[K12OSN] Edubuntu on Slashdot

[Eric Harrison]

On Sun, 4 Dec 2005, Edward Holcroft wrote:
> On 04 Dec 2005, at 7:51 AM, Eric Harrison wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 3 Dec 2005, Chris Thomas wrote:
>> 
>>> Here is the link
>>> http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/05/12/03/1759224.shtml?tid=146&tid=106
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I wonder if it includes LTSP like the regular Ubuntu.
>> 
>> Edubuntu uses all of the packages from Ubuntu (including the LTSP bits),
>> but with a few additional packages and a few changes to make it as
>> K12LTSP-ish as possible[1].
>
> You're too kind Eric. Right now the current release of Edubuntu offers nowhere 
> near the ease of setup and additional functionality that you have built into 
> K12LTSP. I found the release altogether disappointing, considering the hype 
> around it. There is no earthly way I could expect rural newbie educators to 
> actually get Edubuntu working as a thin client server in its current form. On 
> the other hand, they can and do get K12LTSP up and running with ease.

True, but give them credit for what they have accomplished.

Being a developer, I see things a little differently. I am very impressed
with how much they have accomplished in such a short period of time. Much
of the work is under-the-covers infrastructure, you can't see it today
but it will matter tomorrow.

If they continue to develop at such a rapid rate, they may very well
catch up with the polish of K12LTSP in their next release.

Even if Edubuntu never meets or exceeds the easy-of-use of K12LTSP,
I'll still give them a huge amount of credit for helping us redesign
LTSP. In the medium-to-long run that alone should save me a lot of
work in maintaining K12LTSP.


This is one of great things about free software. K12LTSP and Edubuntu
are "direct competitors", but if we work together we are both better
off.

-Eric