blog/Debian_Edu_interview__Ralf_Gesellensetter.html

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   6     <title>Petter Reinholdtsen: Debian Edu interview: Ralf Gesellensetter</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: Ralf Gesellensetter</div>
  22       <div class="date">27th May 2012</div>
  23       <div class="body"><p>In 2003, a German teacher showed up on the
  24 <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu and Skolelinux</a>
  25 mailing list with interesting problems and reports proving he setting
  26 up Linux for a (for us at the time) lot of pupils.  His name was Ralf
  27 Gesellensetter, and he has been an important tester and contributor
  28 since then, helping to make sure the
  29 <a href="http://www.debian.org/News/2012/20120311.html">Debian Edu
  30 Squeeze</a> release became as good as it is..</p>
  31
  32 <p><strong>Who are you, and how do you spend your days?</strong></p>
  33
  34 <p>I am a teacher from Germany, and my subjects are Geography,
  35 Mathematics, and Computer Science ("Informatik"). During the past 12
  36 years (since 2000), I have been working for a comprehensive (and soon,
  37 also inclusive) school leading to all kind of general levels, such as
  38 O- or A-level ("Abitur").  For quite as long, I've been taking care of
  39 our computer network.</p>
  40
  41 <p>Now, in my early 40s, I enjoy the privilege of spending a lot of my
  42 spare time together with my wife, our son (3 years) and our daughter
  43 (4 months).</p>
  44
  45 <p><strong>How did you get in contact with the Skolelinux/Debian Edu
  46 project?</strong></p>
  47
  48 <p>We had tried different Linux based school servers, when members of
  49 my local Linux User Group (LUG OWL) detected Skolelinux. I remember
  50 very well, being part of a party celebrating the Linux New Media Award
  51 ("Best Newcomer Distribution", also nominated: Ubuntu) that was given
  52 to Skolelinux at Linux World Exposition in Frankfurt, 2005 (IIRC). Few
  53 months later, I had the chance to join a developer meeting in Ulsrud
  54 (Oslo) and to hand out the award to Knut Yrvin and others.  For more
  55 than 7 years, Skolelinux is part of our schools infrastructure, namely
  56 our main server (tjener), one LTSP (today without thin clients), and
  57 approximately 50 work stations. Most of these have the option to boot a
  58 locally installed Skolelinux image.  As a consequence, I joined quite
  59 a few events dealing with free software or Linux, and met many Debian
  60 (Edu) developers. All of them seemed quite nice and competent to me,
  61 one more reason to stick to Skolelinux.</p>
  62
  63 <p><strong>What do you see as the advantages of Skolelinux/Debian
  64 Edu?</strong></p>
  65
  66 <p>Debian driven, you are given all the advantages of a community
  67 project including well maintained updates. Once, you are familiar with
  68 the network layout, you can easily roll out an entire educational
  69 computer infrastructure, from just one installation media. As only
  70 free software (FOSS) is used, that supports even elderly hardware,
  71 up-sizing your IT equipment is only limited by space (i.e. available
  72 labs).  Especially if you run a LTSP thin client server, your
  73 administration costs tend towards zero.</p>
  74
  75 <p><strong>What do you see as the disadvantages of Skolelinux/Debian
  76 Edu?</strong></p>
  77
  78 <p>While Debian's stability has loads of advantages for servers, this
  79 might be different in some cases for clients: Schools with unlimited
  80 budget might buy new hardware with components that are not yet
  81 supported by Debian stable, or wish to use more recent versions of
  82 office packages or desktop environments.  These schools have the
  83 option to run Debian testing or other distributions - if they have the
  84 capacity to do so.  Another issue is that Debian release cycles
  85 include a wide range of changes; therefor a high percentage of human
  86 power seems to be absorbed by just keeping the features of Skolelinux
  87 within the new setting of the version to come. During this process,
  88 the cogs of Debian Edu are getting more and more professional,
  89 i.e. harder to understand for novices.</p>
  90
  91 <p><strong>Which free software do you use daily?</strong></p>
  92
  93 <p>LibreOffice, Wikipedia, Openstreetmap, Iceweasel (Mozilla Firefox),
  94 KMail, Gimp, Inkscape - and of course the Linux Kernel (not only on
  95 PC, Laptop, Mobile, but also our SAT receiver)</p>
  96
  97 <p><strong>Which strategy do you believe is the right one to use to
  98 get schools to use free software?</strong></p>
  99
 100 <p><ol>
 101
 102 <li>Support computer science as regular subject in schools to make
 103 people really "own" their hardware, to make them understand the
 104 difference between proprietary software products, and free software
 105 developing.</li>
 106
 107 <li>Make budget baskets corresponding: In Germany's public schools
 108 there are more or less fixed budgets for IT equipment (including
 109 licenses), so schools won't benefit from any savings here. This
 110 privilege is left to private schools which have consequently a large
