[K12OSN] Converting to Linux

[Daniel Bodanske]

Levi,

I think that the first thing you should do is look at the types of
clients you want to convert. Get detailed information about what
hardware you have now and need to support for the switch. Make a list.
Chip sets, processors, memory, printers, scanners, etc.

Next look at your software requirements. Does your school system
require the use of any software? Is it local or web-based? If the
students need to visit web pages, are they built only for IE?

How many students will your lab support this year? What's your one,
three and five-year plan?

How resistant are your teachers to switching from Windows? Does it
terrify them? How supportive is the administration for this switch?

Ask these questions before you ever decide what focus to take for the
switch. You may save a lot of time that you would otherwise spend
trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Once you have these questions answered, get back to us with the
details, and there will be a million recommendations for you.

I once put together a thin client network of thirteen machines for
under US$1000, including the server. Everything was very used, but
someone recently commented to me that the system used to work very
well and that it was bulletproof.

Best of luck in your conversion, but remember the old carpenter's
rule: "Measure twice; cut once." Save yourself a lot of headaches by
looking at your requirements before you start with any software.

Dan

On 2/24/07, Kemp, Levi <lnkemp at bolivar.k12.mo.us> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> I'd like to ask for suggestions on this undertaking; we are going to attempt
> to use Linux at our school as opposed to Windows. My first question is this,
> without setting up a Linux server is it possible to create a lab of Linux
> clients and run them on our current network, or does this have to be all or
> none? I'm unsure if we want to go with thin clients, some of the programs
> may be too much to run over the network. Second question, what version of
> Linux would you suggest? None of us have a great deal of experience with
> Linux, we are just unable to keep are hardware up with the requirements for
> windows and do not want to have to move into Vista. Thanks for the
> assistance.
>
>
>
> Levi Kemp
>
> Technology Specialist
>
> Bolivar R-I School District
>
> 417-328-8943
>
> lnkemp at bolivar.k12.mo.us
>
>
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