Edubuntu 8.04 query

[Bret Busby]

On Fri, 3 Apr 2009, Derek Broughton wrote:

> 
> CLIFFORD ILKAY wrote:
>
>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>> CLIFFORD ILKAY wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bret Busby wrote:
>>>>> We just have to give up on Edubuntu, as unworkable.
>>>
>>> So install to a USB stick.  It'll be faster than the CD and last week I
>>> saw a 16GB USB stick for $15.
>>
>> You would still have the problem below.
>
> Absolutely.  I agree it's poor planning to demo _anything_ on unknown
> hardware.  And it would be just his luck in that case to find the machine
> he wanted to demo on _couldn't_ boot from USB.  Surely Laptops were
> invented so that I would never again have to demo anything on a client's
> computer :-)
>
>>> Good point.  It's becoming more unusual to find such a case, but it still
>>> happens.
>>
>> I've had problems with support for Intel Q965 graphics chipsets with
>> some distros. Certain WiFi NICs are an adventure to get working.
>
> Definitely.  We have the inverse problem to Windows users - Windows often
> won't work on older hardware, Linux sometimes doesn't yet have drivers for
> newer hardware.  At least with NICs you could take a known-to-work USB NIC
> along, but it's a really poor second choice to using a known-to-work
> complete system.
> -- 
> derek
>
>

Out of interest, while 16GB USB things might sell for about $15 in 
Canada, I think that 8GB one's sell for about $50 here in Western 
Australia.

An aspect of this, that I have posted in a parallel query for the 
SkoleLinux people, is that, with a Live didsk version of an education - 
based distribution of Linux, is that, apart from being able to take the 
disk, and run it, at the time of demonstration, without altering the 
victim's computer, by installing software or otherwise, is that such a 
disck can be left with the person, to play with at the person's leisure, 
so that the person gan give the software a really good trial, when the 
person has the time, once again, without making any changes to the 
person's computer (unless the person does something like creating files 
with Open Office, and saves the files to the person's computer hard 
drive).

The big thing here, is the facility for both demonstrating the software, 
in the context of the underlying operating system, and, leaving the 
copy, so that the person can further trial the environment, with each of 
those two tasks being able to be performed, without any residual changes 
to the computer of the person to whom the environment is being 
demonstrated.

It is covenience with no risk or disruption.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992

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