Re: gEDA-user: Why use gEDA?

[al davis <ad136@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday 06 March 2007 18:52, Peter Baxendale wrote:
> I think if you use Linux machines for teaching there's no
> reason at all not to use gEDA. Unfortunately, here all our
> teaching machines currently run Windows only, so we use a
> rather old Windows distribution which is not entirely
> satisfactory. 

How about setting up a server, with remote X display on the 
windows boxes?

> Also, I found that students wanting to use it 
> on their own machines were put off by the relatively
> complicated installation, including having to install Cygwin
> first (that is, for the majority of students who only use
> Windows). 

They need to learn to deal with more than one system.  Faculty 
need to learn this too.  They need to learn it early.

They can't run commercial windows software at home because of 
cost and licensing.  If you run all windows stuff, they need to 
come into the lab for work that should not take lab time.

If you run free software on a server, they might be able to 
access the server remotely.  They might need to come into the 
lab as they would need to for windows.

The real benefit is that if they want to run it at home, they 
are only blocked by their own unwillingness to do it.

> When I get the time I want to find better 
> solutions. Native Windows versions of gschem and pcb with an
> installer would be attractive to the students, but it doesn't
> seem easy to build these out of the box. I'd like to
> encourage more to use gEDA, and unfortunately that means
> getting my hands dirty with Windows.

Let those who use only windows come into the lab to use the 
software.  Reward those who care with everything they need at 
home.

Windows has its market position only because people believe 
everything runs there.  Everything runs there only by force.  
Students need to learn that there is more than one way, and 
that claim of everything and everyone runs windows is false.


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