June-October 2004
From Schoolforge-UK
UK Charities make good use of LinuxZDNet news has an article about the Open Source in the Voluntary Sector conference last Wednesday, where UK charities spoke about their Linux thin client networks. The Voluntary & Community Sector Open Source Initiative is a wiki-based community like Schoolforge-UK! |
Old computers good as new in HawaiiThis Honolulu Advertiser article describes how voluntary organisations and the local education authority went about setting up K12LTSP computer labs in a string of Hawaii schools. K12LTSP isn't specifically mentioned in the article, but a message to the K12osn list confirms this is the system used. |
Internet Explorer losing market shareThis article in eWeek discusses recent browser stats showing IE with a small but continuing decline in market share (down 1.8% over three months to 93.7% in June) in favour of Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox and Opera, as a result of IE security warnings (see 3-Jul-04 news item below), but also due to new features such as tabbed browsing and pop-up blocking. |
Fedora Project discusses "Stateless Linux"A post to the K12LTSP mailing list introduces a Fedora Project proposal to develop "Stateless Linux", a generic framework for all cases of sharing a single operating system install between multiple physical or virtual computers. This is an important development for Linux thin/thick clients as well as server clustering, and there's more information in the PDF Proposal and a How-To document. |
UN backs drive for free softwareThis BBC report describes how the United Nation's International Open Source Network (IOSN) helped promote the first annual Software Freedom Day on 28 August, giving out CDs and booklets about the technology at events held in cities throughout Asia. |
NHS licenses Sun's Java Desktop SystemInfoWorld reports that the National Health Service has licensed 5000 copies of Sun Microsystems' Java Desktop System, based on GNOME + Mozilla + StarOffice. The cynics among us are now watching out for an announcement of a "new Microsoft licensing deal". |
Linux Incompatibility ListThe Linux Incompatibility List is an attempt to catalog and document hardware/peripherals of all kinds that do not work with the Linux operating system. The site is a wiki, which (as you know) means anyone can edit the text. |
Microsoft slammed over misleading Windows vs. Linux advertThe Inquirer reports that the UK's Advertising Standards Authority has upheld public complaints over a magazine advertisement comparing the cost of Linux versus Microsoft Windows. Apparently, they omitted to mention that the comparisons were made using very different hardware. |
Linux may power South Korean schoolsThis News.com article describes how all of South Korea's primary and secondary schools may be linked together in a common system known as the National Education Information System, in one of the largest Linux installations in the country. |
Stop using Internet Explorer - Browse HappyBrowse Happy is a campaign web site produced by the Web Standards Project, promoting the use of safe and user-friendly web browsers. The site highlights the warnings about using Internet Explorer, with reviews of some alternatives and stories from users who switched. |
UN creates computer game to tackle hungerThis BBC article describes Food Force, a video game to teach children about global hunger. "The game itself is somewhere between a game like Tomb Raider and a lecture from the World Food Programme" explained the game's designer, Mike Harrison. The free CD will be released later this year by Deepend.
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K12LTSP 4.1 releasedK12LTSP is based on Fedora Core Linux and the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP). More than 50,000 schools, businesses and government organisations have downloaded K12TLSP, which is a complete Linux distribution that provides terminal server software to power diskless workstations (thin-clients). This latest version includes Fedora Core 2 with the latest 2.6 kernel, LTSP 4.1 with GNOME 2, Mozilla 1.6 web browser, Evolution 1.4.6 for e-mail/contacts/calendar/tasks, OpenOffice.org 1.1.1 office suite, and many popular FLOSS educational packages. Get it now from http://www.k12ltsp.org/download.html.
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Norway's second largest city opts for LinuxThis article in Network Times describes how the city of Bergen has chosen Novell SuSE Linux to underpin its technology infrastructure, moving away from proprietary Unix and Microsoft Windows applications platforms.
