Tips For Going Over To Linux.

[tickmike]

Hello all .

If I wanted to convert the school to Linux .

1..what are the best Distro's ,

2..where do you get them from,

3..what do you use for a workstation.to replace W2K Pro.

4..what do you use for a server to replace 'ms server2000'

5.. can you still use software that is suitable for ms 2000 .eg they have a lot of school type software.

From Michael.

[Geoff]

what are the best Distro's

The one that suits your needs best. My advice is to evaluate a few (VMWare can help you out here) and see which your most comfortable. To my mind I think you'd be best with something like Edubuntu.

http://www.edubuntu.org/

where do you get them from

The internet. Most Distro's can be downloaded and burned to a CD. You will require a broadband connection and a cd burner of course.

If you don't have this and went with my Edubuntu suggestion, they will ship you CD's free of charge.

https://shipit.edubuntu.org/

what do you use for a workstation.to replace W2K Pro

what do you use for a server to replace 'ms server2000'

Where as in the Microsoft world where you have different 'flavours' this isn't true so much for Linux. You would use the 'same' version of Linux for both your server and your client PCs. The difference is in the configuration.

can you still use software that is suitable for ms 2000 .eg they have a lot of school type software.

Yes, take a look at Wine. This is a windows 'emulator' for Linux. It'll run most software provided it doesn't do anything clever or naughty. Somewhat ironically it's rather better at running older windows software than Windows XP is!

http://www.winehq.com/

[tom_newton]

Last year at BETT there was a company doing thin-client linux stuff that looked sodding impressive. Cant remember the name - can anyone else?

Could probably get hold of them via a circuitous route as the brother used to work for one of the founders

[CyberNerd]

probably the cutter project.
http://www.cutterproject.co.uk/

also check out Linux Terminal Server Project http://www.ltsp.org/
and karoshi http://www.karoshi.org.uk/

[tom_newton]

probably the cutter project.
http://www.cutterproject.co.uk/

Aye - that were they!

Anyone actually used em?

[russdev]

arr cutterproject nice bunch of people had them talk to us at our very first conference in corby.

[StewartKnight]

I thought it was speak like a pirate day....... yesterday?

[tom_newton]

@Stewart: Arr, ye scurvy land lubber, I be liking to speak like a seafarer now & again, to keep me hand.. er, hook in. Yes, that's it, hook.

[russdev]

rofl

all together

"what do you with drunken sailor, what do .... you... do..."

ok as one man said once

I'll get my jacket

So how do you iron a jacket then?????

[adamyoung]

Karoshi looks really good and has some interesting features like home access.

The only thing is they're moving there documentation at the moment, so much is unavailable.

[SimpleSi]

5.. can you still use software that is suitable for ms 2000 .eg they have a lot of school type software

This is the one that bites - as Geoff says the others are fairly easily dealt with.

The software that the teachers will want/need to use, in real-world practice, just isn't available under Linux.

I wish it wasn't so

regards

Simon

[tickmike]

Thanks all, A few things to test out there.

Michael. Ps. Has this site got an ironing viurs ??

"So how do you iron a jacket then?????"

[russdev]

sad thing is extreme ironing was setup by bloke local to here as lived in Leicester....

or is sad that i knew that bit of info...

Russ

[CyberNerd]

Quote:
5.. can you still use software that is suitable for ms 2000 .eg they have a lot of school type software

This is the one that bites - as Geoff says the others are fairly easily dealt with.

should also mention that Citrix (expensive) and Windows Terminal servers offer a good way to get windows apps onto Linux - will require a Windows server so probably not suitable in this case.

The software that the teachers will want/need to use, in real-world practice, just isn't available under Linux.

want, not need need. The entire curriculum could be covered with linux software but it requires creative teachers (and IT staff).