blog/Debian_Edu_interview__Mike_Gabriel.html

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   6     <title>Petter Reinholdtsen: Debian Edu interview: Mike Gabriel</title>
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  12  <h1>
  13      <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/">Petter Reinholdtsen</a>
  14
  15  </h1>
  16
  17 </div>
  18
  19
  20     <div class="entry">
  21       <div class="title">Debian Edu interview: Mike Gabriel</div>
  22       <div class="date"> 2nd June 2012</div>
  23       <div class="body"><p>Back in 2010, Mike Gabriel showed up on the
  24 <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu and Skolelinux</a>
  25 mailing list.  He quickly proved to be a valuable developer, and
  26 thanks to his tireless effort we now have Kerberos integrated into the
  27 <a href="http://www.debian.org/News/2012/20120311.html">Debian Edu
  28 Squeeze</a> version.</p>
  29
  30 <p><strong>Who are you, and how do you spend your days?</strong></p>
  31
  32 <p>My name is Mike Gabriel, I am 38 years old and live near Kiel,
  33 Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. I live together with a wonderful partner
  34 (Angela Fuß) and two own children and two bonus children (contributed
  35 by Angela).</p>
  36
  37 <p>During the day I am part-time employed as a system administrator
  38 and part-time working as an IT consultant. The consultancy work
  39 touches free software topics wherever and whenever possible. During
  40 the nights I am a free software developer. In the gaps I also train in
  41 becoming an osteopath.</p>
  42
  43 <p>Starting in 2010 we (Andreas Buchholz, Angela Fuß, Mike Gabriel)
  44 have set up a free software project in the area of Kiel that aims at
  45 introducing free software into schools. The project's name is
  46 "IT-Zukunft Schule" (IT future for schools). The project links IT
  47 skills with communication skills.</p>
  48
  49 <p><strong>How did you get in contact with the Skolelinux/Debian Edu
  50 project?</strong></p>
  51
  52 <p>While preparing our own customised Linux distribution for
  53 "IT-Zukunft Schule" we were repeatedly asked if we really wanted to
  54 reinvent the wheel. What schools really need is already available,
  55 people said.  From this impulse we started evaluating other Linux
  56 distributions that target being used for school networks.</p>
  57
  58 <p>At the end we short-listed two approaches and compared them: a
  59 commercial Linux distribution developed by a company in Bremen,
  60 Germany, and Skolelinux / Debian Edu. Between 12/2010 and 03/2011 we
  61 went to several events and met people being responsible for marketing
  62 and development of either of the distributions. Skolelinux / Debian
  63 Edu was by far much more convincing compared to the other product that
  64 got short-listed beforehand--across the full spectrum. What was most
  65 attractive for me personally: the perspective of collaboration within
  66 the developmental branch of the Debian Edu project itself.</p>
  67
  68 <p>In parallel with this, we talked to many local and not-so-local
  69 people.  People teaching at schools, headmasters, politicians, data
  70 protection experts, other IT professionals.</p>
  71
  72 <p>We came to two conclusions:</p>
  73
  74 <p>First, a technical conclusion: What schools need is available in
  75 bits and pieces here and there, and none of the solutions really fit
  76 by 100%. Any school we have seen has a very individual IT setup
  77 whereas most of each school's requirements could mapped by a standard
  78 IT solution.  The requirement to this IT solution is flexibility and
  79 customisability, so that individual adaptations here and there are
  80 possible.  In terms of re-distributing and rolling out such a
  81 standardised IT system for schools (a system that is still to some
  82 degree customisable) there is still a lot of work to do here
  83 locally. Debian Edu / Skolelinux has been our choice as the starting
  84 point.</p>
  85
  86 <p>Second, a holistic conclusion: What schools need does not exist at
  87 all (or we missed it so far). There are several technical solutions
  88 for handling IT at schools that tend to make a good impression. What
  89 has been missing completely here in Germany, though, is the enrolment
  90 of people into using IT and teaching with IT. "IT-Zukunft Schule"
  91 tries to provide an approach for this.</p>
  92
  93 <p>Only some schools have some sort of a media concept which explains,
  94 defines and gives guidance on how to use IT in class. Most schools in
  95 Northern Germany do not have an IT service provider, the school's IT
  96 equipment is managed by one or (if the school is lucky) two (admin)
  97 teachers, most of the workload these admin teachers get done in there
  98 spare time.</p>
  99
 100 <p>We were surprised that only a very few admin teachers were
 101 networked with colleagues from other schools. Basically, every school
 102 here around has its individual approach of providing IT equipment to
 103 teachers and students and the exchange of ideas has been quasi
 104 non-existent until 2010/2011.</p>
 105
 106 <p>Quite some (non-admin) teachers try to avoid using IT technology in
 107 class as a learning medium completely. Several reasons for this
 108 avoidance do exist.</p>
 109
 110 <p>We discovered that no-one has ever taken a closer look at this
 111 social part of IT management in schools, so far. On our quest journey
 112 for a technical IT solution for schools, we discussed this issue with
 113 several teachers, headmasters, politicians, other IT professionals and
 114 they all confirmed: a holistic approach of considering IT management
 115 at schools, an approach that includes the people in place, will be new
 116 and probably a gain for all.</p>
 117
 118 <p><strong>What do you see as the advantages of Skolelinux/Debian
 119 Edu?</strong></p>
 120
 121 <p>There is a list of advantages: international context, openness to
 122 any kind of contributions, do-ocracy policy, the closeness to Debian,
 123 the different installation scenarios possible (from stand-alone
 124 workstation to complex multi-server sites), the transparency within
 125 project communication, honest communication within the group of
 126 developers, etc.</p>
 127
 128 <p><strong>What do you see as the disadvantages of Skolelinux/Debian
 129 Edu?</strong></p>
 130
 131 <p>Every coin has two sides:</p>
 132
