[Cialug] Iowa Public Schools - Linux Terminal Server
Josh More
cialug@cialug.org
Fri, 08 Apr 2005 15:34:39 -0500
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Iowa Training Days info is at http://www.iowatrainingdays.com/
Personally, I do not know much about it, but he put out a call for white
papers and
I had just written one. I also knew that I needed more experience with
presenting,
and this seemed to be a reasonable place to improve my skills.
As far as hiring a migration firm goes, it depends on what you want
done.
In my firm (I am the Linux migration contact here), we can contract in
several
modes and generally settle on an agreement that gets the job done and
fits
the budget. A *good* firm is more about the relationships than the
money.
So they will work with a limited budget school as well as a high-profile
fortune 500
company.
Sadly, the word consultant has gotten a bit of a bad rap from folks that
charge $300
per hour to walk in and tell you that you need to run X instead of Y
without considering
why you were doing Y to begin with.
Regarding the terminology of 'integration' vs 'migration', I view them
both to be important
aspects of the process. As always, the first order of business is to
determine what needs
to be done and why, before the how is ever discussed.
--
-Josh More, RHCE, CISSP
morej@alliancetechnologies.net
515-245-7701
>>>alan.maupin@mchsi.com 04/08/05 3:14 pm >>>
Josh,
I would like to see your white paper. What and where is Iowa Training
Days?
I did not mean to imply migration. Integration is more accurate! Cost
is
the driving factor! Hiring a migration firm seems like an expensive
proposition.
-----Original Message-----
From: cialug-admin@cialug.org [mailto:cialug-admin@cialug.org] On Behalf
Of
Josh More
Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 3:04 PM
To: cialug@cialug.org
Subject: Re: [Cialug] Iowa Public Schools - Linux Terminal Server
Interestingly enough, I have written a white paper on exactly this
issue. I will be presenting it at Iowa Training Days, after which I can
give copies to people.
As far as your questions go:
1) This depends on how it is done. I recommend hiring a company to
take care of this, as they can often get better deals for that various
aspects of such a migration.
2) It can certainly be cost effective. Again, it depends on who is
doing the work. There are *lots* of issues involved in migrating a
government infrastructure to Linux, so hiring a migration company is
a wiser choice than trying to do it yourself.
There are many ways to structure such an relationship. If people
wish to come to Iowa training days, I can go into some specifics.
--
-Josh More, RHCE, CISSP
morej@alliancetechnologies.net
515-245-7701
On Fri, 2005-04-08 at 13:54 -0500, Alan Maupin wrote:
>A few of you may remember the article reposted below from March 13,
>2005 Des Moines Register. I have a couple of questions in reference
>to that article and the current budget crunch many of our school
>districts are experiencing.
>
>
>
>1. What would it cost approximately, to hire a person who could setup
>and administer Linux in a School District? The person would need to
>know how to integrate Linux with existing Apple and Microsoft
>networks, and how to build a terminal server such as the one outlined
>in the article.
>
>
>
>2. Does anyone believe it would be more cost effective to use Linux
>in place of Apple or Microsoft in the K12 environment? Reasoning that
>the school district probably already has a staff trained to use and
>administer an existing infrastructure of previously licensed Apple or
>Microsoft products. Also, would cost more to hire someone versed not
>only in Apple or Microsoft, or both, but now with the addition of
>Linux skills.
>
>
>
>All of my questions were generated from a discussion I overhead at a
>school board meeting about a current dilemma they were experiencing
>with IT in their district. The main topic was developing a network
>administration environment that allowed one person to remotely
>administer the entire network from a central location, and of course
>saving money while attempting to meet the IT needs of the students.
>
>
>
>
>
>
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050313/BUSINESS03/
503130322/1032
>
>
>
>Students learn from software in Keokuk
>
>
>
>Not only is open source helpful, but it helps hold down costs for the
>lab.
>
>
>
>By STEVE SIMPSON
>
>REGISTER CORRESPONDENT
>
>March 13, 2005
>
>
>
>Eric Brown gets it. He understands the benefits of open source
>software. And he's providing a leading computer lab in an Iowa high
>school.
