Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-edu (28 mails)

[Lars Vogdt <lrupp@xxxxxxx>]

Hi @ll

I would like to give you and update on the openSUSE Edu-Project. Feel free to 
comment, enhance or even add thinks I missed here... 

1) Edu-Packages for the Desktop
2) Edu-Packages for the Server
3) The education add on CD for 10.3

1) Packages for the Desktop

http://software.opensuse.org/download/Education:/desktop/ lists around 70 new ;
packages. Not all of them are desktop applications - some of them are just 
needed to run the desktop applications. Some others are already part of the 
openSUSE distribution. 

I currently see:
wxMaxima: Graphical User Interface for the maxima Computer Algebra System
yacas: YACAS is an easy to use, general purpose Computer Algebra System.
klogic: Digital circiut simulation
ksudoku: Generate and Solve Sudoku Puzzles in 2D or 3D
tuxmath: Tux Math - educational math game
noteedit: Score Editor with Extensive MIDI and MusiXTeX Functionality
maxima: Maxima Symbolic Computation Program/Computer Algebra System
octave: A High Level Programming Language
kdeedu3: different Education Applications
tuxpaint: Drawing Program for Young Children
celestia: OpenGL Space Simulator
stellarium: Astronomical Sky Simulator

James has updated the http://en.opensuse.org/Education_Desktop_Applications ;
site (thanks!) - but I see some "red" links (meens no wikisite) for some of 
the listed applications. 

I like to see more "blue" links to pages like http://en.opensuse.org/KStars ;
(thanks to Rajko!). What do you think? Sarah, is this something you can 
support?

Can someone have a look at 
http://en.opensuse.org/Wishlist_Education
and come back here with a "priorisation list" what applications should be 
packaged next?


2) Packages for the Server

http://software.opensuse.org/download/Education:/server/ lists around 90 ;
packages. But most of them are subpackages.

dansguardian: Content filtering web proxy
ClaSS: ClaSS stands for ClaSS Student System
selflinux: German Linux tutorial
squid: Squid WWW proxy server  (containing patches for dansguardian)
Centre: SIS-Student Information System  
koha: Koha is a full-featured open-source ILS (Integrated Library System).  
openbiblio: OpenBiblio is an easy to use, automated library system  

I need someone who can tell me something about the differences between:
* ClaSS vs. Centre
* koha vs. openbiblio
What do these Applications? Which application should be "preferred"?


3)  The education add on CD for 10.3

This would be the first community add on CD for openSUSE 10.3! So we can and 
should show the other people outsite the benefits they can get with such Add 
on CDs (additional packages, change the installation workflow, add 
yast-modules, ...). So perhaps even other projects or vendors start to 
distribute such add on medias.

Current action items for me - but if someone would take care of some of them 
or has better ideas I can do other things (-:

+ Search for a KDE and GNOME Theme (Desktop layout, Wallpaper, Icons) which is 
more children friendly than the current default one. 

Think about children < 10 years old). For KDE we have a first package using 
the "kids-theme" from everaldo.com - but we have to check the license first 
bevore we can use it. Come up with better ideas... ..or have a look at the 
screenshot: 
http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php/KDE+4+Kids?content=9144 ;

+ We need KIOSK-Tool- (KDE) and Sabayon- (GNOME) Templates for children. 

Note: kiosktool and sabayon are still part of the distribution - so we just 
need someone who "clicks through" the application and decides which 
restrictions are useful for children and which are not. With 
the tools you can restrict the access for the desktop (for example: changing 
the wallpaper, starting a terminal, starting applications at all, ...). For 
more details see
http://www.gnome.org/~seth/blog/sabayon
http://extragear.kde.org/apps/kiosktool/ ;

+ Create a first "Edu-Pattern" for the normal 10.3 installation Images. 

This EDU-Pattern should contain the "normal" packages, already on the media - 
and also the additional software in the buildservice. So people who enable 
the buildservice-repository or add the Education Add on CD would get all the 
software installed.

Missing education packages can be added to the Wishlist:
http://en.opensuse.org/Wishlist_Education
The current pattern will include all the files listed above in 1 & 2.


+ Perhaps (if time permits) create an additional YaST-Module:
This module will start during installation of a PC. The user should be able 
to:
* create a new user => his child
* choose one of the three(?) settings:
   1) child < 7 years (pre school)
   2) child 7-14 years (primary school)
   3) child 14> years
  Depending on these settings, YaST2 should:
  * enable one of three Kiosk-Modes (see above) for the new user 
  * configure a transparent Proxy and Internet-Filter (allow whitelisted sites 
    only, deny blacklisted websites only, allow everything - depending on the
    age of the child?) which can be configured by the parent later
    (YaST2-Modul for dansguardian or squidguard needed)
  * configure the Firewall settings for IRC and other tools using Internet 
     connections - depending on the age of the child.

I hope that we can create a really good add on media with a great impact to 
all educational areas :-) But to do this we need to work together. I'm 
comming more from the technical site - I need additional people coming from 
the education site who tell me what is really needed and what could be a good 
solution. So feel free to write me an email or just "ping" me on 
IRC#opensuse-project (my nickname is kl_eisbaer).

Greetings,
Lars


Disclaimer: 
I'm "just working" for SUSE/Novell - I'm a developer and not a project manager 
nor a teacher (but become a father in the next weeks ;-). I like open source, 
I like kids and I like openSUSE - so I like to support the openSUSE education 
project as much as my time permits. But normaly I work on other things. So 
please don't get hurt if my response times are sometimes a bit slow... ;-)


-- 
Lars Vogdt <lrupp@xxxxxxx>                
Autobuild Team
SUSE Linux Products GmbH                 GF: Markus Rex
Nuernberg, Germany                            HRB 16746 (AG Nuernberg)
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