The Tech Help You Need

[James Tremblay <jamesat@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 2006-12-27 at 12:44 +0100, Lars Rupp wrote:
> Hi James
> 
> On Tuesday 19 December 2006 05:32, James Tremblay wrote (shortened):
> > I'd like to  turn those two "channels" into the most trusted
> > education software sites in the world!
> 
> I think we should decide between:
> -  "build service" channels (containing always the "bleeding edge" 
> software) and 
> - "installation" channels (containing well tested software for 
> endusers).
> 
> Pointing endusers to channels with sometime broken packages doesn't make 
> sense to me.
> 
> Yes: the buildservice should provide an additional "Administration 
> Frontend" for Repository Administrators, so they can decide when a 
> (new) package will get in an external installation repository for 
> endusers, but at this time this Frontend is not there...
> 
> So my current personal "Roadmap" looks like:
> 1) Find out what we need:
> + test the current software packages we have on the distro => file 
> bugreports if there is something we can do better
> + test other software packages (like new ones available in the build 
> service or completely different ones) 
> 
> 2) Bring it together:
> + come up with some lists on en.opensuse.org/Education which contain 
> recommendations classified by childrens age or "subject" resp. "area of 
> interest". So parents and children get a first contact point to look 
> for available (and perhaps missing) linux education-software.
> + develop some special education patterns (a list of packages, marked 
> for installation during the installation-phase of the new distribution) 
> for installation sources. They can be splittet in the same categories 
> like the ones in the wiki. So a first set of patterns can perhaps be 
> placed on the next openSUSE 10.3 and endusers can just select a pattern 
> like "educational software for children from 4-10 years" and get all 
> software which is described in the wiki. (We can create some tables in 
> the wiki and place links to a more detailed description (and perhaps 
> even a curriculum) of every package there.)

I'm not sure we should bother AJ about adding this stuff to the
"mainline", I always thought it would be separate, unless it's a post
installation option in Yast from either our repo's or the edu-cd. I
would put it as a default bookmark on the desktop like they used to do
with the SuSE home page in SLE9 

> 
> 3) Enhance it:
> + With the patterns and a hughe amount of good packages, we can start an 
> own "Edu-CD" like edubuntu - if this is necessary. But I think this 
> should be something at the end of a long way. 
> 
> If we create a good starting point for new customers, who can get 
> 1. information (which software should I install for my children)
> 2. packages ("just one click away")
> 3. useful instructions for "the first time" they try the packages
> 
> and all of these looking like a charm - I think we can do a very good 
> job - and we need only a few packagers. What we need most are 
> some "Beta-Testers" who test the available packages and write articles 
> about them in the wiki.
> Thats just my two cents worth - what do you think?
> 
> Lars
I'll take that as a PLAN! 
Should we make time to collaborate on what the wiki says? how about our
own IRC channel, #opensuse-edu ?
I am in the learning phase on so many things, that hearing from you is
blessing.
I dropped the core set of "admin" packages in the /server BS folder but
they all need setup scripts and spec files added, another learning curve
for me. I don't have a clue as to how to separate the "BS" channel from
the "installation" channel. Maybe I should have put them in my /home BS
folder and gave you permission's ? 
Do you have a regular time we can IRC?
I think I'm ok with maintaining the wiki content and with some direction
I can make it better.
I was wondering if someone could do some official "wooing" on the people
at http://www.tux4kids.com/ to join in? I posted about us in their
forum. I was hoping that we could get lots of help from Edu communities
like them.
I will do what is asked of me to make this happen, so please feel free
to ask.
James