July 2002 - openSUSE Edu - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Fw: ADSL in schools
by ChrisH 13 Jul '02

13 Jul '02

FYI ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Shoesmith" <Paul.Shoesmith(a)bgfl.org> To: <naacetalk(a)rmplc.co.uk> Cc: "Hagger-Vaughan, Nigel " <nhaggervaughan(a)worcestershire.gov.uk> Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 10:49 AM Subject: Re: ADSL in schools > >A number of our schools are looking into changing from ISDN to > ADSL comms to > >provide their Internet feeds. I am interested to find out which > other > >authorities are supporting schools using ADSL as a (possibly) > lower cost > >alternative to ISDN. > > In Birmingham we have just installed the first ADSL services into > some of our schools. We have a BT "central pipe" coming in to our > network so that our usual services including filtering, web > hosting, domain name registration, e-mail, high speed cacheing > services, media streaming etc apply to school connections, and we > are as in control of the contention as it is possible to be with > ADSL. 512Kbps ADSL at 20:1 contention works out at a similar > price to our schools as an ISDN/2 Schools Internet Caller line > (but is 24/7 rather than 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday). However, > we are recommending that schools take the faster services (where > available) and use the 2Mbps 20:1 service. We also offer > the "home" service (512Kbps at 50:1) for individuals or very small > sites where access speed is less of an issue. > > I can provide more details if required - anyone interested is > welcome to e-mail me for more information. > > Paul > -- > Paul Shoesmith > BGfL Programme Manager > Birmingham Education Service > http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl > > > > ************************************************************* > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential > and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity > to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email > in error please notify postmaster(a)bgfl.org > > The views expressed within this email are those of the > individual, and not necessarily those of the organisation > ************************************************************* > >

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Starting the revolution?
by Chris Puttick 12 Jul '02

12 Jul '02

I very glad you asked, Ian :-) The electronic registration module survived live teacher tests with no technical problems whatsoever (a few misspelt names, couple of people being assigned the wrong role in the DB security - all administrative stuff). It is definitively being used from September in the initiating school, along with the ICT Helpdesk module (currently in beta) and the effort check system (currently in alpha awaiting interface input from teaching staff). We're still struggling to find funding for the core developers, but we're persevering in that. We have interest from some other schools, who are being asked for a £3k one-off contribution towards developer costs including first year's support and implementation. If proper funding is secured (LEA/DfES/educational trust), then £2k of that money will be refunded. If anybody's got any schools that would be interested, we're establishing a network of education-focused companies willing to provide support (currently the North is fairly well covered but we've got nothing south of London - my personal belief is that after implementation most support requests will be happily handled remotely, but schools are harder to convince). Regards Chris PS Screenshots will be up on the Hobarte site by the end of next week, using the soon to be released bluegrey content management system -----Original Message----- From: Ian Lynch To: Chris Puttick; 'suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com' Sent: 7/11/02 2:42 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Starting the revolution? On Thursday 11 July 2002 11:40, Chris Puttick wrote: > Is anyone out there seriously considering the alternatives? <snip> What's happening with free software alternatives to SIMS, Chris? -- Ian

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[suse-linux-uk-schools] Starting the revolution?
by Damian Counsell 11 Jul '02

11 Jul '02

Alan Harris wrote: > Interesting article in the register :- > > Microsoft 'hoovers millions' from UK Schools - MP > > http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26124.html > > Follow up on > http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/News/NewsStory.asp?Brand=EDPONLINE&Category=… > > > Time to 'Inform' our MP's of just what is going on then? I've been on the phone with Blizzard's researcher today. It seems someone at one school mentioned this issue to him and his assistants investigated a little. They soon discovered that "the problem was a lot wider than [they] had realised" and then Blizzard decided to ask his question in the House. Since then he's had "a lot of emails and phone calls" about the issue. She said that they were now collecting information from these messages---more than one person mentioned as an alternative something called "Linus"... By the way, if you visit his Website: http://www.bobblizzardmp.co.uk/ and click on the "Links" link, you get this error: <%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT"%> <% Dim rs SET rs = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset") rs.Open "SELECT * FROM press ORDER BY ID DESC;", objConn %> at the top of the page. Perhaps he should switch to an "Apacho" Web server? -- Damian COUNSELL http://www.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk/~dcounsel/

