosts a large server centrally. In each classroom > there are thin clients and a USB port. The user experience is exactly the > same as at the YMCA, but in this case the server is located several miles > away. > > A current preference for US schools seems to be using E-Rate to finance a > client server system where student can log into their virtual desktop from > anywhere that has Internet access. > > This thinking seems to stem from the belief within the current generation of > school sysadmins that only they can be trusted with a student's data. A > second reason is that schools tend to integrate students systems to closely > with teachers administrative systems. As a result many districts are > putting a tremendous emphasis on backing up students data. > > Client Server systems allow sysadmins to backup a student's data to school > or district level SAN. It has been awhile since I have gone to school, but > I can't remember anyone photo copying my notebooks so that I would have a > 'backup' if I lost my original. On the contrary, I remember losing point > for losing my homework. It was called learning responsibility. > > This belief also seems to stem from the quirk of human nature that if we pay > a consultant to install an expensive system, we tend to be happier then if > we install an inexpensive system our selves:( > > On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 11:54 AM, Caroline Meeks > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> Hi, >> >> This is a request for technical assistance for "Sugar on a Stick". >> >> It looks like we have a pilot school for our USB boot project, and a grant >> proposal in so I am trying to think through various use cases around >> creating ubiquitous access with a USB storage device. I've written up some >> use cases here: >> >> >> http://www.sugarlabs.org/go/DeploymentTeam/School_Key#Vision_of_different_ways_the_USB_might_work_in_the_students_environment >> >> I'd love thoughts on what is feasible, how hard, and how much benefit >> would each scenario actually provide. >> >> I've done tests to show that "Home" and "Grandma's" are feasible. I'm >> curious as to whether putting some of the boot files on the hard drive (Zoo) >> could reduce boot time or have any other advanatages as most of our donated >> computers will likely have working disk drives. I wonder if combining with >> a LTSP or other virtualization scheme is possible (YMCA/School). >> >> Note all scenarios are fictional. >> >> Write your ideas here or on the Wiki page as you see fit. >> >> Thanks! >> Caroline >> >> -- >> Caroline Meeks >> Solution Grove >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> 617-500-3488 - Office >> 505-213-3268 - Fax >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Sugar mailing list >> Sugar@lists.laptop.org >> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Sugar mailing list > Sugar@lists.laptop.org > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar > > -- Walter Bender Sugar Labs http://www.sugarlabs.org _______________________________________________ Sugar mailing list Sugar@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/sugar