Skolelinux Project Releases Version 1.0

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Skolelinux Project Releases Version 1.0

Posted by timothy on Sunday June 20, 2004 @09:38AM from the free-as-in-right-on dept.

jakobgrimstveit writes "After about three years of hard work, Skolelinux (with its own cute Tux-with-bag-mascot) 1.0 is released to the public. The distribution was started as a reaction to how much the Norwegian schools and the government relied on systems using closed source. Skolelinux is meant to be an easy way to set up a large and secure network of LTSP thin clients (normally PXE boot) for regular users. The Skolelinux-organization won the Norwegian Free Software Prize in 2002. The distribution is based in Debian GNU/Linux, and is also being used and evaluated [1] [2] several places in Africa due to its low demands for the client PC. Kudos to the developers and good luck!"

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Great! by BaronGanut · 2004-06-20 09:43 · Score: 2, Insightful

This is truly great! I come from Norway and can hardly wait, though I will probably be done with schools like that before it gets common enough..

But what is it with kde2? :) Firstly i don't like KDE, but then at least they could have used kde3.

Might have been to make resource requirements lower for the thin clients.. but..

--
Mohahah!
1. Re:Great! by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 09:54 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The reason why we use KDE2, is because we don't have resources to maintain our own KDE-packages. Thus, we have to use those in Debian Stable.
  
  Thin clients run KDE3 just as well as KDE2 - it depends on the thin client server.
2. Re:Great! by Orgazmus · 2004-06-20 10:46 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  From my experience, debian unstable is far more stable than fedora ;)
  
  AlexB:
  What would it take to maintain your own packages?
  
  --
  The system had the verbosity of HTML combined with all the readability of compiled assembly viewed as bitmap images
3. Re:Great! by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 10:50 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  > AlexB: What would it take to maintain your own packages?
  
  Time we can use on enhancing Skolelinux in other ways - Skolelinux is not at all a perfect product.
  
  KDE is such an important component in the distribution, that it has to be maintained well and just work.
  
  There's work in progress on using sarge and sid as the base distribution for Skolelinux, but that's at earliest 1.2 :-)
4. Re:Great! by noselasd · 2004-06-20 21:59 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  What's the problem ? People still run macos 9 and windows 98. It works for them. Why use the latest (and often unstable all the time) ? Making sure
  people can their job is far more important than running the latest foo 4.9.177
Schools in US are tight by mboverload · 2004-06-20 09:46 · Score: 2, Informative

I work as the only tech guy on a whole large high school campus. I would just on this thing and do a test runw ith 3 computers, but theres a problem. The District Office is run by a bunch of Mac Zealots who will hear nothing of linux. Even though its free. It runs on old hardware we can get for dirt. And we don't have to buy anti-virus or patch it. We insist on getting iMacs! We are in a budget crunch and they can't get their head out of their asses and see the real picture. Assholes.
1. Re:Schools in US are tight by students · 2004-06-20 10:38 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Hey... parent is super relevant. This is the most important aspect of linux in schools. Most school systems have too much inertia to convert a whole network to a new operating system, even if they will save large amounts of time and money in the future. This is why Skolelinux won't take off for years. I would like to hear a good solution to this issue. If you have one, visit my sig.
  
  --
  Simon's Rock College
2. Re:Schools in US are tight by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 10:56 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Mac OS X integrates very well in a Skolelinux network, as Skolelinux uses NFS and LDAP.
  
  Guidelines on how to make an OS X machine part of a Skolelinux network are available in Norwegian - translations to English will definitely follow shortly.
  
  See http://developer.skolelinux.no/~klaus/notater/a280 4.html
  
  The book Klaus refers to is being translated these days.
3. Re:Schools in US are tight by popdookey · 2004-06-20 14:03 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  You sound like someone who has not actually called on his local schools to see if they could benefit from a thin client lab. You don't seem to realize how many "free" computers schools refuse from their community because they are not "fast" enough for Windows. We have set up thin-client computer labs for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools here in Hawaii and have been supporting them for years. We just did one for the Boys and Girls Club. We use the K12LTSP's distribution of Linux, and, for less than $3000, we can set up a 30-station lab using donated clients and a custom-built dual opteron server.
  
  Setting up a lab is not converting "a whole network to a new operating system." It is a lab. One of our installations is simply a typing lab. Another is used for Digital Photography. I really think you should be sure that you have more experience before you authoritatively state "this is why Skolelinux won't take off for years." We need you helping your local schools by trying before making premature conclusions. There is your solution: doing it rather than talking about why it won't work. If you want clearly defined steps, contact me.
  