 133 <p>Technically: <a href="http://bugs.debian.org/311188">BTS issue
 134 #311188</a>, tricky upgradability of a Debian Edu main server, network
 135 client installations on top of a plain vanilla Debian installation
 136 should become possible sometime in the near future, one could think
 137 about splitting the very complex package debian-edu-config into
 138 several portions (to make it easier for new developers to
 139 contribute).</p>
 140
 141 <p>Another issue I see is that we (as Debian Edu developers) should
 142 find out more about the network of people who do the marketing for
 143 Debian Edu / Skolelinux. There is a very active group in Germany
 144 promoting Skolelinux on the bigger Linux Days within Germany. Are
 145 there other groups like that in other countries? How can we bring
 146 these marketing people together (marketing group A with group B and
 147 all of them with the group of Debian Edu developers)? During the last
 148 meeting of the German Skolelinux group, I got the impression of people
 149 there being rather disconnected from the development department of
 150 Debian Edu / Skolelinux.</p>
 151
 152 <p><strong>Which free software do you use daily?</strong></p>
 153
 154 <p>For my daily business, I do not use commercial software at all.</p>
 155
 156 <p>For normal stuff I use Iceweasel/Firefox, Libreoffice.org. For
 157 serious text writing I prefer LaTeX. I use gimp, inkscape, scribus for
 158 more artistic tasks. I run virtual machines in KVM and Virtualbox.</p>
 159
 160 <p>I am one of the upstream developers of X2Go. In 2010 I started the
 161 development of a Python based X2Go Client, called PyHoca-GUI.
 162 PyHoca-GUI has brought forth a Python X2Go Client API that currently
 163 is being integrated in Ubuntu's software center.</p>
 164
 165 <p>For communications I have my own Kolab server running using Horde
 166 as web-based groupware client. For IRC I love to use irssi, for Jabber
 167 I have several clients that I use, mostly pidgin, though. I am also
 168 the Debian maintainer of Coccinella, a Jabber-based interactive
 169 whiteboard.</p>
 170
 171 <p>My favourite terminal emulator is KDE's Yakuake.</p>
 172
 173 <p><strong>Which strategy do you believe is the right one to use to
 174 get schools to use free software?</strong></p>
 175
 176 <p>Communicate, communicate, communicate. Enrol people, enrol people,
 177 enrol people.</p>
 178 </div>
 179
 180       <div class="tags">Tags: <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian edu">debian edu</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english</a>, <a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/intervju">intervju</a>.</div>
 181
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 184
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 186
 187
 188     <div id="sidebar">
 189
 190
 191
 192 <h2>Archive</h2>
 193 <ul>
 194
 195 <li>2013
 196 <ul>
 197
 198 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2013/01/">January (3)</a></li>
 199
 200 </ul></li>
 201
 202 <li>2012
 203 <ul>
 204
 205 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/01/">January (7)</a></li>
 206
 207 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/02/">February (10)</a></li>
 208
 209 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/03/">March (17)</a></li>
 210
 211 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/04/">April (12)</a></li>
 212
 213 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/05/">May (12)</a></li>
 214
 215 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/06/">June (20)</a></li>
 216
 217 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/07/">July (17)</a></li>
 218
 219 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/08/">August (6)</a></li>
 220
 221 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/09/">September (9)</a></li>
 222
 223 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/10/">October (17)</a></li>
 224
 225 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/11/">November (10)</a></li>
 226
 227 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/12/">December (7)</a></li>
 228
 229 </ul></li>
 230
 231 <li>2011
 232 <ul>
 233
 234 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/01/">January (16)</a></li>
 235
 236 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/02/">February (6)</a></li>
 237
 238 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/03/">March (6)</a></li>
 239
 240 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/04/">April (7)</a></li>
 241
 242 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/05/">May (3)</a></li>
 243
 244 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/06/">June (2)</a></li>
 245
 246 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/07/">July (7)</a></li>
 247
 248 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/08/">August (6)</a></li>
 249
 250 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/09/">September (4)</a></li>
 251
 252 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/10/">October (2)</a></li>
 253
 254 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/11/">November (3)</a></li>
 255
 256 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/12/">December (1)</a></li>
 257
 258 </ul></li>
 259
 260 <li>2010
 261 <ul>
 262
 263 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/01/">January (2)</a></li>
 264
 265 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/02/">February (1)</a></li>
 266
 267 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/03/">March (3)</a></li>
 268
 269 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/04/">April (3)</a></li>
 270
 271 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/05/">May (9)</a></li>
 272
 273 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/06/">June (14)</a></li>
 274
 275 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/07/">July (12)</a></li>
 276
 277 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/08/">August (13)</a></li>
 278
 279 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/09/">September (7)</a></li>
 280
 281 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/10/">October (9)</a></li>
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 283 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/11/">November (13)</a></li>
 284
 285 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/12/">December (12)</a></li>
 286
 287 </ul></li>
 288
 289 <li>2009
 290 <ul>
 291
 292 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/01/">January (8)</a></li>
