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Skolelinux Project Releases Version 1.0

Posted by timothy on Sun Jun 20, 2004 04:38 PM
from the free-as-in-right-on dept.
Education Software Linux
jakobgrimstveit writes "After about three years of hard work, Skolelinux (with its own cute Tux-with-bag-mascot) 1.0 is released to the public. The distribution was started as a reaction to how much the Norwegian schools and the government relied on systems using closed source. Skolelinux is meant to be an easy way to set up a large and secure network of LTSP thin clients (normally PXE boot) for regular users. The Skolelinux-organization won the Norwegian Free Software Prize in 2002. The distribution is based in Debian GNU/Linux, and is also being used and evaluated [1] [2] several places in Africa due to its low demands for the client PC. Kudos to the developers and good luck!"
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  • This is truly great! I come from Norway and can hardly wait, though I will probably be done with schools like that before it gets common enough..

    But what is it with kde2? :) Firstly i don't like KDE, but then at least they could have used kde3.

    Might have been to make resource requirements lower for the thin clients.. but..

    • Re:Great! (Score:5, Informative)

      by Alex Brasetvik (554885) <alex&brasetvik,com> on Sunday June 20 2004, @04:54PM (#9479537)
      The reason why we use KDE2, is because we don't have resources to maintain our own KDE-packages. Thus, we have to use those in Debian Stable.

      Thin clients run KDE3 just as well as KDE2 - it depends on the thin client server.
      • Are you sure it's wise to use something as out of date as Debian Stable? If you don't want the instability of something like Unstable, why not base it off Fedora or something with equally regular and predictable freezes?

        • Re:Great! (Score:4, Insightful)

          by Orgazmus (761208) on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:46PM (#9479778)
          From my experience, debian unstable is far more stable than fedora ;)

          AlexB:
          What would it take to maintain your own packages?

          • Re:Great! (Score:4, Informative)

            by Alex Brasetvik (554885) <alex&brasetvik,com> on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:50PM (#9479798)
            > AlexB: What would it take to maintain your own packages?

            Time we can use on enhancing Skolelinux in other ways - Skolelinux is not at all a perfect product.

            KDE is such an important component in the distribution, that it has to be maintained well and just work.

            There's work in progress on using sarge and sid as the base distribution for Skolelinux, but that's at earliest 1.2 :-)
        • What's the problem ? People still run macos 9 and windows 98. It works for them. Why use the latest (and often unstable all the time) ? Making sure
          people can their job is far more important than running the latest foo 4.9.177
  • I work as the only tech guy on a whole large high school campus. I would just on this thing and do a test runw ith 3 computers, but theres a problem. The District Office is run by a bunch of Mac Zealots who will hear nothing of linux. Even though its free. It runs on old hardware we can get for dirt. And we don't have to buy anti-virus or patch it. We insist on getting iMacs! We are in a budget crunch and they can't get their head out of their asses and see the real picture. Assholes.
    • Hey... parent is super relevant. This is the most important aspect of linux in schools. Most school systems have too much inertia to convert a whole network to a new operating system, even if they will save large amounts of time and money in the future. This is why Skolelinux won't take off for years. I would like to hear a good solution to this issue. If you have one, visit my sig.
      • You sound like someone who has not actually called on his local schools to see if they could benefit from a thin client lab. You don't seem to realize how many "free" computers schools refuse from their community because they are not "fast" enough for Windows. We [hosef.org] have set up thin-client computer labs for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools here in Hawaii and have been supporting them for years. We just did one for the Boys and Girls Club. We use the K12LTSP's [k12ltsp.org] distribution of Linux, and, for less than
      • I wouldn't try to claim that it is impossible for SkoleLinux to take off. Look at it this way. It does not require you to remove the operating system currently on the computers on your network. Set up a few thin client servers, have all the machines that are currently running Windows boot over the network, and you have the SkoleLinux setup all up and ready for use. And you still have Windows installed just in case you don't like it for some reason. In this case, switching to a new operating system is as eas

    • Re:Schools in US are tight (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Alex Brasetvik (554885) <alex&brasetvik,com> on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:56PM (#9479833)
      Mac OS X integrates very well in a Skolelinux network, as Skolelinux uses NFS and LDAP.

