November 2000 - openSUSE Edu - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Future Development
by prytherch＠talk21.com 24 Nov '00

24 Nov '00

Hi all, >Mailing list, mailing list, mailing list - and a web page. I've set up a mailing list - I'll post some more details soon (if not today, then by Monday). >I think it is key to get a list of people who are interested >in doing some development (coding, configuring or >just documenting) onto a mailing list together. > >Next thing (as with anything) is a key statement >of what we are trying to solve with the project >- ie a stated goal. Good so far. My own project involving Linux on the desktop in schools is stalled for a week or two. I'm happy to discuss where it should be going on the list. >It is my opinion that we should start with an analysis >of the things that Linux is good at and where it should >be able to be used in existing systems today - and >then try to see why these are not being utilised and >what we can do to make them better or more attractive. Hmm, I think you know the answer involves the word "support." Perhaps this gives us a clearer goal? >(If you want help setting up a basic web site, I >may be able to help ...) Yes, I should be trying to get something up on a site before the end of the year. All help most welcome - Richard Smedley it's not a .sig, just the last line of the message. -------------------- talk21 your FREE portable and private address on the net at http://www.talk21.com

1 0

Squid
by Gary Parr 24 Nov '00

24 Nov '00

Hi 2 Things 1st I have an ACL set so that I can ban certain urls I come across, which has worked fine upto now.... I added to the list http://www.lycos.co.uk/service/sms/ But machines can still access the site... sies before and after the above on the list get filtered, but not the above site. And ideas 2nd Can you get squid to filter sies by keyworld eg if list contains the word slapper, it would filter any url with that text string. Gary _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

2 1

RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] X servers for PC
by Simon Wood 24 Nov '00

24 Nov '00

I had a stab at using Mix a while ago, and had to add some fonts for my Logic Analyser, I remember that the documentation covers this - I think you place you 'new' fonts in the '/mix_win/bdf/misc/' directory and then change the FONTS.DIR file by including your font names and descriptions and increasing the 'count' at the start. i.e. FONTS.DIR starts 89 sm165.bdf -Misc-Fixed-Medium-R-Normal--14-120-75-75-M-80-ISO8859-1 lg165.bdf -Misc-Fixed-Medium-R-Normal--15-150-75-75-M-100-ISO8859-1 gb16.pcf -cclib-fixed-medium-r-normal--16-150-78-78-c-160-gb2312.1980-0 .... If you still have trouble email me directly and I'll dig a little deeper (and reboot the machine that I did it on back the M$ - currently running Linux for about the lasts 2 years). HOWEVER My current recommendation is to use VNC instead of X. It is free and has the advantage that it is stateless - when you M$ machine crashes the session on the Linux box remains running and you don't lose all your work. Hope this is helpful. Simon Wood

7 7

Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Future Development
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 24 Nov '00

24 Nov '00

> What are the issues with resources/management/direction? > All comments gratefully received. Mailing list, mailing list, mailing list - and a web page. I think it is key to get a list of people who are interested in doing some development (coding, configuring or just documenting) onto a mailing list together. Next thing (as with anything) is a key statement of what we are trying to solve with the project - ie a stated goal. It is my opinion that we should start with an analysis of the things that Linux is good at and where it should be able to be used in existing systems today - and then try to see why these are not being utilised and what we can do to make them better or more attractive. I agree that the area of the 'Internet appliance' is a useful one - but I see it more along the lines of the SmoothWall approach - ie a distribution that turns your PC into an internet appliance - ie you take the distribution, and install it yourself on an old PC, and off you go. This is not particularly directed at education though - so maybe some of your other suggestions could be more valid ? Anyway - I have probably said enough on this list now - I really think we need that development list to continue detailed discussion amonst potential developers. (If you want help setting up a basic web site, I may be able to help ...) Kevin.

