Re: compact distributions for old equipment

[Rob Bellville <rob@acol.com>]

At 11:09 7/5/99 -0700, you wrote:
>I hope you'll forgive my writing to you privately ... and please feel free
>to post this, along with any reply, back to the seul-edu list if you think
>that appropriate.

Hi Ray, no problem on the private email. I'll also post this to the
seul-edu list.

>
>As you might guess from my postings, your question about using old, donated
>equipment interests me. I'd like to take a preliminary look at the
>feasibility of putting something together. I can do the technical parts, and
>I can strip enough stuff out of an old 486 I have to approximate the
>limitations you've described. 
>
>What I can't do is identify a reasonable candidate set of applications for
>one target grade level. (I did used to teach, and work as a sysadmin for a
>school, but that ended 3 years ago, so I'm not current on curriculum needs.)
>I looked at the "projects" and "software" lists at seul.org, but I find
>myself unable to pull together a reasonable candidate set from them. 
>
>If you could give me a better idea of what a set of apps might be -- or if
>you can't and do repost this to the list, if someone else can -- I'll take a
>closer look at how feasible running them on an old, limited host might be.

Initially I'd like to see tutorial applications like basic math, word flash
cards, simple sorts of basic programs. Most of these machines will probably
be used for students in the special ed rooms who need additional help with
the basics. Initially, I'd like to start off in the elementary levels
(grades 1-5)



>
>It would also help if you could give me a slightly broader picture of the
>typical limitations of these hosts. In particular, what should I assume
about:
>
>        - video card (SVGA supported, or only VGA)
>        - presence of a NIC
>        - serial ports (16450 or 16550 UARTs)
>        - CD-ROM drives (always present or not? how fast?)
>        - screen size of monitor (I'll assume 14" for now, running
>                at 640 * 480)


I do have the following ready and waiting:

486/33 w/16 MB RAM, NIC, CD-ROM capability for install only, 14" 640x480

I also have other similar 486s with 8 MB or RAM as well as a few 386s with
4 MB of RAM.



>For now, I'll focus on '486s -- I really doubt '386s can do more than be X
>terminals, and anyway I don't have one to experiment with.
>

My thoughts too but it doesn't hurt to ask!

- Rob

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 Rob Bellville                              PO Box 515
 rob@acol.com                       Millbury, MA 01527
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