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Starting the revolution?
by Damian Counsell 11 Jul '02

11 Jul '02

>> >>find out what they offer. I can't really see any reason why companies tie >>themselves to Windows unnecessarily. Capita could just as easily have used > >They are a "Microsoft Partner" whatever that means. In contemporary relationship-speak, your "partner" is someone you might be in bed with---or someone who regularly scr*ws you. Take your pick. -- Damian COUNSELL http://www.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk/~dcounsel/

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Starting the revolution?
by Alan Harris 11 Jul '02

11 Jul '02

Interesting article in the register :- Microsoft 'hoovers millions' from UK Schools - MP http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26124.html Follow up on http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/News/NewsStory.asp?Brand=EDPONLINE&Category=… Time to 'Inform' our MP's of just what is going on then? BTW: Anyone here concerned over SIMS 'upgrade to microsoft or else' type policy? I have a meeting with them tomorrow to discuss thier so called upgrade path - i'd value any comments you may have. Alan

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gzonked
by ptaylor 11 Jul '02

11 Jul '02

Hi all: 2 questions for the price of one. 1. I have a file called *.cpio.gz and it refuses to open with any command (tar -xzvf et al, gunzip etc) and claims it is not a gzip file? Any other commands? 2. My sound card has recently developed a 10Hz (guess) chesty cough. Every minute or so it emits a rasping tone as if it is picking up some clock cycle from the PC. The machine is dual boot and does not do this in the hated doze? I have reinstalled the sound driver to no avail. Anyone else had a similar thing? Paul

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] SendMail Relays
by Colin McQueen 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

Hi Ian In message <20020707073610.SRTY23840.mta03-svc.ntlworld.com@there> Ian Lynch <ian.lynch2(a)ntlworld.com> wrote: > > > Actually our County LEA (Hampshire) are scoping a project to produce a > > complete learning system to try and incorporate everything from SIMS (or > > similar) integration and online courses, class setting management and > > learning system management. They have someone looking into lots of the > > standards to help with this including AFAICR XML, SOAP, eGIF (??) etc.. > > I remember it was said that a browser interface was going to be > > definite, which makes me think they are after using open standards. > > Can't remember the guys name but I think he was the author of PenDown? > > for the RISC OS platform. I think their intention is to put together a > > specification andthen put it out to tender. It may involve working with > > other authorities and could well lead to something quite big? > > > > The reason I mention this is because there was discussion here of a > > possible open system to challenge SIMS and there may be some people > > who'd like to keep their eyes open for this. As far as I am aware there > > is no online material to look at as yet. > > Colin, > > I'm currently supporting ICT strategy with Southampton LEA on 3 PFI schools > and we now have several sites including a CLC with substantial desktop Linux > installations. We have developed web based electronic registration and plan > to develop a complete environment ourselves based on free software, it will > just take time because we try and develop a new application off the back of > each major installation so that the next ones gets more free applications. > Usually the savings in software licences are sufficient to generate the next > application which makes a lot more sense than paying for licences for ever. > We can also get a high degree of integration between existing windows systems > and Linux. We are about to do a primary school in Portsmouth, waiting for > building work to be completed. I would be interested to know more about the > Hampshire proposals. Is Martyn Wilson still the IT adviser? Yes he is but its David Woodward head of IT for Hampshire that is driving this forward. Having looked back at the scoping document its leaning more towards the curriculum delivery buts it does need to take over school management really. The organisation doing the scoping is SOCITM http://www.socitm.gov.uk/ and the author is Peter hunter see http://www.socitm.gov.uk/public/consulting/whoweare.asp I had a contact from someone up in Manchester regarding this who is involved in a school management system based on open source. Is this the same open source project, can't recall the name - he said it wasn't exactly memorable ;-). This really needs to be done. Schools have got to see the benefits. I'm about to spend £10 000 on mickeysoft licences. no choice I'm afraid. But it should be about the last until we need to upgrade, We're reaching saturation with 1:5 computer to pupil ratio. Good luck. All I can do really is to remind the head and the bods at Hampshire that open source is out there. I'm afraid I can't change our school to it in any form for at least 3 years now. What will be vital is the support. We use navaho for web/email and the support is second to none. The support for SIMS is terrible in comparison. I suppose some of it is just numbers and size but I bet a lot of it is that SIMS + Windows is so buggy and cludgy. -- Colin McQueen : Using an Acorn StrongARM Risc PC Web Domain : http://www.mcqueen.uk.net/ BSc Zoology + Oceanography : PGCE : MSc in CBL/T