1 0

Future Development
by Malcolm Herbert 24 Nov '00

24 Nov '00

hi all after much attempting to organise meetings (and consistently failing), i think the best way will be to promote some form of discussion online about the future direction for Open Source development in schools. This has to be considered against current commercial developments of Linux, especially in the market of Internet Appliances (such as Equiinet and Navaho), which although they are Linux and use all those good Open Source applications, they do not have the Open Source flexibility in the final solution. So, what are the areas for development:- 1. Internet Services- currently the primary application with Squid, sendmail and Apache leading the way. Tools (such as those provided by Webmin or Phil Jones project) help administer Linux-based systems, what is the future direction here? 2. Content creation- a key area, how do we increase the quality of interaction and functionality for online resources without everyone using Frontpage Extensions or ASP. For example is PHP/MySQL the way forward and should a toolkit be developed for doing this? 3. School Administration- lots of positive noises about developing alternatives to SIMS/Connect etc What are the issues with resources/management/direction? All comments gratefully received. Malcolm -------------------------------------------- Dr Malcolm Herbert Head of Technology Research and Evaluation Becta Tel: 02476 847126 Mobile: 07801 62438 -------------------------------------------- "Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things." ...Governor George W. Bush, Jr., 11/30/96

1 0

Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] X servers for PC
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 23 Nov '00

23 Nov '00

> Any of our machines (Arc, NC, Mac or PC) get an X login > box when they run VNC, then they login and get the same > KDE desktop they get from one of our diskless > X terminals. Does this use XDM to give the login box ? If it doesn't, then presumably, there is no reason why XDM couldn't run locally on the local X server, using VNC to redirect this whole X session (which includes the login prompt) to another machine ? (or have I misunderstood how VNC works ...) (If it does use XDM - any chance of submitting the details to me for possible inclusion in the XDM / Xterminal mini Howto ? This would be an interestering twist for the comments at the end of the document, about using specific clients with XDM ...) Kevin.

2 1

Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] VNC and X (was: X servers for PC)
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 23 Nov '00

23 Nov '00

> Many to one... Ok - Well, cue alan :-) But like I said - If VNC would fit the bill - great, if it doesn't - then it doesn't. (the comment about older machines and X terminals could still be an option though) Kevin.

1 0

VNC and X (was: X servers for PC)
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 23 Nov '00

23 Nov '00

> When did VNC start operating as an X server? It didn't - as we said earlier - if it can work for you with your system/application then it can work well. Otherwise - you need an X server as before. > even if you could select which X server running > 10's even 100's on a single machine is rather non trivial. If you have 100's of Windows PCs that you want to connect from, then is the cost of a license for a Windows X server really an issue ? I never buy Windows things - so don't know how much it compares to buying Windows itself in the first place :-) ... of course the usual thing applies here - if you are using X anyway, you could always try to nab some older machines to configure up as dedicated X terminals ... Alans original email sounded like it was more of a one-to-one relationship, ie a way of using his Linux account remotely, from his Windows PC - hence the following discussion about VNC ... Kevin.

2 1

OT: XFree86 and Windows (was: X servers for PC)
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 23 Nov '00

23 Nov '00

> http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/xfree/ I did mention XFree86 in an earlier email - but only in passing, as I was under the impression that the cygwin port still has quite a way to go ? I have thus not even tried it myself at the moment. (I do run the cygwin port of GNU tools on Windows NT at work - and they work really well). Anyone have any experience of XFree86 on Windows ? Kevin.

1 0

Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] X servers for PC
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 23 Nov '00

23 Nov '00

> Are there any other free Xservers that run in > windows (or DOS for that matter)? I have used VNC for a while, and it is a little slow, but does actually work really well ! This effectivly uses a binary 'remote screenshot' type system - so you actually get a remotly running display from Linux - so if all the stuff works ok on the Linux box, VNC should display it ok too. You do have to login to the Linux box and run the VNC server first though ... You will need a good machine to run the client on (there are also some web-based clients too) and I suspect that the network use is not insignificant ... Worth at look at least. If it can work for you, it will probably do the job well. As an aside - one of the problems of VmWare, is its resource usage ... (of course it is not free either) but, seeing as you can run a basic X terminal with minimal resources on a 486 - presumably, running a minimal X terminal system *within* VMWare would actually not take up too much in terms of resources on the 'client' machine either ? Of course, wait a year or so, and you may get XFree86 on Windows, from the cygwin project ... Kevin.

2 1