[H-GEN] Linux in Schools.

[Rick Phillips]

> Depending on the load required for the MS-Win boxes, virtualisation may be 
> an option.  Qemu runs MS-Windows under Linux like a dream with the kqemu 
> kernel module loaded.
> 
Well, I am adopting the "softly, softly" approach - not so much for the
school but for me.  I am self taught and haven't had a huge amount of
experience in virtualisation area.  My steepest learning curve will be
to figure out how to make a samba box a domain controller for a mixed
network which is predominently Active Directory.  Time is not on my side
- I have to look after all of the machines on site pretty much on my
own.

> > The school is seeing the benefit of open source and Linux in particular
> > to the point where it is actively promoting it.  It may not be very long
> > before the school switches some desktops full time to Linux as, out of
> > the box, it has some fine teaching tools such as the Gimp and Quanta
> > Plus, OpenOffice, Audacity (we have a film and TV group) and so on.
> > Students had no problems with OpenOffice during the "disturbance".
> 
> Have you considered Linux based thin clients for the desktop?  This keeps 
> management overhead down and keeps costs down too.  If lots of people are 
> running GIMP & Audacity at the same time you may want to run some apps 
> locally.  LTSP handles this all very nicely of course.

We in fact, have thin clients and the experience (in a Windows only
environment) has been hateful.  Once burnt, Linux or no, we will never
have them again.  They will be retired forever and the end of the year.
The teachers, students, the technology coordinator and I will be happy
to see them heading to the tip.

Rick