 111 share among German Skolelinux schools.</li>
 112
 113 <li>Get free software in the seminars where would-be teachers are
 114 trained. In many cases, teachers' software customs are respected by
 115 decision makers rather than the expertise of any IT experts.</li>
 116
 117 <li>Don't limit ourself to free software run natively. Everybody uses
 118 free software or free licenses (for instance Wikipedia), and this
 119 general concept should get expanded to free educational content to be
 120 shared world wide (school books e.g.).</li>
 121
 122 <li>Make clear where ever you can that the market share of free (libre)
 123 office suites is much above 20 p.c. today, and that you pupils don't
 124 need to know the "ribbon menu" in order to get employed.</li>
 125
 126 <li>Talk about the difference between freeware and free software.</li>
 127
 128 <li>Spread free software, or even collections of portable free apps
 129 for USB pen drives. Endorse students to get a legal copy of
 130 Libreoffice rather than accepting them to use illegal serials.  And
 131 keep sending documents in ODF formats.</li>
 132
 133 </ol></p>
 134 </div>
 135
 136       <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>
 137
 138
 139     </div>
 140
 141
 142
 143
 144     <div id="sidebar">
 145
 146
 147
 148 <h2>Archive</h2>
 149 <ul>
 150
 151 <li>2012
 152 <ul>
 153
 154 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/01/">January (7)</a></li>
 155
 156 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/02/">February (10)</a></li>
 157
 158 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/03/">March (17)</a></li>
 159
 160 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/04/">April (12)</a></li>
 161
 162 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/05/">May (12)</a></li>
 163
 164 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/06/">June (20)</a></li>
 165
 166 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/07/">July (17)</a></li>
 167
 168 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/08/">August (6)</a></li>
 169
 170 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/09/">September (9)</a></li>
 171
 172 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2012/10/">October (15)</a></li>
 173
 174 </ul></li>
 175
 176 <li>2011
 177 <ul>
 178
 179 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/01/">January (16)</a></li>
 180
 181 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/02/">February (6)</a></li>
 182
 183 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/03/">March (6)</a></li>
 184
 185 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/04/">April (7)</a></li>
 186
 187 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/05/">May (3)</a></li>
 188
 189 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/06/">June (2)</a></li>
 190
 191 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/07/">July (7)</a></li>
 192
 193 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/08/">August (6)</a></li>
 194
 195 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/09/">September (4)</a></li>
 196
 197 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/10/">October (2)</a></li>
 198
 199 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/11/">November (3)</a></li>
 200
 201 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2011/12/">December (1)</a></li>
 202
 203 </ul></li>
 204
 205 <li>2010
 206 <ul>
 207
 208 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/01/">January (2)</a></li>
 209
 210 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/02/">February (1)</a></li>
 211
 212 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/03/">March (3)</a></li>
 213
 214 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/04/">April (3)</a></li>
 215
 216 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/05/">May (9)</a></li>
 217
 218 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/06/">June (14)</a></li>
 219
 220 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/07/">July (12)</a></li>
 221
 222 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/08/">August (13)</a></li>
 223
 224 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/09/">September (7)</a></li>
 225
 226 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/10/">October (9)</a></li>
 227
 228 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/11/">November (13)</a></li>
 229
 230 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2010/12/">December (12)</a></li>
 231
 232 </ul></li>
 233
 234 <li>2009
 235 <ul>
 236
 237 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/01/">January (8)</a></li>
 238
 239 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/02/">February (8)</a></li>
 240
 241 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/03/">March (12)</a></li>
 242
 243 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/04/">April (10)</a></li>
 244
 245 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/05/">May (9)</a></li>
 246
 247 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/06/">June (3)</a></li>
 248
 249 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/07/">July (4)</a></li>
 250
 251 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/08/">August (3)</a></li>
