[K12OSN] LTSP in libraries - HELP!

["Terrell Prudé Jr."]

Hmm...several reasons:

1.)  A system that actually *works* without major care and feeding.  In
short, a much, *MUCH* cheaper maintenance bill.
2.)  A system with less up-front cost, in most cases, zero.  Sure, this
is small compared to maintenance, but it's still there.
3.)  A system that actually supports truly open standards.
4.)  A system that is virus free.
5.)  A system that *you*, the user/sysadmin, can modify as you need. 
Yes, a lot of people actually do this!
6.)  A system that actually gets updates right away, unlike MS ("oh,
that WMF report is a feature, not a bug!")
7.)  Freedom from license audit threats.  Just ask Paul Nelson and other
schools/libraries about that.
8.)  A guarantee of "no piracy."  It's impossible to "pirate" something
that's Free, as in Freedom.
9.)  The ability to, without any limitations, share that same software
with whomever asks ("oh, your computer crashed?  No prob, here's a
Knoppix/Ubuntu/Fedora LiveCD so you can keep doing that book report").

Windows XP is a steaming pile of dung, and Vista is yet worse.  And both
are a legal trap, a big one.  Thus, my two questions to you would be,

1.)  Why would you want to go backwards to MS Windows, instead of
forward to something actually good like GNU/Linux?
2.)  Are you *asking* for a license compliance audit, like what happened
to Portland Public Schools and many others?  I trust you've read that
Microsoft EULA....

--TP
_______________________________
Do you GNU <http://www.gnu.org>?
Microsoft Free since 2003 <http://www.cmosnetworks.com>--the ultimate
antivirus protection!


Conrad Lawes wrote:
> Dump question:  Is there any reason why you can't continue using XP?
> Many OEMs offer customers the choice of staying with XP.  Vista is not
> mandatory at least not yet.
> It is apparent (from this thread) that any other solution is going to
> require significant research time and investment.
>
>
> On Nov 21, 2007 10:42 AM, Jim Anderson <gotthin at gmail.com
> <mailto:gotthin at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hello All,
>
>     I am in charge of the computers at my local library.  We have 18
>     public computers running Windows XP and Envisionware software for
>     session control and printing.  The library is beginning an expansion
>     that will increase the number of public computers by 50% plus add a
>     classroom with more computers.  As I have a large part in the
>     decision-making in this area I would like to find a Free alternative
>     to having a slew of Vista computers installed.  The library has had
>     good results with XP because of the "DeepFreeze" security software
>     that is installed.  However an upgrade to Vista will be very costly
>     and I am totally unconvinced that it would be a smooth transition and
>     maintenance will be incessant.
>
>     I have experience with K12LTSP since helping with a computer lab this
>     past year.  I would like to bring the stability, reliability and lower
>     cost of ownership that I have experienced with LTSP to the library.
>     Instead of buying 25+ new Vista computers the library could buy
>     dedicated thin clients and new monitors.  The library will see an
>     ongoing cost saving in electricity costs, as well.  I had been looking
>     at a Windows-based terminal server solution, but I can't get away
>     from
>     the fear that one user could do something that would require the
>     reboot of the whole system, or worse.  In my mind LTSP is the only way
>     to go.
>
>     As well as using a lighweight locked-down desktop I need to have some
>     way to control session lengths, create reservations (preferably a
>     self-service kiosk) and store print jobs in a queue for release by by
>     the user.  The system would have to be able to interface with a
>     payment system, such as Jamex, for payment of print jobs, and it
>     would
>     have to be able to read library card barcodes for making reservations
>     and for print release.
>
>     So my question is: "Does anyone know of any Linux systems that would
>     work with LTSP and meet these requirements?"
>
>     Thank you,
>     Jim Anderson
>
>     _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Regards,
> Conrad Lawes
> PXE Guru
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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