RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Small memory machine
Hi Phil, Here's a couple of URL's for you (if you haven't found them already) http://www.linuxhq.com/ldp/howto/mini/Small-Memory/ http://www.superant.com/smalllinux/ Also remember that if you're using top (or something else) it doesn't show shared memory separately from individual memory, so you haven't really saved 5 * 600K - but getty does use a lot, should use mingetty. I assume that you've done it but you didn't mention it. Strip that kernel right down (and I mean to the bones.......). Simon Wood
On Friday 20 July 2001 14:33, Simon Wood wrote:
Also remember that if you're using top (or something else) it doesn't show shared memory separately from individual memory, so you haven't really saved 5 * 600K - but getty does use a lot, should use mingetty.
Ok - although if I can get away with using no tty at all I'd like to.
I assume that you've done it but you didn't mention it. Strip that kernel right down (and I mean to the bones.......).
You seem to be confusing me with someone who knows what they are doing :) -- Phil Driscoll
One suggestion - don't run kmail according to top, mine's using 24MB ram Gary On Friday 20 July 2001 2:42 pm, Phil Driscoll wrote:
On Friday 20 July 2001 14:33, Simon Wood wrote:
Also remember that if you're using top (or something else) it doesn't show shared memory separately from individual memory, so you haven't really saved 5 * 600K - but getty does use a lot, should use mingetty.
Ok - although if I can get away with using no tty at all I'd like to.
I assume that you've done it but you didn't mention it. Strip that kernel right down (and I mean to the bones.......).
You seem to be confusing me with someone who knows what they are doing :)
-- Gary Stainburn This email does not contain private or confidential material as it may be snooped on by interested government parties for unknown and undisclosed purposes - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000
On Friday 20 July 2001 15:36, Gary Stainburn wrote:
One suggestion - don't run kmail
according to top, mine's using 24MB ram
No need - the kid's emails are all handled by a remote webmail system. Although we haven't finally decided on what applications to run, the requirements are fairly simple: Word processing. I like AbiWord - it does enough and is small and fast, but its graphical import capabilities are too restrictive at the moment- png, bmp and svg only. The addition of jpeg would turn the tables here since png and svg are good 'forward looking' formats. In the light of that, it may well have to be KWord which seems pretty good to me, but is a bit on the fat side for 32Mb. I do like the idea of xml file formats though - it should provide ample scope for building easy content generation tools for the intranet. Spreadsheet. Currently playing with KSpread and Gnumeric - don't know yet! Web browsing. Konqueror seems to be the leanest up to date graphical web browser (with free file manager!)- unless Opera does it better or in less memory. Database. I've not yet found anything suitable yet - the school want something along the lines of Access or DataPower, but I'm inclined to go for a MySQL/PHP solution running in the web browser. I just haven't had time to write it yet :) and phpMyAdmin is a bit too technical for the intended audience (although if I had my way, I'd make the kids learn SQL instead of using a 'create flashy but useless database' wizard). Vector drawing. I've played with a few packages but still not found anything as good/easy to use as Acorn !Draw (which is what the kid's currently use). Cheers -- Phil Driscoll
On Friday 20 July 2001 4:14 pm, Phil Driscoll wrote: [snip]
Database. I've not yet found anything suitable yet - the school want something along the lines of Access or DataPower, but I'm inclined to go for a MySQL/PHP solution running in the web browser. I just haven't had time to write it yet :) and phpMyAdmin is a bit too technical for the intended audience (although if I had my way, I'd make the kids learn SQL instead of using a 'create flashy but useless database' wizard).
This month's WYLUG meeting had Dave Fisher doing a talk on PHP/mysql. The basis of the talk was how a (self proclaimed ) non-programmer could develop a shopping basket app using mysql and PHP. As part of that talk, he showed now to knock up a simple php front end to creating/updating database schema. he's hoping to get the talk up on the WYLUG web site sometime soon. That me be of some help to you.
Vector drawing. I've played with a few packages but still not found anything as good/easy to use as Acorn !Draw (which is what the kid's currently use).
I don't know !Draw, or what exactly you want from your vector drawing package, but I use ghostview with the 'watch' option, and gvim to write postscript. Very simple to do/use and perfectly portable output.
Cheers
-- Gary Stainburn This email does not contain private or confidential material as it may be snooped on by interested government parties for unknown and undisclosed purposes - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000
On Friday 20 July 2001 16:20, Gary Stainburn wrote:
This month's WYLUG meeting had Dave Fisher doing a talk on PHP/mysql. The basis of the talk was how a (self proclaimed ) non-programmer could develop a shopping basket app using mysql and PHP. As part of that talk, he showed now to knock up a simple php front end to creating/updating database schema. I was there - in fact I was the bloke who gave the PHP talk a couple of months ago when Dave couldn't do his at the last minute. I think I can write PHP with the best of 'em!
Vector drawing. I've played with a few packages but still not found anything as good/easy to use as Acorn !Draw (which is what the kid's currently use).
I don't know !Draw, or what exactly you want from your vector drawing package, but I use ghostview with the 'watch' option, and gvim to write postscript. Very simple to do/use and perfectly portable output.
Somewhere in the national curriculum schemes of work (any educationalists please correct me if I'm wrong) it says that children have to use a vector/object based drawing package. Xara, Coreldraw, the application formerly known as KIllustrator, etc all fit the bill but are a bit too complex for the younger kids. 'Sketch' sort of hits the mark, but is a bit unpleasant to use IMHO. Cheers -- Phil Driscoll
Phil Driscoll wrote:
Word processing. I like AbiWord - it does enough and is small and fast, but
Spreadsheet. Currently playing with KSpread and Gnumeric - don't know yet!
I'd say KWord and KSpread, but I am a bit biased ;) RC1 of KOffice 1.1 is going to be announced on Monday, so you might be interested in trying that.
Web browsing. Konqueror seems to be the leanest up to date graphical web browser (with free file manager!)- unless Opera does it better or in less memory.
The biggest drawback with Opera is that you have to pay for it.
Database. I've not yet found anything suitable yet - the school want
TheKompany are prodcuing Rekall. See http://www.thekompany.com/projects/rekall. I believe that the intention was to integrate that into KOffice. I don't know whether that is still the intention.
Vector drawing. I've played with a few packages but still not found anything as good/easy to use as Acorn !Draw (which is what the kid's currently use).
Tried Kontour? (Previously known as Killustrator). -- Cheers, Chris Howells -- chris@chrishowells.co.uk, howells@kde.org Web: http://chrishowells.co.uk, PGP key: http://chrishowells.co.uk/pgp.txt KDE: http://www.koffice.org, http://edu.kde.org
On Friday 20 July 2001 20:48, Chris Howells wrote:
Tried Kontour? (Previously known as Killustrator). Tried it - too fiddly for younger kids. If you are in touch with the author, you might suggest he takes a look at XaraX for the best user interface by an order of magnitude that I've ever seen on a graphics package.
Cheers -- Phil Driscoll
On 20 Jul 2001 20:48:42 +0100, Chris Howells wrote:
The biggest drawback with Opera is that you have to pay for it.
Opera is apparently free for use - although you get advertising (relatively non-instrusive) pushed at you. I dug around their web site and couldn't see an explicit statement like "free for personal" or "free for non-commercial use", so I assume that usage is free as long as you take the advertising. There is an educational pricing set (50% discount) if the advertising is more than you wish to pay :-) Nigel.
participants (5)
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Chris Howells -
Gary Stainburn -
Nigel Metheringham -
Phil Driscoll -
Simon Wood