Open Source for Schools Creating a Computer Lab on a Shoestring John Jennings ICT Specialist Tipperary Institute Email: jjennings@tippinst.ie http://www.opensourceinstructor.com Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5

John Jennings

ICT Specialist

Tipperary Institute

Email: jjennings@tippinst.ie

http://www.opensourceinstructor.com

Aims Aims To encourage the uptake and use of open source tools in education

Aims

To encourage the uptake and use of open source tools in education

Agenda Introduction & Context The Terminal-Server approach Traditional Lab vs Thin Client Demonstration of Edubuntu Shopping List Summary Links

Introduction & Context

The Terminal-Server approach

Traditional Lab vs Thin Client

Demonstration of Edubuntu

Shopping List

Summary

Links

Context “ Around one in five computers in Irish schools cannot be used, while 50 percent are at least four years old, according to the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE). Despite this dismal performance, last year only EUR2.3 million was given to schools for the purchase of IT equipment.” source: Emmet Ryan http://www.electricnews.net/frontpage/news-9873295.html

“ Around one in five computers in Irish schools cannot be used, while 50 percent are at least four years old, according to the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE). Despite this dismal performance, last year only EUR2.3 million was given to schools for the purchase of IT equipment.”

source: Emmet Ryan http://www.electricnews.net/frontpage/news-9873295.html

Issues Computer Hardware “ Old”, not working Must upgrade or replace for new “heavy” operating systems Computer Software Caught in an “upgrade cycle” Retirement of support for software Expensive to replace or renew Management Hard to manage & maintain all workstations in the school

Computer Hardware

“ Old”, not working

Must upgrade or replace for new “heavy” operating systems

Computer Software

Caught in an “upgrade cycle”

Retirement of support for software

Expensive to replace or renew

Management

Hard to manage & maintain all workstations in the school

The Terminal Server Approach Big in the 1990's but now making a comeback

Big in the 1990's but now making a comeback

Workstation Vs Thin-client Workstation Every workstation has an operating system Each workstation managed separately Workstations tend to be highly specified Thin-Client Requires a high spec server Clients are usually low spec. with as little hardware as possible Centrally managed More reliable as normally have less components

Workstation

Every workstation has an operating system

Each workstation managed separately

Workstations tend to be highly specified

Thin-Client

Requires a high spec server

Clients are usually low spec. with as little hardware as possible

Centrally managed

More reliable as normally have less components

Advantages of Workstations Fewer server requirements Load is spread over the workstations Better multimedia performance Gaming, video/audio editing, high resolution image editing. More flexibility Can have each workstation configured differently Suitable for poor network connections Thin-clients do not work without a network

Fewer server requirements

Load is spread over the workstations

Better multimedia performance

Gaming, video/audio editing, high resolution image editing.

More flexibility

Can have each workstation configured differently

Suitable for poor network connections

Thin-clients do not work without a network

Advantages of Thin-clients Why a Linux based terminal is a good solution for schools: Low cost Potentially as low as EUR 200 per client workstation Ease of installation Once the server is set-up just plug in the clients Ease of maintenance Only server needs to be maintained, e.g. backed up High performance Clients run as fast as the server Efficient use of resources Only uses as much processing power as is required. Bandwidth reduced Great software 100's of educational software packages available for free Reliability Proven history of stability and reliability

Why a Linux based terminal is a good solution for schools:

Low cost

Potentially as low as EUR 200 per client workstation

Ease of installation

Once the server is set-up just plug in the clients

Ease of maintenance

Only server needs to be maintained, e.g. backed up

High performance

Clients run as fast as the server

Efficient use of resources

Only uses as much processing power as is required. Bandwidth reduced

Great software

100's of educational software packages available for free

Reliability

Proven history of stability and reliability

Demo OpenOffice Suite Word Processing Spreadsheet Presentation Web Browser Email, IM and VoIP Graphics Create Diagrams Dia 3D modelling Blender editing images Gimp TuxPaint Scribus Sound and video Play music, video, burn CD's. Edit video, record audio Science Desktop Planetarium KStars Periodic table Kalzium Chemistry game Atomix Maths Programming in Logo, KTurtle create high precision geometrical constructions Kig