>
>
>
>Eric Brown is a high school math and Web design teacher at Keokuk High
>School. Brown read a recent Tech Guy column on open source software
>and wrote to explain how open source is helping Keokuk students in a
>new computer lab. He is getting this achieved without spending a lot
>of money.
>
>
>
>I was given a lab with PCs that were purchased in 1996 and 1997.
>There were 20 233-megahertz Pentium machines with Windows 95, Brown
>said. I spent four to five hours each week cleaning spyware off the
>machines.
>
>
>
>Besides running slow machines, Brown had a limited number of copies of
>commercial software like Microsoft Office for his students. That meant
>that even to type a document, students had to use one of just two or
>three machines. Security and privacy were also lacking in the system.
>
>
>
>On most machines, a student can erase files or change the settings of
>other users.
>
>
>
>He had an open source epiphany. I saw an article on slashdot.com
>about a group turning old computers into usable computer labs using
>Linux Terminal Server. Linux is an open source computer operating
>system, similar to Microsoft Windows.
>
>
>
>Terminal server refers to a way to run programs on a server and
>display them (or the screen images) on simplified computers. Terminal
>server lets people like Brown use cheaper, slower computers at other
>people's desks.
>
>
>
>Brown's biggest expense in implementing Linux Terminal Server was his
>server. The server needed to have the power to run the bulk of
>software in his lab.
>
>
>
>I found a server with four 533 Mhz Pentium 3 processors and one
>gigabyte of memory on eBay for less than $500. Then, I found a free
>version of Linux Terminal Server just for school labs called K12LTSP,
>Brown wrote. I loaded the server, played with some of the settings at
>home, brought it into the classroom and made the switch.
>
>
>
>Linux and terminal server allowed Brown to set up what was effectively
>a new computer lab for the price of one computer. It helps, too, that
>the free K12LTSP software also included educational programs like a
>typing tutor, a math tutor, function graphing and nonviolent games.
>
>
>
>Benefits go beyond money saved. First, students have access to their
>own work, and only their work. In my lab, students can change the
>settings to suit themselves, and their changes follow them no matter
>what computer they work on, added Brown. The increased security means
>the students' work is more private. Moreover, it helps protect data on
>the rest of the school's computers.
>
>
>
>Second, kids have access to more software. By using free open source
>programs, students can use any computer in the lab for writing,
>graphics or any activity. Microsoft Office has been replaced with
>OpenOffice; Adobe Photoshop has been replaced by The Gimp.
>
>
>
>Do kids notice the difference?
>
>
>
>I've had kids sit down and use OpenOffice word processor and
>presentation software without thinking twice, Brown wrote.
>
>
>
>Brown is teaching more than computer skills. He's teaching kids that
>learning is not about brand names like Microsoft and Adobe. It's about
>the basic skills of writing and art and critical thinking. The
>computers are tools used to enhance skills. And, he's taught them
>that, in an age of the new next, some amazing things can be done
>with what's at hand.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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<DIV> Iowa Training Days info is at http://www.iowatrainingdays.co=
m/<br>
</DIV>
<DIV>Personally, I do not know much about it, but he put out a =
call for white papers and
</DIV>
<DIV>I had just written one. I also knew that I needed more =
experience with presenting,
</DIV>
<DIV>and this seemed to be a reasonable place to improve my skills.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As far as hiring a migration firm goes, it depends on what =
you want done.
</DIV>
<DIV>In my firm (I am the Linux migration contact here), =
we can contract in several
</DIV>
<DIV>modes and generally settle on an agreement that gets the job done =
and fits
</DIV>
<DIV>the budget. A *good* firm is more about the =
relationships than the money.
