Support

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We have detailed information on Support for the Moodle VLE.

Because FLOSS is not tied to any one supplier, there is an enormous variety of different ways you can find answers to questions about using the software. Linux is community developed and the online communities are a source of fast, friendly support and help.

A specific question or problem can usually be resolved by one of the following:

  1. search the web and newsgroups. Try the Google Linux search that restricts answers to Linux websites;
  2. search the forum, bug tracker or maillist archives for the Linux distribution or program;
  3. search a general Linux forum such as www.linuxcompatible.org for hardware or www.linux-laptop.net for laptops and palmtops;
  4. visit the website for the Linux Distribution or program and look for documentation.
  5. post a question on the forum, raise a bug, or email the maillist;

If you are a Linux 'newbie' www.linuxquestions.org provides an excellent forum, tutorials and reviews. It has expert representatives from many of the Linux Distributions.

Linux user groups meet (online and physically) to chat about all things Linux .

If all else fails you can sometimes email a member of the project directly but it is usually considered bad etiquette to do so before you have exhausted all other avenues.

Contents

Books, Essays & CDs

Search Amazon for "Linux" and you'll find many titles. Most of these are large volumes dedicated to one particular "distribution", or flavour of Linux, but a popular introduction is Linux for Dummies.

LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell is a great introduction to the topics any serious Linux Power User needs to know. For a more detailed introduction to nearly all configuration and administration topics Running Linux (Amazon) is excellent. For reference try Linux in a Nutshell (Amazon) and Linux Pocket Guide (Amazon).

O'Reilly is good place to browse for books.

Eric Raymond's The Cathedral & the Bazaar provides a good introduction to the philosophy of open source software.

Revolution OS (if you can find a copy) is a DVD that provides a video history of the development of GNU/Linux, including interviews with leading lights of the Open Source movement. Amazon have it listed but not in stock. You can view the first 8 minutes online.

Test Driving Linux - From Windows to Linux in 60 seconds comes with a version of Linux on a bootable CD that you can try without affecting your Windows installation (until you decide to replace it that is). There is a Sample chapter available online.

Top Tips For Selecting Open Source Software provides useful guidelines.

HOWTOs & Tutorials

The Linux Documentation Project has assembled a large number of detailed HOWTOs and tutorials describing almost every conceivable aspect of installing and running the GNU/Linux operating system.

The term "HowTo" is also applied to documentation that describes how to use specific application. You find them by searching on the web for the word "HOWTO" + the name of an open source application. You may also find HOWTOs included with the software on your GNU/Linux system.

Web forums

Nearly all Open Source projects are based on a website that acts as a focus for the community of developers who are working on the project - often scattered across the globe. The project website also normally provides information for users of the application - HOWTSs, FAQs and other documentation. Some sites also provide a User forum: a web-based system that enables you to ask a question of the development team, and view their answers.

Mailing lists

Schoolforge-UK has started several Mailing lists for the purpose of answering questions about implementing FLOSS in schools and colleges, and discussing general topics about FLOSS in UK education. You can view and search our principal discussion list archive here.

Email lists have been the most-used method for newcomers to obtain help and advice. When you join a mailing list, you receive all emails sent to the list, and reading these message provides useful insight into the best way to phrase a question, and the kind of help you're likely to get.

Two other mailing lists that have carried much of the traffic relating to UK schools using FLOSS are:

Local Linux User Groups (LUGs)

Linux User Groups who meet regularly to discuss or play with GNU/Linux systems are to be found in most parts of the UK. The open source culture is very much based on sharing ideas and helping newcomers, so nobody who is genuinely interested, need feel out of place at these meetings.

This site will help you get in touch with your nearest LUG.

Consultancies

The Cutter Project

The Cutter Project specialises in providing consultancy to UK schools looking to deploy Open Source technologies. It also deploys and supports full school thin client systems. See their website for further details.

M6-IT CIC

M6-IT is a Community Interest Company that specialises in Free Software solutons for schools and community organisations. Their Supported Family Computing programme allows the schools to provide socially excluded families with home computers to improve their life prospects. See their website for further details.

OpenAdvantage

Open Advantage provides the West Midlands with a Centre of Excellence in open source software, and can provide free advice on FLOSS. See their website for further details.

Open Source Consortium

The Open Source Consortium (OSC) brings all of the UK's F/L/OSS companies together in one place. Our members specialise in Strategic Consultancy, Deployment, Training and Support in all Open Source technologies. See their website for further details.

Sirius Corporation

Sirius Corporation deploys and supports Linux thin-client solutions to schools and colleges. Our systems interoperate with existing proprietary technologies to provide a seamless migration to Linux based systems. See their website for further details.

Independent Computer Audits

Independent Computer Audits offers advice and auditing for schools looking for long-term, sustainable ICT solutions. Being untied to any particular vendor they give an independent view. See their website for further details.

Live CDs

A "live CD" is an excellent way to try GNU/Linux on your own PC without touching the contents of your hard drive. The entire operating system, together with a large number of popular applications (such as OpenOffice.org) is loaded into your PC's RAM from the CD, where it runs independently of your PC's file system.

KNOPPIX is the most widely known live CD, and there are many variations of this idea. KNOPPIX is free software that can be downloaded from the web and burned onto a CD at no cost.

Ubuntu is available as a Live CD and looks like being a solid Linux distribution for Education. You can download or they will send you a free CD.

Frozentech keep a large list of Live CDs which you can filter on 'education'.

Thin Client Suppliers

As you can see there are many suppliers for thin client systems, this shows that if you have implemented or are considering implementing a Thin Client solution based on free software you will not be left out in the cold. These suppliers are in no way endorsed by schoolforge, and the sites are only included for information

Epia Based systems are quite a popular platform for Thin Clients, especially combined with a thin client based operating system such as http://www.thinstation.org/

Non Epia Thin Clients

Solution Providers

Bootable Ethernet cards

PCs can be booted over ethernet from Linux using either a boot image on diskette, or preferably, a boot EPROM on the card itself.

You can download Etherboot images for most ethernet cards from http://rom-o-matic.net/.

Bootable cards can be obtained in UK from Ian Marsh (imarsh at gmail dot com)

If you're interested in burning EPROM images yourself, there's a useful how-to here (http://www.hosef.org/wiki/EpromBurning).

Thin Client help and Information

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