 252
 253 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/09/">September (1)</a></li>
 254
 255 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/10/">October (2)</a></li>
 256
 257 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/11/">November (3)</a></li>
 258
 259 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2009/12/">December (3)</a></li>
 260
 261 </ul></li>
 262
 263 <li>2008
 264 <ul>
 265
 266 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2008/11/">November (5)</a></li>
 267
 268 <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/archive/2008/12/">December (7)</a></li>
 269
 270 </ul></li>
 271
 272 </ul>
 273
 274
 275
 276 <h2>Tags</h2>
 277 <ul>
 278
 279  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/3d-printer">3d-printer (13)</a></li>
 280
 281  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/amiga">amiga (1)</a></li>
 282
 283  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/aros">aros (1)</a></li>
 284
 285  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bitcoin">bitcoin (2)</a></li>
 286
 287  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bootsystem">bootsystem (12)</a></li>
 288
 289  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/bsa">bsa (2)</a></li>
 290
 291  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian">debian (57)</a></li>
 292
 293  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/debian edu">debian edu (115)</a></li>
 294
 295  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/digistan">digistan (9)</a></li>
 296
 297  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/docbook">docbook (7)</a></li>
 298
 299  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/drivstoffpriser">drivstoffpriser (4)</a></li>
 300
 301  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/english">english (155)</a></li>
 302
 303  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/fiksgatami">fiksgatami (19)</a></li>
 304
 305  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/fildeling">fildeling (12)</a></li>
 306
 307  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/freeculture">freeculture (8)</a></li>
 308
 309  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/frikanalen">frikanalen (8)</a></li>
 310
 311  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/intervju">intervju (31)</a></li>
 312
 313  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/kart">kart (17)</a></li>
 314
 315  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ldap">ldap (8)</a></li>
 316
 317  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/lenker">lenker (4)</a></li>
 318
 319  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ltsp">ltsp (1)</a></li>
 320
 321  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/multimedia">multimedia (25)</a></li>
 322
 323  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/norsk">norsk (209)</a></li>
 324
 325  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/nuug">nuug (145)</a></li>
 326
 327  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/offentlig innsyn">offentlig innsyn (6)</a></li>
 328
 329  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/open311">open311 (2)</a></li>
 330
 331  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/opphavsrett">opphavsrett (36)</a></li>
 332
 333  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/personvern">personvern (53)</a></li>
 334
 335  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/raid">raid (1)</a></li>
 336
 337  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/reprap">reprap (11)</a></li>
 338
 339  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/rfid">rfid (2)</a></li>
 340
 341  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/robot">robot (4)</a></li>
 342
 343  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/rss">rss (1)</a></li>
 344
 345  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/ruter">ruter (4)</a></li>
 346
 347  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/scraperwiki">scraperwiki (2)</a></li>
 348
 349  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sikkerhet">sikkerhet (24)</a></li>
 350
 351  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/sitesummary">sitesummary (4)</a></li>
 352
 353  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/skepsis">skepsis (4)</a></li>
 354
 355  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/standard">standard (38)</a></li>
 356
 357  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stavekontroll">stavekontroll (3)</a></li>
 358
 359  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/stortinget">stortinget (5)</a></li>
 360
 361  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/surveillance">surveillance (11)</a></li>
 362
 363  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/valg">valg (7)</a></li>
 364
 365  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/video">video (35)</a></li>
 366
 367  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/vitenskap">vitenskap (4)</a></li>
 368
 369  <li><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/tags/web">web (26)</a></li>
 370
 371 </ul>
 372
 373
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