In 2003, a German teacher showed up on the +Debian Edu and Skolelinux +mailing list with interesting problems and reports proving he setting +up Linux for a (for us at the time) lot of pupiles. His name was Ralf +Gesellensetter, and he have been an important tester and contributor +since then, helping to make sure the +Debian Edu +Squeeze release became as good as it is..
+ +Who are you, and how do you spend your days?
+ +I am a teacher from Germany, and my subjects are Geography, +Mathematics, and Computer Science ("Informatik"). During the past 12 +years (since 2000), I have been working for a comprehensive (and soon, +also inclusive) school leading to all kind of general levels, such as +O- or A-level ("Abitur"). For quite as long, I've been taking care of +our computer network.
+ +Now, in my early 40s, I enjoy the privilege of spending a lot of my +spare time together with my wife, our son (3 years) and our daughter +(4 months).
+ +How did you get in contact with the Skolelinux/Debian Edu +project?
+ +We had tried different Linux based school servers, when members of +my local Linux User Group (LUG OWL) detected Skolelinux. I remember +very well, being part of a party celebrating the Linux New Media Award +("Best Newcomer Distribution", also nominated: Ubuntu) that was given +to Skolelinux at Linux World Exposition in Frankfurt, 2005 (IIRC). Few +months later, I had the chance to join a developer meeting in Ulsrud +(Oslo) and to hand out the award to Knut Yrvin and others. For more +than 7 years, Skolelinux is part of our schools infrastructure, namely +our main server (tjener), one LTSP (today without thin clients), and +approximately 50 work stations. Most of these have the option to boot a +locally installed Skolelinux image. As a consequence, I joined quite +a few events dealing with free software or Linux, and met many Debian +(Edu) developers. All of them seemed quite nice and competent to me, +one more reason to stick to Skolelinux.
+ +What do you see as the advantages of Skolelinux/Debian +Edu?
+ +Debian driven, you are given all the advantages of a community +project including well maintained updates. Once, you are familiar with +the network layout, you can easily roll out an entire educational +computer infrastructure, from just one installation media. As only +free software (FOSS) is used, that supports even elderly hardware, +up-sizing your IT equipment is only limited by space (i.e. available +labs). Especially if you run a LTSP thin client server, your +administration costs tend towards zero.
+ +What do you see as the disadvantages of Skolelinux/Debian +Edu?
+ +While Debian's stability has loads of advantages for servers, this +might be different in some cases for clients: Schools with unlimited +budget might buy new hardware with components that are not yet +supported by Debian stable, or wish to use more recent versions of +office packages or desktop environments. These schools have the +option to run Debian testing or other distributions - if they have the +capacity to do so. Another issue is that Debian release cycles +include a wide range of changes; therefor a high percentage of human +power seems to be absorbed by just keeping the features of Skolelinux +within the new setting of the version to come. During this process, +the cogs of Debian Edu are getting more and more professional, +i.e. harder to understand for novices.
+ +Which free software do you use daily?
+ +LibreOffice, Wikipedia, Openstreetmap, Iceweasel (Mozilla Firefox), +KMail, Gimp, Inkscape - and of course the Linux Kernel (not only on +PC, Laptop, Mobile, but also our SAT receiver)
+ +Which strategy do you believe is the right one to use to +get schools to use free software?
+ +-
+
+
- Support computer science as regular subject in schools to make +people really "own" their hardware, to make them understand the +difference between proprietary software products, and free software +developing. + +
- Make budget baskets corresponding: In Germany's public schools +there are more or less fixed budgets for IT equipment (including +licenses), so schools won't benefit from any savings here. This +privilege is left to private schools which have consequently a large +share among German Skolelinux schools. + +
- Get free software in the seminars where would-be teachers are +trained. In many cases, teachers' software customs are respected by +decision makers rather than the expertise of any IT experts. + +
- Don't stick to free software as to be run natively. Everybody uses +free software or free licenses (for instance Wikipedia), and this +general concept should get expanded to free educational content to be +shared world wide (school books e.g.). + +
- Make clear where ever you can that the market share of free (libre) +office suites is much above 20 p.c. today, and that you pupils don't +need to know the "ribbon menu" in order to get employed. + +
- Talk about the difference between freeware and free software. + +
- Spread free software, or even collections of portable free apps +for USB pen drives. Endorse students to get a legal copy of +Libreoffice rather than accepting them to use illegal serials. And +keep sending documents in ODF formats. + +
