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Building a Linux Computer Lab for Schools?

Posted by Cliff on from the penguins-in-education dept.

joseamuniz asks: "After giving Linux classes to Secondary School Teachers, I got in touch with a non-profit organization called UNETE. This association has donated 1,523 computer labs to public schools in Mexico. I told them about Linux, and they are interested in equipping a beta computer lab with this Operating System, with Intel PIII, 256 MB RAM PCs. The more they like this lab, the higher chances to include Linux in the new labs donated by this institution." What hardware configurations and software packages would you install on such a machine to show off the real power of Linux in an educational environment?

7 of 464 comments (clear)

  1. No Xwindows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    For education you dont need Xwindows. Command lines is fast on PIII. It will allow you to learn about real computing but it wont be very popular.

  2. Why bother? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Windows 2000 or XP will run wonderfully on that level of hardware. Hell, recent Linux distros are MORE resource-intensive than Windows.

  3. Re:Wow .. what a coincidence.... by WordODD · · Score: -1, Troll

    Ahh yes the oh so lucrative Mexican market that Microsoft and all other software companies have been trying to break into for years...Maybe this will finally turn the tide for Linux.

    --
    Please do not let scientific accuracy interfere with the intended humourous/interesting/insightful value of this comment
  4. How many? by Jsutton1027w · · Score: 0, Troll
    This association has donated 1,523 computer labs to public schools in Mexico
    Did he mean computers, or labs? That's a lot of labs if he is right. I didn't know that Mexico had the many public schools...
  5. This is bad for the students by 00squirrel · · Score: 0, Troll
    I know this won't fly over well with most of the /. crowd, but students would be much better served by a Windows lab. I taught computer literacy at my local university in graduate school and we were a 100% Microsoft shop. In fact, every university lab that I have visited is a 100% Microsoft shop.

    It's an injustice to teach kids Linux, especially the non-geeks. Non-geeks just want to get work done, and when they hit college they are going to have to relearn Windows/Office to get their assignments done. Just a fact of life folks!

    /puts on fire repellant suit

  6. Re:Great, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yeah, Grand Theft Auto would be more culturally appropriate.

  7. Give up right now before you waste any more time by toadlife · · Score: 0, Troll

    You are wasting your time. They will not like the lab if it has Linux installed. A week after it comes up, they will wishing the lab had Windows.

    "What do you mean we can't install _x in this lab?"

    --
    I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.