      Guidelines on how to make an OS X machine part of a Skolelinux network are available in Norwegian - translations to English will definitely follow shortly.

      See http://developer.skolelinux.no/~klaus/notater/a280 4.html

      The book Klaus refers to is being translated these days.
    • Looking at the perspective from the other side...

      Perhaps the mac folks value the usability of the macintosh and the ability to get work done easily more than they value linux costing nothing, and they see a Linux Zealot asshole who would try to force on their children a non user-friendly piece of technology and who will instantly dismiss any legitimate concern or grievance about the software being to hard to use with phrases like "quit spreading M$ FUD about linux being hard to use", "the problem is that p

  • Fun Fact (Score:4, Informative)

    by Jeppe Utzon (721797) on Sunday June 20 2004, @04:46PM (#9479488) Homepage
    Skole means school in norwegian.

    • That explains why their logo is a penguin with a hat on backwards and a backpack. All Norwegian children are now expected to conform to that look, or else peer pressure will get the best of them and they will commit suicide.

    • The fact that a message "Skole means school in Norwegian" gets moderated as 5 Informative, tells us something about the language sensitivity of the average /. audience. I don't speak a word of any of the Scandinavian languages, but making the transition from "skole" to "school", especially when you realize that the latter is pronounced as "skool", is not what I would call a very tough one. And that's then the understatement of the year.

      Oh well.....
    • My first thought was 'skol' - a toast similar to 'cheers' or 'salud'.

      Actually, I think it's 'skål', but my grandparents (of Norwegian descent here in the US) had a sign on the wall with a troll on skis holding a beer mug and it said 'skol'. Maybe it's an Americanized or Texanized spelling.
        • That's "skål", not, "skole". You have no idea how "skole" is pronounced, do you? :) It's a bit hard to explain how to pronounce "skole" for someone with an English language background, but the e isnt silenced, and the "o" isnt like an english "o", but like a German "u".
          • Jeg vet hvordan aa uttale skole: some "SKO-Leh" ikke sant?

            Selfoelgig det er hvordan jeg uttale det med englesk.

            Vi snakkes,

            --Joey

        • I don't believe this is true. In Sweden the word is "skål" (pronounced somewhat like "skull" or "skoal") and translates to the english word "bowl". So I would think that it's a reference to the cup you're drinking from, not someones skull. I believe the same applies to Danish and Norwegian.

          And yes, I'm Swedish.

  • Bad name (Score:3, Funny)

    by neurojab (15737) on Sunday June 20 2004, @04:47PM (#9479493)
    >Skolelinux

    sounds too much like

    SKOAL linux (linux for rednecks)

    or

    SCO Linux (Linux for litigious bastards and masochists)

      • Actually, Linus is from Finland, and he's part of the Swedish-speaking ethnic group in Finland, who are left over from when Swedes were the big imperialist power of the North. Swedish is close enough to Norwegian that they can mostly understand each other without having to resort to English (but Linus does speak English quite well :-), as opposed to Finnish which is significantly unrelated.
          • The Scandinavian languages are of Germanic heritage, while the Finish language is of Slavic heritage. Actually, Finnish is a Finno-Ugrian language and is less related to any other European language than Persian or Hindi. See e.g. this article [finland.fi]. Understanding Swedish for a Norwegian is like understanding cockney for an Englishman. Yes, this is probably true. However, few Swedes understand spoken Norwegian. (We have to blame TV for this one.)
      • Actually, Linus didn't start it all, not by a long shot. Richard Stallman started it all in 1984. Linus arrived on the scene in 1991. By that stage, Stallman had written GCC, GDB, GNU Emacs, and a number of other packages. He was written the GNU GPL, versions 1 and 2. And he had set up the Free Software Foundation and was employing 15 programmers to write the GNU operating system.

