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Linux School - Help wanted

mavhc

By mavhc
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mavhc

mavhc

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Posted

Hi everyone, I'm trying to document the process of installing Linux clients and servers for a school, partially in response to Microsoft doubling their prices. I call it Linux School (because I have no imagination). And I need your help.

 

So far I've got a bit of a wiki page started: Schools - Linux Wiki - Wikia

 

And today I wrote this, please test and tell me what I've done wrong, I went from not knowing it existed to getting it working once in 2 hours, so there's probably lots of issues.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ueBo_nBfurgBniV6mf38xs_8Mn4tforYmpPV9mKNJuk/pub

 

My aim is someone who knows a bit of linux can follow the instructions exactly and get everything working, and those who want to learn more can.

 

I think the next 3 things to write up would be apt-cache server (shouldn't be too hard), client install (probably base it on the server install), and configuration management (I know nothing, help!)

 

I've also set up an irc channel on freenode, ##linuxschool, join here freenode Web IRC (qwebirc)

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CyberNerd

CyberNerd

Posted
Posted

My how-to's are a bit out of date, and the only things I'm currently running are file servers (samba3.6), webservers (apache), Virtual Hosts (KVM via RHEV), spacewalk, mail (postfix - mostly for relaying)

 

I have a support contract with RedHat Enterprise, so unfortunately I've standardised on CentOS. Not done very much in the last couple of years but I admire your enthusiasm, and I'll help where I can.

mavhc

mavhc

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Your Google doc isn't public - is that deliberate? Happy to request access, just not sure if it's intended.

 

Everyone feel free to request access, the linked version is a static published copy, should probably do it on github or something, but this'll do for now. Do you need the original doc to request? not tried that before.

 

MJTaylor: Cybernerd said it well I think, most stuff is online now. of course there will be pains with certain programs, but I'd expect this to take a year or so anyway, and each year more things are browser based.

 

I would have just gone with chromebooks except you have to pay for management. IMO the budget spent by schools buying software would be better spent writing open source programs that would be free to every child.

 

Thanks for all the replies, and thanks to someone for editing the wiki page.

FN-GM

FN-GM

Posted
Posted
Everyone feel free to request access, the linked version is a static published copy, should probably do it on github or something, but this'll do for now. Do you need the original doc to request? not tried that before.

 

MJTaylor: Cybernerd said it well I think, most stuff is online now. of course there will be pains with certain programs, but I'd expect this to take a year or so anyway, and each year more things are browser based.

 

I would have just gone with chromebooks except you have to pay for management. IMO the budget spent by schools buying software would be better spent writing open source programs that would be free to every child.

 

Thanks for all the replies, and thanks to someone for editing the wiki page.

 

You do have to pay for a licence for some features but the vast do not require this. Also £19 per device might not be much compared to how much will need to be invested in time and staffing to convert to 100% linux. As others have said you will struggle to find staff to support it.

Arthur

Arthur

Posted
Posted
should probably do it on GitHub

This x ∞ !!! GitHub would be so much better. Not only would scripts/code be more readable (syntax highlighting + monospace fonts!) but it would also be possible to host files there too and have everything version controlled so it's easy to see what changes have been made. :D

 

The adverts/auto-playing videos on Wikia are incredibly annoying and off putting.

 

thanks to someone for editing the wiki page.

That might have been me. I added a few things. :)

mavhc

mavhc

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
This x ∞ !!! GitHub would be so much better. Not only would scripts/code be more readable (syntax highlighting + monospace fonts!) but it would also be possible to host files there too and have everything version controlled so it's easy to see what changes have been made. :D

 

The adverts/auto-playing videos on Wikia are incredibly annoying and off putting.

Never noticed, ublock origin. I didn't know youtube had preroll ads for about a year after they started them.

 

OK, created https://github.com/mavhc/linux-school will move things over. Thoughts on a licence? Mixture of documentation and scripts, so not really sure. Msg me to become a collaborator.

 

Other replies: Yeah, £19 isn't too bad, but it's the principle of the thing too.

 

Is there an open source community version of PaperCut? Alternatives?

 

And as to training/support, I never really found that an issue, I've always used multiple OSes, didn't use Windows until late, still better at it than 99% of people after a few months. Do you know computers, or do you know Windows? And anyway, that's what the documentation is for (in addition to remind me of stuff a year later)

Edited by mavhc
added support reply
Arthur

Arthur

Posted
Posted
Never noticed, ublock origin. I didn't know youtube had preroll ads for about a year after they started them.

I think I need to setup a Pi-Hole for all of the mobile devices at home. :)

 

Thoughts on a licence? Mixture of documentation and scripts, so not really sure.

MIT or BSD for code, some form of Creative Commons for everything else?

CyberNerd

CyberNerd

Posted
Posted

@mavhc @Arthur the licensing will be tricky because at some point we will need to include configuration files, or excepts, that are licensed under a different arrangement.

