Re: [school-discuss] Donating 500 F/OSS Computers to Schools... SATURDAY!! (Pizza & Schwag from Mozilla!!)

["R. Scott Belford" <scott@xxxxxxxxx>]

Daniel Howard wrote:
> Scott, thanks for the info, I'm organizing a group here in Atlanta to do 
> likewise, this looks like a great process.  Since some of ours may go to 
> homes instead of schools, I'm thinking of the following distros to use:
>
> Ubuntu/Edubuntu for the donated PCs that have enough RAM/CPU/HDD for it.
>
> Xubuntu for lesser PCs
>
> Puppy Linux for the oldest PCs that can still be made standalone
>
> and the oldest PCs that can't be run as standalones we'll make thin 
> clients running off of the newest donated PCs as Edubuntu servers for 
> homes with multiple kids.
>
> Any thoughts?

I think you pretty much nailed it, Mr. D.  I am, however, fiddling with 
Debian and Debian Edu for the stand-alones and servers.  Some people end 
up really liking DSL on the older computers, but these are the more 
elite.  I like the Puppy.

We've pretty much always taken this approach though the increasing 
number of P4s/Athlons/Opterons is changing it:

399 mhz and slower - Thin Client/puppy/dsl
400 mhz to 599 mhz - firewall/content filter/puppy/xubuntu
600 mhz to 1 ghz - stand alones of any flavor
1 ghz and up - Thin client servers or workstations with expected 
video/graphical editing/processing.

Clonezilla is master of the universe in this environment, and I don't 
know how I lived so long without it.

Try not to limit this to a one time or an occasional event.  It needs to 
be a way of life until everyone who wants or needs a computer can get 
one.  I realize that this is flying perilously close to the emerging, 
inexpensive, energy-efficient PCs and PDAs.  For many, though, there is 
still a monumental difference between $50 and $200.

Rock on, Daddy-O.

> Best, Daniel

--scott





--
R. Scott Belford
Founder/Executive Director
The Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation
P.O. Box 2644
Ewa Beach, HI 96706
808.689.6518 phone/fax
scott@xxxxxxxxx

HOSEF is a charitable non-profit with a mission to promote Free and Open 
Source Software by building learning opportunities around previously 
discarded but still functional computers.  We appreciate the time you 
have taken to reach out to us.  Beginning in 2008 we have to strongly 
encourage kind contributors like yourself to make a donation with your 
equipment.  This enables us to put computers in parks, schools, 
community centers, developing countries, and the hands of children 
needing them the most.

If you have questions, please contact us at donations@xxxxxxxxx

The current suggested schedule for donations is:

PCs and laptops P4 and faster	Free
PCs and laptops PII and faster  $10
G3 iMacs/books and faster -     $10
17" monitors and larger         $10
Additional Keyboards            $1
Additional Mice                 $1
Scanners                        $5
Inkjet Printers                 $10
Laser Printers < 25 lbs         $20
Laser Printers > 25 lbs         $40
Servers, Sun equipment		contact us
Non-functional equipment	$.75/lb.

If you are requesting a pickup, please give us your address, times of 
availability, and, if you intend to leave the equipment for us, the form 
of payment.  Dropoffs are available if arrangements are made in advance.