The Excalibur System

[Shane Fagan]

Hey Ryan,

Awesome news, on the accessibility front you should ask theMuso about
it. He maintains that side of things.

-fagan

On Mon, 2010-05-10 at 14:20 -0400, Ryan Oram wrote:
> I've caught a big fish for you guys. My university (Trent University)
> has agreed to sponsor me to develop a Ubuntu-based system to replace
> the current Windows/Netware system currently employed at Trent.
> 
> This system will be centered around thin clients, running NX Client,
> remote desktoping into a Lucid-based server with NX Server installed.
> It will be called the Excalibur System. Trent IT has also agreed to
> put NX Client on the Windows Image at Trent, so every computer will be
> able to access the Excalibur System.
> 
> A copy of my proposal is availible here:
> http://tinyurl.com/excalibur-system
> 
> I have also posted screenshots of my prototype here:
> http://tinyurl.com/excalibur-screens
> 
> There is a caveat. The accessibility frameworks on Linux are frankly
> crap. Because of this, the Excalibur thin client OS will always be
> dual-booted with Windows on any computers it is installed on.
> Additionally, it will not be made default on any public labs at Trent.
> These stipulations will stay in place until the accessibility
> frameworks meet the requirements of the Disability Services Office.
> 
> 
> The requirements of the Disability Services Office are as follows:
> 
> 1. A comprehensive reading and writing support framework (such as Read
> & Write or Kurzweil).
> 
> Ocra and aspell could likely be used for this, but grammar support
> would be needed as well.
> 
> 2. Mindmapping software (such as Inspiration)
> 
> The DSO has told me that the current open source solutions are
> insufficient but could be extended to fit their needs.
> 
> 3. A speech recognition application (like Dragon Naturally Speaking)
> 
> This can come later.
> 
> 
> You may ask why Canonical would even develop this software. There is a
> simple reason: It would make Edubuntu feasible. If Canonical writes
> the software that the Disability Services Office wants (which were a
> voice recongition system, a replacement for Kurzweil, and extending
> the open source mind-mapping software), Edubuntu would instantly
> become the preferred platform for every school on the planet. Why
> spend money on Windows and Mac OS X when you can get the software you
> license for thousands upon thousands of dollars for free, with the
> exception of tech support costs? Canonical would be able to make a
> killing on supporting schools using this software, easily getting back
> their investment.
> 
> Keep in mind too, this is a university. I'm sure there would be a big
> list of alumni willing to fund such a project, if external funding is
> needed. I'm already working on getting the current head of the
> Concurrent Education program at Trent to support the proposal and get
> the teacher's union in Ontario aboard. The possibility of having a
> Kurzweil equivalent available to every student regardless of wealth or
> background is frankly the dream of every teacher.
> 
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think of all of this.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ryan Oram
>