[Ubuntu-US-CA] Installfest / tutorial in University Village, Albany

[Alan Ostlund]

Maile Urbancic wrote:
> Michael,
>
> Your LTSP lab sounds interesting.  Unfortunately, the University 
> Village computer center is pretty tightly run by UC Berkeley's 
> Residential Computing department (we have 30 Windows machines and 4 
> Macs).  We can't even get them to agree to having a non-networked 
> staff computer in the center to allow staff members to install their 
> own programs.  I doubt they would even consider the type of setup you 
> propose.  Nonetheless, I will inquire.  I completely agree that having 
> several Ubuntu machines in the computer lab would aid adoption by 
> letting residents experiment with Ubuntu in a low-stakes way.  If 
> nothing else, perhaps ResComp could replace a few of our many Windows 
> machines with Ubuntu...  I'll look into it.
>
> *Maile*
>
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 9:16 AM, Michael Paric 
> <mparic at compbizsolutions.com <mailto:mparic at compbizsolutions.com>> wrote:
>
>>     Hello, 
>>
>>     As a newcomer, I wanted to introduce myself and briefly summarize
>>     a project that Grant Bowman, Jack Deslippe, and I have been
>>     planning.  
>>
>>     I work with Cathy Malmrose to run Partimus, a non-profit that
>>     uses FOSS and repurposed hardware to provide technology to
>>     disadvantaged children and schools.  I have a background in
>>     mathematics and programming, but I am still learning my way
>>     around Ubuntu; my more valuable skill set lies in organizational
>>     planning.  I currently live in and work closely with University
>>     Village, Albany, the main campus for UC Berkeley's student family
>>     housing.  I am deeply involved in affordable housing issues and
>>     in building programs beneficial to student families.  
>>
>>     Grant, Jack, I have been working to plan an installfest / Ubuntu
>>     tutorial in the University Village computer lab.  The
>>     demographics of University Village make it a prime population for
>>     potential new Ubuntu users.  We have nearly 2,000
>>     highly-educated, financially impoverished, widely international
>>     adults in the Village--many of whom are likely to be interested
>>     in Ubuntu, but nervous about making the jump on their own.
>>      Our tentative plan is to create an Introduction to Ubuntu
>>     tutorial extending over two or three sessions, where students
>>     install Ubuntu the first week and learn basic skills, then come
>>     back again for the next class to resolve issues, ask questions,
>>     learn slightly more complicated skills, and learn where to go in
>>     the future when they have problems.  We are planning to hold it
>>     in late January or early February, after UCB's spring semester
>>     begins.
>>
>>     Thank you for your enthusiasm and support,
>>
>>     Maile Urbanic
>>     maile.urbancic at gmail.com <mailto:maile.urbancic at gmail.com>
>>     -- 
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>
>     Maile,
>     We spoke briefly at a past Berkeley LUG meeting where I mentioned
>     my thin client-based system that I believe would be perfect for
>     the University Village. Setting up a Ubuntu-based Linux Terminal
>     Server Project (LTSP) lab would provide several benefits: 1) An
>     open lab where people without their own computers would have
>     access to the technology; 2) A training facility for the proposed
>     tutorial sessions; 3) Reduced maintenance and down-time due to the
>     LTSP architecture. I believe you'll have a greater success with
>     Ubuntu adoption if the residents can get some hands-on experience
>     and practice in the lab before committing to an installfest (which
>     can be done in parallel but as a separate project from the lab). I
>     have an LTSP demo system (using ZaReason equipment, of course :)
>     I'd be more than happy to bring to Berkeley to show you and the
>     residents. Let me know how I can help.
>
>     ----------------------------------------------------------
>     Michael Paric
>     mparic at compbizsolutions.com <mailto:mparic at compbizsolutions.com>
>
>
Would it not be possible to make a USB persistent file.  You could load 
Ubuntu onto any PC without having to touch the O/S.  I carry one on me 
at all times.  If someone wants to try Ubuntu, I loan it to them.  I am 
currently using a 16 GB Flash Drive, but I should buy an 8 GB, they are 
going cheap on Newegg, $16-$25.

Alan Ostlund
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