Re: School Project; please read

A good alternative to VMWare is VirtualBox. The free version lets you create new VMs, which VMPlayer does not.

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "*** Dowdell" <***.dowdell@xxxxxxxxx>
Brian,

Given your requirements, I would highly recommend using the FREE VMware
Server (http://www.vmware.com/download/server/). Any solution that requires
the re-partitioning of an MS Windows hard drive is very risky and can easily
lose data or render the PC unbootable with Windows. Unfortunately, Windows
OSs (2K, XP, Vista) were implemented under the assumption that Microsoft
products are the only OSs anyone might have running on a PC. They don't
really even play well with each other.

You can download the Windows version of VMware and get as many installation
keys for your students as you need. I'd do a complete Ubuntu installation
under VMware with all the software you need for the class. You can zip up
(Windows utility) the files that make up the Ubuntu virtual machine files
and burn them to a DVD. The virtual machine files can be unzipped and run
on any PC with VMware installed.

If you are interested in this approach, I can give you detailed,
step-by-step, instructions. For years, I've been using this approach for
testing Linux software on Linux and Windows hosts because you cannot screw
up the host from inside a virtual machine and you can take snapshots of
virtual machines and restore them to their pre-test state if there are
problems. A Ubuntu virtual machine can have full network access and can
apply any standard Ubuntu updates as needed.

Regards,
*** Dowdell


On 10/16/07, Brian Fahrlander <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Well, for the first time in literally years, a break appears: if I
can write a how-to on setting up an "Introduction to Linux" class, the
local college will PAY me to do it. Teaching...getting paid...two
things I thought I wouldn't really see again... :>

Technical questions: ('cause this is that list)

They have all Windows boxes; probably 2k3 or XP. Vista, if they
hurt someone in a past life...it is enough to have them resize, say, 5G
of their drives to install Linux? How tough is that? (I've not
maintained Windows this century...)

Is it possible to hand out "Live" CDs and do anything meaningful on
them, like learning spreadsheets, word processing, etc? I'm assuming
any school work would have to connect to a shared-space, someplace...

Are there other low-cost ways to present Linux to a room full of
students, easily? (I'm aware of LTSP; I'm also aware of netbooting
having changed drastically since I used it...but I love the idea)

If we can get this class going, there's a good chance of exposure!
(And I stay out of child-support prison...)
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Fahrländer Christian, Conservative, and Technomad
Evansville, IN http://Fahrlander.net/brian
ICQ: 5119262 AOL/Yahoo/GoogleTalk: WheelDweller
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Regards,
*** Dowdell
508-498-7919/508-528-4018



--- Begin Message --- Brian,

Given your requirements, I would highly recommend using the FREE VMware
Server (http://www.vmware.com/download/server/). Any solution that requires
the re-partitioning of an MS Windows hard drive is very risky and can easily
lose data or render the PC unbootable with Windows. Unfortunately, Windows
OSs (2K, XP, Vista) were implemented under the assumption that Microsoft
products are the only OSs anyone might have running on a PC. They don't
really even play well with each other.

You can download the Windows version of VMware and get as many installation
keys for your students as you need. I'd do a complete Ubuntu installation
under VMware with all the software you need for the class. You can zip up
(Windows utility) the files that make up the Ubuntu virtual machine files
and burn them to a DVD. The virtual machine files can be unzipped and run
on any PC with VMware installed.

If you are interested in this approach, I can give you detailed,
step-by-step, instructions. For years, I've been using this approach for
testing Linux software on Linux and Windows hosts because you cannot screw
up the host from inside a virtual machine and you can take snapshots of
virtual machines and restore them to their pre-test state if there are
problems. A Ubuntu virtual machine can have full network access and can
apply any standard Ubuntu updates as needed.

Regards,
*** Dowdell


On 10/16/07, Brian Fahrlander <brian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Well, for the first time in literally years, a break appears: if I
can write a how-to on setting up an "Introduction to Linux" class, the
local college will PAY me to do it. Teaching...getting paid...two
things I thought I wouldn't really see again... :>

Technical questions: ('cause this is that list)

They have all Windows boxes; probably 2k3 or XP. Vista, if they
hurt someone in a past life...it is enough to have them resize, say, 5G
of their drives to install Linux? How tough is that? (I've not
maintained Windows this century...)

Is it possible to hand out "Live" CDs and do anything meaningful on
them, like learning spreadsheets, word processing, etc? I'm assuming
any school work would have to connect to a shared-space, someplace...

Are there other low-cost ways to present Linux to a room full of
students, easily? (I'm aware of LTSP; I'm also aware of netbooting
having changed drastically since I used it...but I love the idea)

If we can get this class going, there's a good chance of exposure!
(And I stay out of child-support prison...)
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Fahrländer Christian, Conservative, and Technomad
Evansville, IN http://Fahrlander.net/brian
ICQ: 5119262 AOL/Yahoo/GoogleTalk: WheelDweller
------------------------------------------------------------------------

--
ubuntu-users mailing list
ubuntu-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Modify settings or unsubscribe at:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users




--
Regards,
*** Dowdell
508-498-7919/508-528-4018
--
ubuntu-users mailing list
ubuntu-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users

--- End Message ---
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