Re: [seul-edu] Basic System Wish List

[Odile Bénassy <obenassy@free.fr>]

"Jeff L." a écrit :

> I have a number of computers in my classroom - most are 486/early
> pentiums. Those with network cards are running Win95.  That
> accounts for 6 computers.  I still have about 8 which my district
> chooses to not support (i.e., no software) so I am looking for a
> version of linux to install which would allow a basic spreadsheet
> program with some graphing (similar to Lotus 123), some word
> processing, and a program which would allow programming
> exercises.

This is what we've done with TINY Linux 
	http://tiny.seul.org

This GNU/Linux distribution has everything you need, and in compact size

Yet with as little RAM and drive as you describe, don't try to get
graphical display, only a text terminal

So you could also try to use your old boxes as xterms
> 
> Most of my "programming" has been in BASIC, VBasic, some Perl and
> some Javascript.  I have looked at Python and am "sort of"
> working with C++
> 
> The problem is that the machines are 8 meg RAM 486 - smallish
> hardrives (40 megs?) and a 1.44 floppy.  Currently they have bare
> bones DOS.
> 
> I assume that there is a Linux equivalent of a batch file which
> could be used to set up a simple menu to launch these programs.
> 
> Any suggestions on what I need and how to get it (I can probably
> download - 26.4 max rate*) on floppies?
> 
> *I do have a Win2000 network machine at school so I could
> download that way - assuming I could  switch the files to
> appropriate disks at home..
> 
> Probably the main reason I bring this up is that most schools are
> probably not going to be anywhere near the technology level that
> is being pushed by the sales forces.
> 
> Probably too many people are being left  on the wrong side of the
> digital divide because older technology - while sitting in scrap
> heaps - is not being actively supported - even though the
> computing power is still there.
> 
> Maybe the Linux groups can actively do something about that - but
> it will require less - not more technology.  Hopefully "less" can
> also become "better"
> 
> Thank You,
> 
> Jeff LeMieux

-- 
Odile Bénassy
You know nothing about GNU/Linux,
and you have an old PC :
use TINY http://tiny.seul.org/