-----Original Message----- From: kevin.taylor@powerconv.alstom.com [SMTP:kevin.taylor@powerconv.alstom.com] Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 5:07 PM To: Schools List Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Letter to local schools.

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1. Embedded/Appliance/Tur(n)key applications ie Internet gateway, email server, NAS device. Often admined through a web interface, user doesn't know a thing about the OS

This could be a very real possibility. I am eagerly awaiting my copy of smoothwall, to see how much of a 'blackbox' I can make some of my old 486s (see http://www.smoothwall.org/)

There are already a number of commercial firewalls that do this. I use the Watchguard Firebox which is Linux inside a bright red box with lots of flashing lights - looks great.

If I have a single CD with all I need to turn it into a firewall, admined via a web interface (as they claim) - then I see no reason why a central body could not collect 486s, configure them up in this way, and ship them back to schools as internet firewalls ...

This is the sort of idea that can really appeal - ie someone providing a service of turning old PCs into 'black boxes' doing something useful.

I've already tried a PC recycling project in the WYLUG (http://www.wylug.org.uk) area. I managed office space, volunteers and donators before it all went pair-shaped and I ended up with nothing.

Similar applications could perhaps include : - Print server - Email/web server - File server (network access storage ?)

For client end of things, a similar thing could be setup to build X terminals (of course this would rely on your having a suitable server to serve them of course).

It would be interesting to see how much could be gained from recycling PCs into 'network appliances' as it were ...

Someone at my last LUG meeting suggesting raiding skips for thrown out boxes, popping Linux on them, and giving them out to LUG members for experiments (a bit extreme, but I am sure something could come of it).

This is a good, but possibly dangerous idea. When I tried to set up my project I was pointed to some good legal/licensing sites although I can't find the links at the mo'. Basically, companies were paying for HD's etc to be destroyed rather than just binning them because of worries about data protection, licensing etc. If anyone is planning something like this, then they need to approach companies and offer them a *FREE* disk wiping service. This would probably be a good starting point to get the rest of the kit donated. It's also a good idea to line up some (high brow) recipients - registered charities, schools, etc, - before approaching the companies. This tends to loosen their grip some.

Just my thoughts. Kevin.

And good thoughts they are too! ----------------------------------------- Gary Stainburn. Work: http://www.ringways.co.uk mailto:gary.stainburn@ringways.co.uk REVCOM: http://www.revcom.org.uk mailto:gary.stainburn@revcom.org.uk ----------------------------------------- Murphy's Laws: (327) Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will use it. -----------------------------------------