</DIV>
<DIV>So they will work with a limited budget school as well as a =
high-profile fortune 500
</DIV>
<DIV>company.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sadly, the word "consultant" has gotten a bit of a =
bad rap from folks that charge $300
</DIV>
<DIV>per hour to walk in and tell you that you need to run X instead =
of Y without considering
</DIV>
<DIV>why you were doing Y to begin with.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regarding the terminology of 'integration' vs 'migrati=
on', I view them both to be important
</DIV>
<DIV>aspects of the process. As always, the first order of =
business is to determine what needs
</DIV>
<DIV>to be done and why, before the how is ever discussed.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
--<br>-Josh More, RHCE, CISSP<br>morej@alliancetechnologies.n=
et<br>515-245-7701
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><br>>>>alan.maupin@mchsi.com 04/08/05 3:14 pm >>>=
;<br>Josh,<br><br>I would like to see your white paper.  What=
and where is Iowa Training Days?<br>I did not mean to imply migration.=
  Integration is more accurate!  Cost is<br>the =
driving factor!  Hiring a migration firm seems like an =
expensive<br>proposition.<br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: =
cialug-admin@cialug.org [mailto:cialug-admin@cialug.org] On Behalf =
Of<br>Josh More<br>Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 3:04 PM<br>To: =
cialug@cialug.org<br>Subject: Re: [Cialug] Iowa Public Schools - =
Linux Terminal Server<br><br>Interestingly enough, I have written a =
white paper on exactly this<br>issue.  I will be presenting it =
at Iowa Training Days, after which I can<br>give copies to people.<br><=
br>As far as your questions go:<br><br>1) This depends on how it is =
done.  I recommend hiring a company to<br>take care of this, =
as they can often get better deals for that various<br>aspects of such a =
migration.<br><br>2) It can certainly be cost effective.  Aga=
in, it depends on who is<br>doing the work.  There are =
*lots* of issues involved in migrating a<br>government infrastructu=
re to Linux, so hiring a migration company is<br>a wiser choice than =
trying to do it yourself.<br><br>There are many ways to structure such an =
relationship.  If people<br>wish to come to Iowa training =
days, I can go into some specifics.<br><br>--<br>-Josh More, =
RHCE, CISSP<br>morej@alliancetechnologies.net<br>515-245-7701<br><br><b=
r>On Fri, 2005-04-08 at 13:54 -0500, Alan Maupin wrote:<br>>A =
few of you may remember the article reposted below from March 13,<br>&g=
t;2005 Des Moines Register.  I have a couple of questions in =
reference<br>>to that article and the current budget crunch many of our =
school<br>>districts are experiencing. <br>><br>> <br>&g=
t;<br>>1.  What would it cost approximately, to hire a =
person who could setup<br>>and administer Linux in a School District?=
;   The person would need to<br>>know how to integrate =
Linux with existing Apple and Microsoft<br>>networks, and how to =
build a terminal server such as the one outlined<br>>in the article.<br>=
><br>> <br>><br>>2.  Does anyone believe it =
would be more cost effective to use Linux<br>>in place of Apple or =
Microsoft in the K12 environment?  Reasoning that<br>>the =
school district probably already has a staff trained to use and<br>>admi=
nister an existing infrastructure of previously licensed Apple or<br>>Mi=
crosoft products.  Also, would cost more to hire someone =
versed not<br>>only in Apple or Microsoft, or both, but now =
with the addition of<br>>Linux skills. <br>><br>> <br>&g=
t;<br>>All of my questions were generated from a discussion I overhead =
at a<br>>school board meeting about a current dilemma they were =
experiencing<br>>with IT in their district.  The main topic =
was developing a network<br>>administration environment that allowed =
one person to remotely<br>>administer the entire network from a central =
location, and of course<br>>saving money while attempting to meet =
the IT needs of the students.<br>><br>> <br>><br>><br><br>=
<br>><br>><br>http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?=
AID=/20050313/BUSINESS03/<br>503130322/1032<br>><br>> <br>&g=
t;<br>>Students learn from software in Keokuk<br>><br>> <br>&=
gt;<br>>Not only is open source helpful, but it helps hold down =
costs for the<br>>lab.<br>><br>> <br>><br>>By STEVE =
