[school-discuss] Re: [IIEP] When FOSS isn't F....

[Michael Shigorin <mike@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jan 28, 2005 at 12:20:54PM +0500, Khawar Nehal wrote:
> A lot of people are not in KL and many have a slow dialup.
> In Pakistan for example people are not as aware and it takes
> weeks to download a distribution.

Hm, if someone starts the business of getting orders delivered as
CD-over-snail-mail -- I can link to people conducting such
business here in Ukraine and in Russia o esimate the trouble,
costs and profits.

> Sometimes the MD5 does not match and we need to restart the
> Download.

Get yourself rsync :-)  It's a great timesaver.

> If we use a DSL then we also need a software (which we are
> working on) which downloads faster on offpeak usage times.

Look at webget (see freshmeat.net), it may fit the bill.

> Most of the CDs available in the Market are those which we
> Linux enthusiasts provide the CD duplication industry.

It's good too; seen lots of cases when disks burned in a wrong
manner (e.g. something revamped off RH beta and written as a heap
of files from Windows onto some CD and labeled as e.g. "RH 6.01"... 
*shrug*) -- much better when it's at least exact known good copy.

> Pushing Linux is NOT an easy task in emerging markets like PK.
> We know because we have been doing it for more than a decade.
> Any format anywhere helps.

Yep.  We have local mailing lists and mirrors here in Ukraine.
LUG-related, that is.  And conferences/meetings as well :-)

> As a tip. Provide the Mandrake Move and Other live CDs. They
> sell and spread better. However be more careful of the quality
> of your checking in this product.

I'd vote for Knoppix and TIMOS Rescue, btw...

-- 
 ---- WBR, Michael Shigorin <mike@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  ------ Linux.Kiev http://www.linux.kiev.ua/