Linux in Education [Potential problems & Software suggestions]

[X-13]

I've just been given the go-ahead to build a linux computer for staff to play with, but I've been asked to find out, from people who have switched from windows, what potential problems we could encounter.

[It wasn't specified by the HT, but could I get staff related problems and technical problems?]

Also, so I can show them a wide range of things they would be able to do, could anyone suggest some good [free] showing-off software?

This is for an infants school but this build will just be for staff. Although anything that the pupils could use would be appreciated.

[Infants and possibly a primary school, providing I can get permission for the trial.]

If it matters I'm planning to use pen drive linux.

[Brpilot99]

Open Office?

[X-13]

Open Office?

Of course.

I told the HT about Open Office and she was surprised that it was free. Even if we don't completely move away from windows OS, I can see her wanting that instead of MS Office.

[CyberNerd]

Software Directory | Open Source Schools

[X-13]

oooooh, that's exactly what I was looking for.

[LosOjos]

Which Distro are you going with? Ubuntu always seems to be the easiest for people to pick up (or Mint, which also installs a lot of codecs and other bits and pieces to help out a new Linux install)

[X-13]

Which Distro are you going with? Ubuntu always seems to be the easiest for people to pick up (or Mint, which also installs a lot of codecs and other bits and pieces to help out a new Linux install)

I was thinking Ubuntu. Mainly because another tech made a Ubuntu notebook. [Same concept as what I'm doing.] Possibly Edubuntu.

[Brpilot99]

Another vote for Ubuntu ... Ive just done an install as a complete beginner and it was a breeze .. Ive installed dansguardin and squid and have now got myself a filtering proxy server ... Feeling quite proud of myself I am !!!

[LosOjos]

Edubuntu comes pre packaged with some good apps for primary education to get you started, there's always GIMP for Photoshop quality editing, Google Chrome (it's called Chromium on Ubuntu) seems to me to be the quickest browser... I suppose really the initial task is showing them that there isn't anything they can't do that they could before

[X-13]

Edubuntu comes pre packaged with some good apps for primary education to get you started, there's always GIMP for Photoshop quality editing, Google Chrome (it's called Chromium on Ubuntu) seems to me to be the quickest browser... I suppose really the initial task is showing them that there isn't anything they can't do that they could before

Edubuntu it is. That plus the OpenEducation disk should cover a lot of bases.

Although, I might throw on OOo4Kids as a potential something for students.


I know I'm going to encounter resistance. Even the LA Techs claim OpenOffice isn't compatible with MS Office files... Which I found out isn't true.

[X-13]

awesome.

Now that the software choices are moving along nicely, does anyone know what sort of problems I could encounter? [Tech problems or staff-related]

[Brpilot99]

I know I'm going to encounter resistance. Even the LA Techs claim OpenOffice isn't compatible with MS Office files... Which I found out isn't true.

Agreed !! Ive been putting Open 0ffice on the teacher laptops and have not had any complaints as yet !! It opens docx files without any problems

[X-13]

Hopefully the trial goes well and I can get back-up against the LA.

Although, an full switch won't be any time soon. I plan to do it gradually, to reduce resistance.

[morganw]

awesome.

Now that the software choices are moving along nicely, does anyone know what sort of problems I could encounter? [Tech problems or staff-related]

Depending on how many computers you have, you may be creating yourself a massive management overhead if you gradually converted all of the PCs and then found you had to manually tweak each one. I would look into automated deployment of the OS and packages via PXE network boot, or try to acheive the same end result with something like LTSP, openThinClient, or Thinstation.

[glennda]

We have a 50% Linux backend here but until Sims will run in a web browser then there is no hope in hell I could ever make the move!