[Fwd: PXE is proprietary - what the heck is it doing as the default LTS install in Edubuntu or Ubuntu?]
Jane Weideman
janew at hbd.com
Mon Jun 5 10:12:58 UTC 2006
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: C. CatherineCapers <cccapers at yahoo.com>
Reply-To: cccapers at yahoo.com
To: janew at hbd.com
Subject: PXE is proprietary - what the heck is it doing as the default
LTS install in Edubuntu or Ubuntu?
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 12:25:36 -0700 (PDT)
Hi Jane,
Congrats on 6.06...
Only it is TOO BAD that you are using PXE..., instead of the LTSP
supported and recommended ETHERBOOT, for LTS clients to talk to the LTS
Edubuntu Server!
Here are some quotes from Disklessworkstations tech support as I tried
to get them to support Edubuntu with their bootable network cards.
"We do not provide network cards with PXE only Etherboot. PXE is
proprietary and requires a license to sell".
""The method describing how to create a
Etherboot'able kernel would be run every time there is a Ubuntu
kernelupdate to keep the kernel current".
So - when are you going to release a default kernel fix to Edubuntu and
get rid of the proprietary PXE stuff? Soon I hope.
It is my understanding that cooperation broke down between the *buntu
folks doing LTS and the LTSP teams... and that the LTSP teams are saying
that the *buntu LTS folks have taken some wrong turns and it seems that
one of them (by not listening to their LTSP elders) is the default
support of PXE instead of Etherboot. It's no wonder that their LTS
stuff only will support PIIs and 48 MB RAM as a suggested client! Why
didn't they do what the LTSP.org folks suggested?
Best regards,
Camp Catherine Capers
Content from previous email to you...
Jane Weideman <janew at hbd.com> wrote:
... that we needed to go thru the lists to submit the below
suggestions... well I don't have time... so - I emailed back to you that
you should pass this along to Mark... some of your guys in dev are
ignorant of any suggestions made from logical postions.
On Wed, 2006-03-08 at 07:05 -0800, C. CatherineCapers wrote:
> Hi to all at Edubuntu,
>
> Sorry I am not going thru channels... but, I feel that these
need to
> be broadcast to you all by email. I hope you all get a chance
to see
> them. Edubuntu has so much promise that I would hate to see
the below
> missed for the Dapper April 20 relase date.
>
> 1- Gwenview - in the testing I have done on the Flight 4
install...
> Gwenview is still missing the free plugins (that SuSE has
built in
> already). It is a real problem for any user to figure out how
to get
> them and install them on their own. 1 plug-in allows for a
easy way
> to take a photo attachment sent to an auto starting email
client (can
> choose on the fly which one) and this tool also resizes the
photo to a
> "web-email" friendly size ----- all with one click, the email
starts
> up the resized attachment is part the NEW email ready to go
> (Evolution).
>
> 2- A very important discovery... is that for some reason I can
not
> get any Ubuntu, Edubuntu, Kubuntu to work in VMWARE Linux
Guest, where
> the CLOCK time does not lose about 8 hours of time every 24
hours.
> VMWare has a fix where they talk about this here as to why
this is
> happening. It seems that it is just with the 2.6 kernel this
problem
> appears. See:
> VMWARE PAGE about CLOCK problems with LINUX,
>
http://www.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=xt1o2SZh&p_lva=&p_faqid=1420&p_created=1093994398&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTEyOCZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWd1ZXN0IHRpbWUmcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT03JnBfcHJvZF9sdmwxPTM3JnBfcHJvZF9sdmwyPX5hbnl_JnBfc29ydF9ieT1kZmx0JnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=
>
> It seems that this is a LINUX problem as I don't have a
problem with
> WIndows VMWare Guests.
> I have figured out a way to get this to work for Fedora
K12LTSP, and
> somewhat works half the time with SuSE 9.3 (Gains time does
not lose
> time)! BUT - since I use VMWare (Windows Host) in testing
variuos
> LINUX guests, and in an ACTUAL deployment where I can use 3-4
NICs in
> one box and have 3-4 different LTSP environments running to
different
> locations (different buildings even with Fiber optic bridge
direct
> from a fiber optic LAN card to the other building and not via
switch
> (the Fiber NIC in the SERVER requires Windows drivers -so one
needs
> VMWare Windows HOST and run Linux as a guest in order to pull
this
> off)!