  Incidentally, we are definitely looking into migrating our installs away from the K12LTSP to Skolelinux. Fedora core vs. Debian-stable. The perpetuity of Debian and the reliability of the community make for a very bright future for Skolelinux. Kudos to the team.
  
  --
  Success without humility is an indulgence in arrogance
4. Re:Schools in US are tight by sean23007 · 2004-06-20 17:02 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I wouldn't try to claim that it is impossible for SkoleLinux to take off. Look at it this way. It does not require you to remove the operating system currently on the computers on your network. Set up a few thin client servers, have all the machines that are currently running Windows boot over the network, and you have the SkoleLinux setup all up and ready for use. And you still have Windows installed just in case you don't like it for some reason. In this case, switching to a new operating system is as easy as rebooting.
  
  --
  
  Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
Fun Fact by Jeppe+Utzon · 2004-06-20 09:46 · Score: 4, Informative

Skole means school in norwegian.
1. Re:Fun Fact by Atmchicago · 2004-06-20 10:10 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  That explains why their logo is a penguin with a hat on backwards and a backpack. All Norwegian children are now expected to conform to that look, or else peer pressure will get the best of them and they will commit suicide.
  
  --
  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.
2. Re:Fun Fact by Svenheim · 2004-06-20 10:51 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  That's "skål", not, "skole". You have no idea how "skole" is pronounced, do you? :) It's a bit hard to explain how to pronounce "skole" for someone with an English language background, but the e isnt silenced, and the "o" isnt like an english "o", but like a German "u".
3. Re:Fun Fact by _Laban_ · 2004-06-20 10:54 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I don't believe this is true. In Sweden the word is "skål" (pronounced somewhat like "skull" or "skoal") and translates to the english word "bowl". So I would think that it's a reference to the cup you're drinking from, not someones skull. I believe the same applies to Danish and Norwegian.
  
  And yes, I'm Swedish.
4. Re:Fun Fact by wwwillem · 2004-06-20 14:20 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  The fact that a message "Skole means school in Norwegian" gets moderated as 5 Informative, tells us something about the language sensitivity of the average /. audience. I don't speak a word of any of the Scandinavian languages, but making the transition from "skole" to "school", especially when you realize that the latter is pronounced as "skool", is not what I would call a very tough one. And that's then the understatement of the year.
  
  Oh well.....
  
  --
  Browsers shouldn't have a back button!! It's all about going forward...
Re:Learn to spell by shlaf · 2004-06-20 09:46 · Score: 4, Funny

It's "SchoolLinux", not SkoleLinux... what the hell language is this guy speaking?

Norwegian, maybe?
Bad name by neurojab · 2004-06-20 09:47 · Score: 3, Funny

>Skolelinux

sounds too much like

SKOAL linux (linux for rednecks)

or

SCO Linux (Linux for litigious bastards and masochists)
Re:Welcome to a new distribution ! by palfrey · 2004-06-20 09:48 · Score: 5, Interesting

Hence one of the really good reasons to make your new distro based off of debian. Effectively, they get to pick what of the 9000+ packages are suitable for their users, provide additional bits and bobs of configs and so on that are specific for their desired userbase, without having to design a whole new setup/packaging format from scratch. Plus, if all else fails, this gives a really easy upgrade path...

--
Beware the psychokinetic mimes!
Re:Welcome to a new distribution ! by ehack · 2004-06-20 09:50 · Score: 2, Insightful

Sorry for the knee jerk reaction - I looked have now at the site. this distro only asks three questions to install, and set up a server. The architecture seems extremely well thought out for a school-type environment. Kudos to the SkoleLinux people for recognizing the need for a tailor-made solution, and easy to use solution and having the persevrance to create it.

Here's hoping SkoleLinux finds its intended audience. And stays maintained.

--
This is not a signature.
Re:Plone site still holding up! by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 09:57 · Score: 5, Informative

Due to the nature of this project, we have expected to be slashdotted.

I have set up a combination of Squid and Apache to be able to survive such load.

If you try to use the dynamic pages, you'1l get an error from Squid.

I'll document the setup on those pages later on.
Re:Learn to spell by orzetto · 2004-06-20 09:58 · Score: 5, Funny

Du får nok lære norsk, din selvopptatte engelsksentrige tulling!
This is all the Norwegian you need to know (download the wav file!).

--
Victims of 9/11: <3000. Traffic in the US: >30,000/y
Re:Learn to spell by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 10:00 · Score: 2, Informative

Skolelinux is Norwegian for "school linux".

Skolelinux also goes under the name "Debian-Edu" (as in Education), as it's a modded Debian distribution - tailored for schools.
Why so many distros? by the_y_man84 · 2004-06-20 10:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

I personally like linux alot. But why make so many distros? Doesnt that just fragment the linux community itself more? Doesnt it also it harder to keep things up to date?
1. Re:Why so many distros? by karniv0re · 2004-06-20 10:12 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I personally like linux alot. But why make so many distros?
  