  • Skolelinux --> SCOlinux

    It's just SCO trying to prove they own Linux!

  • Why so many distros? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by the_y_man84 (786048) on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:05PM (#9479604)
    I personally like linux alot. But why make so many distros? Doesnt that just fragment the linux community itself more? Doesnt it also it harder to keep things up to date?
    • I personally like linux alot. But why make so many distros?

      Linus' idea behind Linux was that OSs should be like cars: The more the marrier. Would you really enjoy living in a world where Red Hat or Novell is the only Linux distributor? Choice is key.
      • Linus' idea? What are you talking about?

        Free software - which allows everyone to start their own distro - was Richard Stallman's idea, Linus just contributed to the already vast bank of free software.

        (and Linux was proprietary to begin with, it was liberated in 1992 when Linus changed the license to the GNU GPL.)

        Here's the history of GNU [gnu.org]
        • Heh, Richard Stallman didn't invent free software either, he just gave it a name.

          In fact, software had always been free. Back in the 60's, all software was free. There was no such thing as nonfree software. No programmer thought much about passing software around, it was all shared, with no license (sort of an implicit public domain).

          Then Bill Gates came along and invented nonfree software (well, maybe not invented, but he was one of the larger proponents in the early days).
          • Stallman didn't invent free software, but he started the movement for free software, and he invented the concept of copyleft which keeps software free (so all those distros can't spoil the free software they distribute).

    • Re:Why so many distros? (Score:4, Informative)

      by Thyrhaug (536821) on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:13PM (#9479638) Homepage
      Skolelinux is not a distro as most people think of distros. Skolelinux is a full featured thin client solution originally created for schools. Sure, you could use any distro for this - but Skolelinux makes it easier. For schools to take on Linux they need to be convinced. Low price, easy maintaining and high stability are three important arguments. Skolelinux makes this possible.
    • There was a story on NewsForge about the Splintering Linux Community [newsforge.com].

      As far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier! While new users might be confused (I dont even have my new computer yet, and I've already downloaded 4 varieties of GNU/Linux, FreeBSD and now I'm getting Debian...), they'll find that they want in a distro if they just look long enough. What needs to quit is this "haha, that gentoo zealot would reply, but he's too busy compiling his response!" or "FreeBSDZ R DYING!". I know that *BSD ha
    • Diversity fosters adaptation & "evolution." Sure, many distros die off because they aren't promoted or don't fill a niche, or lack distinguishing "value added" features.

      But a terrific example is Knoppix. It fits a particular niche. And it in turn is derived from Debian Linux. Sounds like a phylogenetic tree to me.

      Skolelinux is really a client program adapted from Linux to meet a specific need. Given it's language localization, too, it has really defined its niche. More power to 'em!

  • In the older news (Score:4, Informative)

    by orzetto (545509) on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:05PM (#9479610)
    The municipality of Bergen [kommune.no] has recently decided to move to Skolelinux [aftenposten.no] (Sorry, Norwegian) and throwing out Windows and other UNIXes [aftenposten.no] (Sorry, Norwegian again).

  • Skol, skol, skol, skol! (Score:3, Funny)

    by BlightThePower (663950) on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:22PM (#9479677)
    I can't remember the rest of the words...

    Well, its better than the Free Software Song anyway.

    [Time to find out how US-centric moderation is...]

  • K12Linux.org (Score:3, Insightful)

    by dvanatta (785378) on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:29PM (#9479703)
    K12Linux.org [k12ltsp.org] is the Fedora distribution with LTSP already configured. I know many schools in the United States are using it successfully.
  • ...basicly, the mainstream press' angle was that very few had adopted it. Many of those that tested it have rejected it because they decided to go with an all-Windows network.