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Fw: [suse-linux-uk-schools] ADSL
by ChrisH 09 Jul '02

09 Jul '02

----- Original Message ----- From: "ChrisH" <chris(a)thing-e.co.uk> To: "Miles Berry" <mberry(a)st-ives.surrey.sch.uk> Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 9:47 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] ADSL > Shouldnt have any problem in the upgrade to ADSL (apart from the 'normal' > logistics problems of the provider...both ISDN and ADSL use the same twisted > copper pair, both have same distance limitations (3.5km from the exchange > (due to line resistance)) and use the same base technology. > You dont have a choice of ISP....you have to take the one associated with > your ADSL provision as the ADSL is also the IP service. > > I assume that you are taking the business ADSL or non-domestic - otherwise > you are limited to the number of terminals and IP addresses.... > ADSL services generally have a high contention ratio (50:1 on domestic, 20:1 > on business services)..but in these times of low utilisation that wont be a > problem....if the service becomes heavily used though it could be. > > rgds > > > Original Message ----- > From: "Miles Berry" <mberry(a)st-ives.surrey.sch.uk> > To: <suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com> > Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 8:15 PM > Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] ADSL > > > > We're looking to upgrade our Internet connection from ISDN to ADSL. I'd be > > very grateful for any advice on Linux friendly providers, plus pointers to > > any pitfalls to watch out for etc. We do our own filtering through Squid > (on > > SuSE 8) so don't _have_ to go with one of the dedicated education ISPs. > I've > > also heard that we might need a new line installed as there have been > > problems reported in the ISDN to ADSL upgrade; does this sound plausible? > > Thanks in anticipation, > > Miles Berry > > Deputy Head > > St Ives School, Haslemere. > > www.st-ives.surrey.sch.uk > > > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-unsubscribe(a)suse.com > > For additional commands, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-help(a)suse.com > > > > >

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] ADSL
by Chris Puttick 08 Jul '02

08 Jul '02

Is Surrey not providing an NGfL solution? Another LEA having problems dealing with large technical projects? Try Easynet (a local company to you I believe) - they do a range of products, which seem reasonably priced and filtering is an option, rather than a requirement. I don't know how many IP numbers you get though. Regards Chris -----Original Message----- From: Miles Berry To: suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com Sent: 7/6/02 8:15 PM Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] ADSL We're looking to upgrade our Internet connection from ISDN to ADSL. I'd be very grateful for any advice on Linux friendly providers, plus pointers to any pitfalls to watch out for etc. We do our own filtering through Squid (on SuSE 8) so don't _have_ to go with one of the dedicated education ISPs. I've also heard that we might need a new line installed as there have been problems reported in the ISDN to ADSL upgrade; does this sound plausible? Thanks in anticipation, Miles Berry Deputy Head St Ives School, Haslemere. www.st-ives.surrey.sch.uk -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-unsubscribe(a)suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-help(a)suse.com

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Remote X sessions
by Rob Keeling 08 Jul '02

08 Jul '02

Can someone tell me what I have done wrong..... We have a number of machines running Suse 7.3, some of which I can connect to remotely with cygwin (the fen systems version) and some I can`t! We are trying to set up a LTSP system. I have edited /etc/hosts.allow and the XDM-config file, but I get a error in Cygwin that security failed. I have missed changeing something but can`t think what. Can anyone point me to the right answer? Thanks in advance. Rob Keeling Network Manager Queen Elizabeth`s Grammar School Ashbourne

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