OpenOffice Suite

Word Processing

Spreadsheet

Presentation

Web Browser

Email, IM and VoIP

Graphics

Create Diagrams

Dia

3D modelling

Blender

editing images

Gimp

TuxPaint

Scribus

Sound and video

Play music, video, burn CD's. Edit video, record audio

Science

Desktop Planetarium

KStars

Periodic table

Kalzium

Chemistry game

Atomix

Maths

Programming in Logo,

KTurtle

create high precision geometrical constructions

Kig

Demo contd. Maths Plot Maths equations KmPlot Calculate Precentages KPrecentage Practice Fractions KBrunch Play with Maths TuxMath Drawing TuxPaint Fractal Generator Xaos Language Hangman KHangman Basic Skills Generate and give tests KEduca Learn touch typing Ktouch TuxType Gcompris a suite of over 80 educational games and activities for kids age 4 to 10

Maths

Plot Maths equations

KmPlot

Calculate Precentages

KPrecentage

Practice Fractions

KBrunch

Play with Maths

TuxMath

Drawing

TuxPaint

Fractal Generator

Xaos

Language

Hangman

KHangman

Basic Skills

Generate and give tests

KEduca

Learn touch typing

Ktouch

TuxType

Gcompris

a suite of over 80 educational games and activities for kids age 4 to 10

Shopping List 1 x server LTSP server : 512MB RAM for the idling system with all of its services 50MB per client to hold user data and the first copy of common applications 100MHz of 32 bit processing power or about 75MHz of 64 bit power per client. A gigabit NIC for the private LAN (100 megabit is OK for small LANs with patient users, random boots or client always on) 10/100 baseT NIC for the ISP

1 x server

LTSP server :

512MB RAM for the idling system with all of its services

50MB per client to hold user data and the first copy of common applications

100MHz of 32 bit processing power or about 75MHz of 64 bit power per client.

A gigabit NIC for the private LAN (100 megabit is OK for small LANs with patient users, random boots or client always on)

10/100 baseT NIC for the ISP

Shopping List 24 x clients LTSP Clients Spec : 64MB+ RAM 100MHz+ processing power 10/100 baseT NIC Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor Fanless systems are more reliable 1 x 24 port network switch 24 10/100 MB ports 1 or 2 gigabit ports to connect to the gigabit NIC in the server Network Cabling

24 x clients

LTSP Clients Spec :

64MB+ RAM

100MHz+ processing power

10/100 baseT NIC

Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor

Fanless systems are more reliable

1 x 24 port network switch

24 10/100 MB ports

1 or 2 gigabit ports to connect to the gigabit NIC in the server

Network Cabling

Conclusion You can set up a Linux Terminal Server on a good machine in less that an hour and within two days have a complete computer lab set-up with Edubuntu Given a well specified server, it is a very cost effective solution for a classroom, computer lab and offices of small to medium size. There is a wealth of OpenSource applications avilable fou use in schools

You can set up a Linux Terminal Server on a good machine in less that an hour and within two days have a complete computer lab set-up with Edubuntu

Given a well specified server, it is a very cost effective solution for a classroom, computer lab and offices of small to medium size.

There is a wealth of OpenSource applications avilable fou use in schools

Links http://eduforge.org/ http://www.schooltool.org http://www.moodle.org http://www.ltsp.org http://gcompris.net/ http://gperiodic.seul.org/ http://www.openoffice.org http://freemind.sourceforge.net/ http://tuxtype.sourceforge.net/ http://littlewizard.sourceforge.net/ http://eduforge.org/projects/gameflashobjs/ http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/ http://www.ubuntu.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client http://www.ndiyo.org/systems http://www.edubuntu.org/UsingEdubuntu http://www.geogebra.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://eduforge.org/

http://www.schooltool.org

http://www.moodle.org

http://www.ltsp.org

http://gcompris.net/

http://gperiodic.seul.org/

http://www.openoffice.org

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/

http://tuxtype.sourceforge.net/

http://littlewizard.sourceforge.net/

http://eduforge.org/projects/gameflashobjs/

http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/

http://www.ubuntu.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client

http://www.ndiyo.org/systems

http://www.edubuntu.org/UsingEdubuntu

http://www.geogebra.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1