SIMPSON<br>><br>>REGISTER CORRESPONDENT<br>><br>>March 13, =
2005<br>><br>> <br>><br>>Eric Brown gets it. He understand=
s the benefits of open source<br>>software. And he's providing a =
leading computer lab in an Iowa high<br>>school.<br>><br>> <b=
r>><br>>Eric Brown is a high school math and Web design teacher at =
Keokuk High<br>>School. Brown read a recent Tech Guy column on open =
source software<br>>and wrote to explain how open source is helping =
Keokuk students in a<br>>new computer lab. He is getting this achieved =
without spending a lot<br>>of money.<br>><br>> <br>><br>&g=
t;"I was given a lab with PCs that were purchased in 1996 and =
1997.<br>>There were 20 233-megahertz Pentium machines with Windows =
95," Brown<br>>said. "I spent four to five hours each =
week cleaning spyware off the<br>>machines."<br>><br>> <=
br>><br>>Besides running slow machines, Brown had a limited =
number of copies of<br>>commercial software like Microsoft Office for =
his students. That meant<br>>that even to type a document, students =
had to use one of just two or<br>>three machines. Security and privacy =
were also lacking in the system.<br>><br>> <br>><br>>"=
;On most machines, a student can erase files or change the settings =
of<br>>other users."<br>><br>> <br>><br>>He had =
an open source epiphany. "I saw an article on slashdot.com<br>>abou=
t a group turning old computers into usable computer labs using<br>>Linu=
x Terminal Server." Linux is an open source computer operating<br>>=
system, similar to Microsoft Windows.<br>><br>> <br>><br>=
>"Terminal server" refers to a way to run programs on a =
server and<br>>display them (or the screen images) on simplified=
computers. Terminal<br>>server lets people like Brown use cheaper, =
slower computers at other<br>>people's desks.<br>><br>> <=
br>><br>>Brown's biggest expense in implementing Linux Terminal =
Server was his<br>>server. The server needed to have the power to run =
the bulk of<br>>software in his lab.<br>><br>> <br>><br>&g=
t;"I found a server with four 533 Mhz Pentium 3 processors and =
one<br>>gigabyte of memory on eBay for less than $500. Then, I =
found a free<br>>version of Linux Terminal Server just for school labs =
called K12LTSP,"<br>>Brown wrote. "I loaded the server,=
; played with some of the settings at<br>>home, brought it into the =
classroom and made the switch."<br>><br>> <br>><br>>L=
inux and terminal server allowed Brown to set up what was effectively<br>&g=
t;a new computer lab for the price of one computer. It helps, too, =
that<br>>the free K12LTSP software also included educational programs =
like a<br>>typing tutor, a math tutor, function graphing and =
nonviolent games.<br>><br>> <br>><br>>Benefits go beyond =
money saved. First, students have access to their<br>>own work, =
and only their work. "In my lab, students can change the<br>>se=
ttings to suit themselves, and their changes follow them no matter<br>&=
gt;what computer they work on," added Brown. The increased =
security means<br>>the students' work is more private. Moreover,=
it helps protect data on<br>>the rest of the school's computers.<br=
>><br>> <br>><br>>Second, kids have access to more =
software. By using free open source<br>>programs, students can use =
any computer in the lab for writing,<br>>graphics or any activity. =
Microsoft Office has been replaced with<br>>OpenOffice; Adobe =
Photoshop has been replaced by The Gimp.<br>><br>> <br>><br>&=
gt;Do kids notice the difference?<br>><br>> <br>><br>>=
"I've had kids sit down and use OpenOffice word processor =
and<br>>presentation software without thinking twice," Brown =
wrote.<br>><br>> <br>><br>>Brown is teaching more than =
computer skills. He's teaching kids that<br>>learning is not about =
brand names like Microsoft and Adobe. It's about<br>>the basic =
skills of writing and art and critical thinking. The<br>>computers are =
tools used to enhance skills. And, he's taught them<br>>that,=
; in an age of the "new next," some amazing things can be =
done<br>>with what's at hand.<br>><br>> <br>><br>>&=
#160;<br>><br>><br><br>Cialug mailing list<br>Cialug@cialug.org<br>ht=
tp://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br><br><br><br>Cialug mailing =
list<br>Cialug@cialug.org<br>http://cialug.org/mailman/listinfo/cialug<br> =
</DIV>
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