 293
 294 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/02/">February (8)</a></li>
 295
 296 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/03/">March (12)</a></li>
 297
 298 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/04/">April (10)</a></li>
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 300 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/05/">May (9)</a></li>
 301
 302 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/06/">June (3)</a></li>
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 304 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/07/">July (4)</a></li>
 305
 306 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/08/">August (3)</a></li>
 307
 308 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/09/">September (1)</a></li>
 309
 310 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/10/">October (2)</a></li>
 311
 312 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/11/">November (3)</a></li>
 313
 314 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/12/">December (3)</a></li>
 315
 316 </ul></li>
 317
 318 <li>2008
 319 <ul>
 320
 321 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2008/11/">November (5)</a></li>
 322
 323 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2008/12/">December (7)</a></li>
 324
 325 </ul></li>
 326
 327 </ul>
 328
 329
 330
 331 <h2>Tags</h2>
 332 <ul>
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 347
 348  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian (61)</a></li>
 349
 350  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian edu">debian edu (118)</a></li>
 351
 352  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/digistan">digistan (9)</a></li>
 353
 354  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/docbook">docbook (7)</a></li>
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 356  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/drivstoffpriser">drivstoffpriser (4)</a></li>
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 358  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english (167)</a></li>
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 360  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/fiksgatami">fiksgatami (21)</a></li>
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 362  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/fildeling">fildeling (12)</a></li>
 363
 364  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/freeculture">freeculture (10)</a></li>
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 366  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/frikanalen">frikanalen (9)</a></li>
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 368  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/intervju">intervju (32)</a></li>
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 370  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/kart">kart (17)</a></li>
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 372  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ldap">ldap (8)</a></li>
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 378  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/multimedia">multimedia (25)</a></li>
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 380  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/norsk">norsk (219)</a></li>
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 382  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/nuug">nuug (148)</a></li>
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 384  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/offentlig innsyn">offentlig innsyn (6)</a></li>
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 386  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/open311">open311 (2)</a></li>
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 388  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/opphavsrett">opphavsrett (41)</a></li>
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 390  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/personvern">personvern (61)</a></li>
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 392  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/raid">raid (1)</a></li>
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 394  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/reprap">reprap (11)</a></li>
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 396  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/rfid">rfid (2)</a></li>
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 400  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/rss">rss (1)</a></li>
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 402  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ruter">ruter (4)</a></li>
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 404  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/scraperwiki">scraperwiki (2)</a></li>
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 406  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sikkerhet">sikkerhet (28)</a></li>
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 408  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sitesummary">sitesummary (4)</a></li>
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 410  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/skepsis">skepsis (4)</a></li>
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 412  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/standard">standard (39)</a></li>
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 414  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stavekontroll">stavekontroll (3)</a></li>
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 416  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stortinget">stortinget (5)</a></li>
 417
 418  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/surveillance">surveillance (12)</a></li>
 419
 420  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sysadmin">sysadmin (1)</a></li>
 421
 422  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/valg">valg (7)</a></li>
 423
 424  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/video">video (35)</a></li>
 425
 426  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/vitenskap">vitenskap (4)</a></li>
 427
 428  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/web">web (26)</a></li>
 429
 430 </ul>
 431
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