  Linus' idea behind Linux was that OSs should be like cars: The more the marrier. Would you really enjoy living in a world where Red Hat or Novell is the only Linux distributor? Choice is key.
2. Re:Why so many distros? by Thyrhaug · 2004-06-20 10:13 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Skolelinux is not a distro as most people think of distros. Skolelinux is a full featured thin client solution originally created for schools. Sure, you could use any distro for this - but Skolelinux makes it easier. For schools to take on Linux they need to be convinced. Low price, easy maintaining and high stability are three important arguments. Skolelinux makes this possible.
3. Re:Why so many distros? by Tezkah · 2004-06-20 10:18 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  There was a story on NewsForge about the Splintering Linux Community.
  
  As far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier! While new users might be confused (I dont even have my new computer yet, and I've already downloaded 4 varieties of GNU/Linux, FreeBSD and now I'm getting Debian...), they'll find that they want in a distro if they just look long enough. What needs to quit is this "haha, that gentoo zealot would reply, but he's too busy compiling his response!" or "FreeBSDZ R DYING!". I know that *BSD has little to do with GNU/Linux, but its still Free Software, and we have common goals.
  
  Also, the schooltux is really cute!
4. Re:Why so many distros? by djeaux · 2004-06-20 11:26 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Diversity fosters adaptation & "evolution." Sure, many distros die off because they aren't promoted or don't fill a niche, or lack distinguishing "value added" features.
  But a terrific example is Knoppix. It fits a particular niche. And it in turn is derived from Debian Linux. Sounds like a phylogenetic tree to me.
  Skolelinux is really a client program adapted from Linux to meet a specific need. Given it's language localization, too, it has really defined its niche. More power to 'em!
  
  --
  "Obviously, I'm not an IBM computer any more than I'm an ashtray" (Bob Dylan)
Re:Welcome to a new distribution ! by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 10:05 · Score: 5, Informative

> Wow, yet another distro. One year from now, half the original contributors will have lost interest and no one will want to maintai it any more, and the poor users will spend their lives under the hood.

The number of schools showing interest for Linux and Skolelinux has surged.

http://www.skolelinux.no/testskoler.php?lang=en

The project is three years old, and now is when Linux is really starting to take of in Norway - not too long ago, Bergen became one of Europe's greatest switchers.

> Linux needs a couple of well maintained distros, not willions of roll-your-owns

Skolelinux is based on Debian, which is well-maintained and stable. Skolelinux is just adaptions and Debian made easy.
In the older news by orzetto · 2004-06-20 10:05 · Score: 3, Informative

The municipality of Bergen has recently decided to move to Skolelinux (Sorry, Norwegian) and throwing out Windows and other UNIXes (Sorry, Norwegian again).

--
Victims of 9/11: <3000. Traffic in the US: >30,000/y
1. Re:In the older news by Alex+Brasetvik · 2004-06-20 10:08 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  No. Bergen has chosen to use Novell SuSE, not Skolelinux, on the _server side_.
  
  Bergen is only using Linux on their _servers_ - hopefully Linux clients will follow shortly.
Skol, skol, skol, skol! by BlightThePower · 2004-06-20 10:22 · Score: 2, Funny

I can't remember the rest of the words...

Well, its better than the Free Software Song anyway.

[Time to find out how US-centric moderation is...]

--
Plays violent online games as: Nerfherder76
K12Linux.org by dvanatta · 2004-06-20 10:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

K12Linux.org is the Fedora distribution with LTSP already configured. I know many schools in the United States are using it successfully.
Scandinavians all look alike to you, I suppose :-) by billstewart · 2004-06-20 10:50 · Score: 3, Informative

Actually, Linus is from Finland, and he's part of the Swedish-speaking ethnic group in Finland, who are left over from when Swedes were the big imperialist power of the North. Swedish is close enough to Norwegian that they can mostly understand each other without having to resort to English (but Linus does speak English quite well :-), as opposed to Finnish which is significantly unrelated.

--

Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Re:Scandinavians all look alike to you, I suppose by jonhaug · 2004-06-20 22:57 · Score: 2, Informative

The Scandinavian languages are of Germanic heritage, while the Finish language is of Slavic heritage. Actually, Finnish is a Finno-Ugrian language and is less related to any other European language than Persian or Hindi. See e.g. this article. Understanding Swedish for a Norwegian is like understanding cockney for an Englishman. Yes, this is probably true. However, few Swedes understand spoken Norwegian. (We have to blame TV for this one.)