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We're in the Press!Richard Smedley has written comprehensive review of FLOSS in UK education, which appears in the September issue of Linux Format magazine (Issue 57 - out now). The article includes an interview with Richard Rothwell, who chairs Schoolforge-UK. Sorry, no URL's: buy, borrow or otherwise blag a copy of the printed magazine. |
Carrefour sells Linux PCsZDNet reports how French consumers can buy PCs with Mandrake Linux from Carrefour, France's number one supermarket chain. Buyers can obtain ongoing support and upgrades through membership of the Mandrake Club. WikiSysop 21:35, 3 Aug 2004 (BST) |
ITV moves to LinuxThis article in last Thursday's Guardian explains how ITV are making big savings from their move to Linux, following thie mereger with Granada. "The hardware cost of those [Linux] servers was less than the hardware maintenance bill of the ones we were taking out". WikiSysop 16:43, 3 Aug 2004 (BST) |
Interview with Wikipedia Founder Jimmy WalesSlashdot has an interview with Jimmy Wales, who founded the amazing free Wikipedia encyclopedia. As many of our motives for starting Schoolforge-UK are inspired by Wikipedia (and now we also use the same software) this makes an interesting read. |
How software patents are harming the webThis article at BBC news explains how software patents are impinging on the creation of new ways of using the Internet. At the moment, it shouldn't be possible to patent software inventions in Europe, but the pressure is on to "harmonise" with patent practice in the USA, where patenting of software and business methods is allowed. Visit the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (FFII) for things you can do to stop this happening over here. JohnIngleby 20:22, 26 Jul 2004 (BST) |
OpenOffice.org learns WelshSee this announcement in The Register. The package includes the usual word processor, spreadsheet, drawing and presentation packages in Welsh, with a Welsh language spell checker. Download it from http://www.meddal.com or they'll post you a CD for a fiver (but you need to speak Welsh to figure out how). WikiSysop 10:26, 23 Jul 2004 (BST) |
DfES hosts launch of LAMS roadmapSee http://www.lamsfoundation.org/news/index.html The roadmap for the development of LAMS - the Learning Activity Management System - has been announced by the DfES and Prof. James Dalziel of Australia, its inventor. LAMS is a software program that allows teachers to design, manage and deliver online collaborative learning activities, allowing them to sequence individual tasks, perform small group work and wholeclass activities, and incorporate 'Learning Objects' into sequences where appropriate. LAMS will be released as open source software under the GNU Public License (GPL) in late February 2005. Echoes of Prof. Diana Laurillard's talk to our April 2003 Conference. WikiSysop 18:09, 22 Jul 2004 (BST) |
Schoolforge-UK launched on MediaWiki!Today Schoolforge-UK joins the ranks of web sites using Mediawiki, which includes the likes of Wikipedia, Wiktionary and Wikibooks, along with many others. Click here to see why we changed. WikiSysop 10:28, 20 Jul 2004 (BST) |
Article in today's "Independent"This article in today's Independentlooks at the question: When schools buy software, there seems to be only one choice: Microsoft. Why don't more of them use Linux? It can do most of the work, it's more secure and it's free. Our Chairman and Handsworth Grammar School get a mention, too. WikiSysop 10:50, 14 Jul 2004 (BST) |
Hypercube installs LTSP system at Ackworth SchoolAckworth School becomes the latest recipient of a Hypercube Linux Application Server, installing a Server along with a set of thin client workstations. See this Case Study for more. WikiSysop 10:39, 14 Jul 2004 (BST) |
Europe's software patent policy under siegeThis article in the International Herald Tribune summarises the current confusion about whether Europe will accept software patents. Last September, the European Parliament voted in amendments that would effectively prevent patents for software. In May, however, the EU Competitiveness Council overruled the Parliament's amendments. Now, the Danish government is reversing their representative's decision, and other governments are discovering the May decision wasn't what they intended. Good time to write to your Euro MP. LinuxUser Issue 40 (in shops now) also has a good summary of the situation. JohnIngleby 15:22, 8 Jul 2004 (BST) |
Dept.of Homeland Security recommends alternative to IE!The US Department of Homeland security [http://networks.org/?src=cert:713878 recommends] using an alternative browser to Internet Explorer. as the solution to Vulnerability #VU#713878 - "Microsoft Internet Explorer does not properly validate source of redirected frame". According to Wired News, this produced a massive spike in Mozilla downloads... WikiSysop 16:54, 3 Jul 2004 (BST) |
LTSP use in Kerala, IndiaThis article describes how LTSP is being used to provide IT facilities for schools in the State of Kerala, India. Already 24 schools are up and running. JohnIngleby 20:49, 29 Jun 2004 (BST) |
Red Hat, Novell back HelixWe haven't been tracking much news while working on the new MediaWiki based Schoolforge-UK, but it's worth reporting that Red Hat and Novell/SuSe have decided to include the Helix Player in their distributions. This follows directly FROM the announcement that the Helix Player and its underlying media engine, the Helix DNA Client, will be available under the GPL. So we'll soon see a native audio and video client on these Linux desktops! JohnIngleby 23:09, 28 Jun 2004 (BST) |
Skolelinux announce version 1.0 "Venus"Skolelinux is developed in Norway as a free software solution for a school's ICT needs. It's a Debian thin-client server package delivered on a single live CD, with a choice of languages including English. They have a nice web site, too, well worth a visit: http://www.skolelinux.org/portal JohnIngleby 09:38, 21 Jun 2004 (BST) |
Munich Approves Changeover FROM Microsoft To LinuxCity officials in Munich have approved a plan to change their 14,000 computers FROM Microsoft software to open-source Linux programs--a process that will take until 2009. Read full article at http://www.crn.com/sections/software/software.jhtml?articleId=22100409 JohnIngleby 09:38, 21 Jun 2004 (BST) |
