Fw: Re: [seul-edu] Basic System Wish List

[Douglas Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

On Sat, 25 Aug 2001, owner-seul-edu@seul.org wrote:

> Sender: obenassy@free.fr
> To: seul-edu@seul.org
> Subject: Re: [seul-edu] Basic System Wish List
> 
> "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/
> 
> 
-- 
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