    They have 93 schools out of ~3200, less than 3% that have tested it. Far far less that have gone into full-scale deployment. Not to get anyone down or anything, but it's hardly a raging success after three years.

    Linux still moves like a glacier. You don't want to get in its way, regaining ground is pretty hopeless, but it's not like

    • Re:Learn to spell (Score:4, Funny)

      by shlaf (714970) on Sunday June 20 2004, @04:46PM (#9479492)
      It's "SchoolLinux", not SkoleLinux... what the hell language is this guy speaking?

      Norwegian, maybe?

    • Re:Learn to spell (Score:5, Funny)

      by orzetto (545509) on Sunday June 20 2004, @04:58PM (#9479568)
      Du får nok lære norsk, din selvopptatte engelsksentrige tulling!
      This is all the Norwegian you need to know [c2i.net] (download the wav file!).
      • Takk, takk, takk! Har ikke hørt den på mange år! Fantastisk (-: Forøvrig burde jo tross alt /.-ere generelt kunnet mer norsk. Insensitive klodder, for å si det slik..

        For the norwegian impaired: This is an almost traditional sound clip on the Internet among norwegians. Originally taped in 1989, it is the recording of a father from the northern parts of Norway trying to (rather unsuccessfully) repair a laundry machine. He manages to continually swear for alomst three minutes, without
      • "Du får nok lære norsk, din selvopptatte engelsksentrige tulling!" means something close to "You better learn Norwegian then, you self-obsessed, anglocentric dork.".

        Seems like there is a lot of Norwegians with moderator points today. :)
        • Whooops- Norwegian is not my mother language but I've been here for a few years, so there's no excuse except that I wrote the previous post in "outrage".
          Still, I would avoid the "anglo-" as I don't like Latin contaminations in germanic languages (it confuses my few neurons left).
          And again, I've been here long enough to know that there is no such thing as correct Norwegian... I'll just claim it's nynorsk. Or trøndersk. Or innvandrerdialekt. :-)
    • Skolelinux is Norwegian for "school linux".

      Skolelinux also goes under the name "Debian-Edu" (as in Education), as it's a modded Debian distribution - tailored for schools.

    • Re:Welcome to a new distribution ! (Score:5, Interesting)

      by palfrey (198640) on Sunday June 20 2004, @04:48PM (#9479504) Homepage
      Hence one of the really good reasons to make your new distro based off of debian. Effectively, they get to pick what of the 9000+ packages are suitable for their users, provide additional bits and bobs of configs and so on that are specific for their desired userbase, without having to design a whole new setup/packaging format from scratch. Plus, if all else fails, this gives a really easy upgrade path...
    • Sorry for the knee jerk reaction - I looked have now at the site. this distro only asks three questions to install, and set up a server. The architecture seems extremely well thought out for a school-type environment. Kudos to the SkoleLinux people for recognizing the need for a tailor-made solution, and easy to use solution and having the persevrance to create it.

      Here's hoping SkoleLinux finds its intended audience. And stays maintained.

    • Re:Welcome to a new distribution ! (Score:5, Informative)

      by Alex Brasetvik (554885) <alex&brasetvik,com> on Sunday June 20 2004, @05:05PM (#9479606)
      > Wow, yet another distro. One year from now, half the original contributors will have lost interest and no one will want to maintai it any more, and the poor users will spend their lives under the hood.

      The number of schools showing interest for Linux and Skolelinux has surged.

      http://www.skolelinux.no/testskoler.php?lang=en

      The project is three years old, and now is when Linux is really starting to take of in Norway - not too long ago, Bergen became one of Europe's greatest switchers.

      > Linux needs a couple of well maintained distros, not willions of roll-your-owns

      Skolelinux is based on Debian, which is well-maintained and stable. Skolelinux is just adaptions and Debian made easy.

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