>
> The reason for the differnet VMWARE LINUX LTSP installs on 1
server,
> and the need for VMWare is found in the following
case /examples of
> how this sever is used to run differently used LTSP working
> environments: 1st- the primary VMware LTSP guest install is
used
> in the Office for general office work and has certain
applications on
> it (no need for any games etc, just business apps)... a 2nd
install is
> for staff access and that is used for general staff use for
their
> purposes (different than the office so that the applications
they have
> access to are much different and more custom to their needs,
can also
> use this to show off LINUX to mostly summer college staff
where they
> can play all the games, play with photo tool GIMP, and more...
note
> that MOST of these staff are going to go on to become teachers
when
> they leave college so this is the 1st exposure to LINUX and I
want to
> make it a good one, but have 6 workstations P200s 32MB RAM as
LTSP
> clients and can not afford new computers to let staff use
computers
> for only 2 months of summer employment... we tell them to
leave their
> laptops at home as I don't want to deal with MS issus and
helping them
> at all with those problems for free)! 3rd - One additional
plus is
> that this 2 working LTSP install environgment works for
security needs
> as well as any sites or apps that they use are not run on the
same
> VMWare Guest session as the office one is run on... and if
there is
> any problems with either I can fix it without having to both
to shut
> the other one down. Saves money as the Server has enough CPU,
RAM and
> Drive space to do the 2 different LTSP enironments via VMWare
on one
> box... this so with VMWare don't need another server for each
needed
> LTSP server need.
>
> 3 - Flight 4 - Live CD of Ubuntu, Edubuntu, Kubuntu all on a
Dell
> Latitude C800 laptop shows 3 screens overlapping and it is
impossible
> to use. This problem did not exist with Breezy at all as the
Ubuntu
> Live CD works fine (but slower than other live CDs)
>
> 4- Edubuntu-Lite - what is relation ship with Xubuntu? Note
that
> there should be 3 names for any released "LITE" version....
> Edubuntu-Lite-128, Edubuntu-Lite-64, Edubuntu-Lite-32 - All
with
> differnent install defaults according to amounts of RAM, Speed
of
> Processor, and Hard Disk Size. The Goal of any
Edubuntu-Lite-32
> version should be to equal or better the ideas that Damn Small
LInux
> or Puppy Linux put forward.... Both of these will run on low
RAM,
> small HD, etc... BUT-They don't have provision for long term
install
> with the all important UPGRADE FEATURE and SECURITY UPDATES
> features... that one needs in order to prevent having to
reinstall ,
> reinstall, reinstall... all expensive when it comes to labor
and time
> cost for any school or organiztion.
>
> 5 - Note - Edubuntu-Lite-32 could be a foundation OS for LTSP
client
> as well for such things as LOCAL multi-media, LOCAL VOIP,
maybe for
> USB and other devices on the client, etc... and other funtions
that
> when put on a "shared CPU" at an LTSP server have "slice
sharing"
> issues that affect performance for the user... and for all
users as a
> result.
>
> 6 - Is Edubuntu default install going to require 2 NICs like
K12LTSP
> does. It should but I see nothing of this direction in the
Flight 4
> information? An Edubuntu LTSP install should require the 2
NICS, by
> default, as this is much easier to install this way.... and it
makes
> sense that one does not have to go thru the hassle of adding
the 2nd
> NIC after the fact, because installing a 2nd NIC for operation
that is
> like K12LTSP (out of the box, so to speak), is just so much
easier to
> understand and it works fine in K12LTSP installs.