Can I share a Samba/Postfix config file that is licensed for GPL under MIT/CC ?

mavhc

mavhc

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Good point@CyberNerd, I'll specify that by default we'd prefer whatever we pick, but anything open is allowed.

 

So, for documentation, CC licence, allow commercial usage, but share-alike? Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International — CC BY-SA 4.0

And for code, ISC License - Choose a License same as BSD/MIT but shorter, used by OpenBSD, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISC_license ?

 

As for LinuxSchools, I never feel like it's a good idea to go with a minor distro, who knows how long it will be around. Definitely worth working with the things they have that are generic, and using their experience though.

 

Anyone use containers? Seems to me that things that are debian packages should mostly just be local, but things that require manual installation should be in a container, thus an apt-get upgrade will keep native software up to date, and everything else can use container updates. Also resolves problems of the distro using different versions of software than foreign software.

Arthur

Arthur

Posted
Posted
Can I share a Samba/Postfix config file that is licensed for GPL under MIT/CC ?

It goes without saying that you would have to respect the licenses of third-party code. I was only thinking about files that were created by @mavhc (and contributors). :)

cpjitservices

cpjitservices

Posted
Posted (edited)

A solution to the Office problem would be to use online office if it still exists ?

 

Isnt Word Excel etc available as a web version ?

 

That way you have office in your browser.

 

I'd be basing the OS on either CentOS or Fedora.

Edited by cpjitservices
  • 1 month later...
mavhc

mavhc

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Got some more time to work on this now, installed VyOS VM as a router so I can keep a NAT'd private virtual switch of VMs to test on.

 

Got saltstack set up, trying to learn that now and will use it to setup bind and dhcpd on the server. Then probably apt-cache and look into deploying clients.

 

You are in a maze of salty passages, there are pillars and states and formulas all around, a minion gives you a grain.

 

Also Zabbix 3 is out, and has an appliance install, so playing with that too

Baerf

Baerf

Posted
Posted (edited)

Sorry to sound confused here, but when did Microsoft double their prices? We only just recently (2 weeks ago) renewed our agreement with them and it was 2k less than last year.

 

If we are going to have to pay double next year, then that's going to be a hard pill to swallow.

 

B

 

Hi everyone, I'm trying to document the process of installing Linux clients and servers for a school, partially in response to Microsoft doubling their prices. I call it Linux School (because I have no imagination). And I need your help.

 

So far I've got a bit of a wiki page started: Schools - Linux Wiki - Wikia

 

And today I wrote this, please test and tell me what I've done wrong, I went from not knowing it existed to getting it working once in 2 hours, so there's probably lots of issues.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ueBo_nBfurgBniV6mf38xs_8Mn4tforYmpPV9mKNJuk/pub

 

My aim is someone who knows a bit of linux can follow the instructions exactly and get everything working, and those who want to learn more can.

 

I think the next 3 things to write up would be apt-cache server (shouldn't be too hard), client install (probably base it on the server install), and configuration management (I know nothing, help!)

 

I've also set up an irc channel on freenode, ##linuxschool, join here freenode Web IRC (qwebirc)

Edited by Baerf
jmak

jmak

Posted
Posted

Threads on here:

 

Microsoft to move out of education market?

 

And:

 

Microsoft answers your questions on MoU

 

Both are threads on here - I'll add the links later.

 

You don't need to worry this year, but you do need to plan.

  • 2 weeks later...
mavhc

mavhc

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Got bind working (Once I gave up on a .local address and did it properly, linux.school.sch.uk domain)

Got dhcp working and pxe booting client machines

Got apt-cache-ng working, save on bandwidth when testing installs over and over

Got preseed for clients working mostly, stuck trying to add the public key for the saltstack repo in the preseed file:

 

d-i apt-setup/local0/repository string http://repo.saltstack.com/apt/debian/8/amd64/latest jessie main
d-i apt-setup/local0/comment string Saltstack repo
d-i apt-setup/local0/source boolean false
d-i apt-setup/local0/key string https://repo.saltstack.com/apt/debian/8/amd64/latest/SALTSTACK-GPG-KEY.pub

but get an error that it can't download in debian-installer, not sure if proxy issue.

mavhc

mavhc

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hacked together a script to make it work on reboot.

 

Looking into OpenLDAP now, anyone got a config file they'd like to share? What tools you use to manage it?

 

I noticed it will integrate with Samba, could one actually set it as a replica of a Windows Server?

CyberNerd

CyberNerd

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hacked together a script to make it work on reboot.

 

Looking into OpenLDAP now, anyone got a config file they'd like to share? What tools you use to manage it?

 

I noticed it will integrate with Samba, could one actually set it as a replica of a Windows Server?

 

Samba4 will replicate and replace a windows AD server.

https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba4/LDAP_Backend

Edited by CyberNerd

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