{Disarmed} Re: [K12OSN] OT:Microsoft Windows ousted at California school district

Sun Mar 4 01:50:48 UTC 2007

Most Linux games make a "hidden" file for things like high score. All
that is needed is to write a wrapper script that pops up a box for the
student to put in their name, then the app launches and when it closes,
the script resumes and grabs the final score and emails it to the
teacher. Then have the script dump the high score file so it will
refresh each time.

Having the ability to actually _do_ things to fulfill needs is why Open
Source kicks the proprietary stuff in the teeth most of the time.

On Sat, 2007-03-03 at 20:37 -0500, David Hopkins wrote:
> At NCS, we use Type to Learn, and until any of the other packages
> provide the means of tracking student progress, producing reports,
> and ... all the things that TTL does, I am afraid the typing teacher
> is not going to give up the package. 
> 
> Now, TuxPaint works very well and the same goes for books.  Although,
> we also have reading specialists that want to track progress as well.
> Seems we have fallen under the spell that 'if it is computerized, it
> must be better'. 
> 
> Now, if I can just wait till it is warm enough to sit outside and lean
> against a tree with a book.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Dave Hopkins
> 
> 
> On 3/3/07, "Terrell Prudé Jr." <microman at cmosnetworks.com> wrote:
>         Hmm...for Type to Learn, why not use GTypist (older kids) or
>         TuxType (younger kids)?  For KidPix, why not use TuxPaint?
>         And for Reading Counts, why not just use a book?  Any reason
>         why these wouldn't work in your situation?
>         
>         --TP
>         _______________________________ 
>         Do you GNU!? 
>         Microsoft Free since 2003--the ultimate antivirus protection! 
>         
>         
>         
>         Kemp, Levi wrote: 
>         > Would using WINE be the same as "Ericom software – a Citrix
>         > alternative -- enabled the terminals to run the district's
>         > existing and irreplaceable Microsoft Windows educational
>         > applications, including Type to Learn, Reading Counts and
>         > Kid Pix." as stated in the article? We have those programs
>         > and I was planning on running them using WINE, but I was
>         > trying to figure out what they used.
>         > 
>         >  
>         > 
>         > Levi Kemp
>         > 
>         > Technology Specialist
>         > 
>         > Bolivar R-I School District
>         > 
>         > Web Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gifWeb Bug from
>         > chrome://skype_ff_toolbar_win/content/space.gif417-328-8943
>         > 
>         > lnkemp at bolivar.k12.mo.us
>         > 
>         > 
>         >                               
>         > ____________________________________________________________
>         > From:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com
>         > [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of pogson
>         > Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 8:37 AM
>         > To: k12osn at redhat.com
>         > Subject: [K12OSN] OT:Microsoft Windows ousted at California
>         > school district
>         > 
>         > 
>         >  
>         > 
>         > The story is pretty sparse. It looks to me that they had a
>         > couple of issues:
>         > User permissions for files and thin clients. 
>         > 
>         > I do not understand the comment that they had to add one
>         > user at a time. That is the Windows way. In Linux, one would
>         > use scripts and it would take minutes. Perhaps they had to
>         > get the info out of AD first... That makes sense if they
>         > wanted to keep users connected to their data. I had the
>         > privilege of creating a system with no user history. I
>         > created staff accounts from a list of usernames and created
>         > student accounts using APG (Automatic Password Generator). I
>         > had teachers associate student names with account userids.
>         > They could have solved their problems by grouping staff,
>         > teachers, students. Perhaps they had staff that moved
>         > between buildings...
>         > 
>         > I have never seen a Linux system that would not work with
>         > thin clients. Use LTSP to boot the thin clients and an X
>         > connection to whatever server you run.
>         > 
>         > I guess they got locked into Suse and their way of doing
>         > things and it did not fit their setup. That is the problem
>         > with migration. You try to do the same old thing with the
>         > new system when it is unnatural. I say, make a clean break
>         > with the old system, automate account generation and migrate
>         > the data. If Windows will not produce clean text files with
>         > user information, scan the system with a Linux live CD or
>         > whatever to harvest the information. If file directories
>         > match usernames, and teachers and students are segragated it
>         > shoud be doable.
>         > 
>         > Robert Pogson
>         > 
>         > On Thu, 2007-01-03 at 20:32 -0500, k12osn-request at redhat.com
>         > wrote:
>         > 
>         > 
>         > 
>         > From: Sergio Chaves <sergio at turbocorp.com>
>         > Subject: [K12OSN] OT:Microsoft Windows ousted at California
>         > school
>         >         district
>         > To: k12osn at redhat.com
>         > Message-ID: <200703011316.15838.sergio at turbocorp.com>
>         > Content-Type: Text/Plain;  charset="iso-8859-1"
>         > 
>         > It would be better if it was LTSP but still a nice headline
>         > to read on a rainy 
>         > morning here in ATL.
>         > 
>         > http://searchopensource.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1245710,00.htm 
>         > 
>         >  
>         > -- 
>         > A problem is an opportunity.
>         > 
>         >  
>         > 
>         > 
>         > 
>         > ____________________________________________________________
>         > 
>         > _______________________________________________
>         > K12OSN mailing list
>         > K12OSN at redhat.com
>         > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
>         > For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
>         
>         _______________________________________________
>         K12OSN mailing list
>         K12OSN at redhat.com
>         https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
>         For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
> 
> _______________________________________________
> K12OSN mailing list
> K12OSN at redhat.com
> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
> For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
-- 
James P. Kinney III          
CEO & Director of Engineering 
Local Net Solutions,LLC        
770-493-8244                    
http://www.localnetsolutions.com

GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
<jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 54FC A3FE BA4D 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://listman.redhat.com/archives/k12osn/attachments/20070303/be6a8271/attachment.sig>