>
> 7- Another general LINUX problem - bu true for Multi-user LTSP
as
> well... is that to make room on a hard drive that is filled up
one has
> to remove TMP files (K12LTSP.org collects these thing and the
it seems
> that when the staff download phtos that are sent to them onto
their
> desktop, that a copy ends up as a TMP file and these REALLY
GROW
> quickly. I have yet to understand and find ONE CLEARLY
> understandable way to delete these files using a Graphical
Interface
> (in fact, I don't think there is a system level GUI available
for a
> usre or administrator to clean these up. Can the be delected
for a
> use anytime a user leaves a session, or by some Sudo GUI
enabled
> "choice or configuation GUI app" for Delete of uneeded TMP
files? I
> have posed this question on many LINUX help pages and I get a
ton of
> different answers (ALL COMMAND LINE) that are complex and
certainly
> will be nothing that your target SCHOOL or Library Edubuntu
user or
> enrty level admin is going to be able to understand.
>
> 8 - Of course for Schools, and Libraries, for educational DVD
and
> other digital works, there is a need for running LEGAL
multi-media in
> PCs! There was some news the other day I read where Linspire
may
> make CNR available for legal Multi-media for Ubuntu? Wow... !
> However, most schools would need to go thru purchasing for
this and a
> subscription model might not work for them and the way things
get
> budgeted. Schools are also used to a price discount for
Schools as is
> offered by Microsoft! Many need an invoice and the item has to
go
> thru channels that don't work well with a CNR pay automatic by
credit
> card payment process. I think that if Linspire is going to be
able to
> play a part in getting legal multi-media to schools that there
needs
> to be a "BOXED VERSION with a retail sales type of billing and
> delivery method". This is how purchasing at alot of schools is
set
> up. Any arrangement that Ubuntu makes with Linspire should
take the
> need for just a boxed retail version of legal multi-media to
be
> offered for sale in a traditional retail box format. Other
users of
> Ubuntu might also want this as well, vs a regular CNR
subscription !
> Most might think that they just want Legal multi-media with a
certain
> number of years of support for it.
>
> 9. - Also note FYI that per a discussion with Corinex Sales
> (http://www.corinex.com/web/docx.nsf/w/eng-products ) that
their
> networking bridge over POWER LINES (came out prior to HomePlug
AV)...
> they say will do 80-110 Mbps over power lines and I am
wondering if
> this is enough to do LTSP sessions over? If so, then wiring
OLD
> SCHOOLS up could be easier to do? Maybe. I am talking with
them
> now about getting a couple of these for an old small library
that has
> these old PCs and I am telling them about LTSP. The problem
with this
> school is that they also have OLD wireless and that is too
slow to run
> LTSP on. SO - we shall see, but if the Corinex stuff works for
LTSP
> that could help some schools that might have building problems
with
> the rewire needs.
>
> 10 - I am wondering if I can get Edubuntu CDs for up to 40
Schools
> around here that I need to deliver to the different schools
around
> when Dapper is released. I took K12LTSP CDs around to them
before...
> however, I have discovered that the OFFICIAL looking RETAIL
like
> packing and CD printing of Ubuntu CDs goes over to the people
who I
> give them to better than handing them a CD that looks like a
regular
> burned CD with Magic Marker writing on it. I also sent the 3
> different Ubuntu CDs to the state's Joint Senate and House
Legislative
> Committee on Technology that is headed by a fellow who is a
retired
> school employee (former sports coach and has taken many credit
hours
> of continuing education with computers) and is now the
chairman of
> the committe. Of course sending these out to as many as is
possible
> might make an impact over time. The budgeted number of CDs per
> country is limited. Hmmm- have you figured a way around this?
Maybe
> a percentage of Linspire CNR sales could be kicked back to the
> Edubuntu CD production budget (and advertised as such when and
if the
> deal with Linspire happens)?
>
> Hopefully - for the edubutnu specific parts above that this
all can
> be looked at, and addressed, in the time before Dapper is
released. I
> was hoping for some improvement in the Flights, per these
issues, as
> they went along, but have not see it yet... so, I decided to
send this
> email.
>
> Keep up the good work
>
> Best regards,
> Camp Catherine Capers
>
>
>
>
>
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JaneW
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Jane Weideman
mobile: +27 83 779 7800
Canonical Ltd.
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Jane Weideman
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Canonical Ltd.
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