Greetings, On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 5:05 PM, Ronny Standtke <[email protected]> wrote: >> The only way? > > > I work with our target group (teachers, students, kids) almost every day > and, yes, so far it seems like it is the only way they can (barely) manage. >
I also work in a similar environment, and I believe the value of live-build.debian.net > >> I would propose that there are other solutions. Off the top of my >> head, I would think it is entirely practical to slap a front-end >> (web*** or otherwise) on live-build to provide customized images for >> that target group. > > > We can't and have absolutely no desire to provide customized images for each > and every school out there. No need to have it available to all. It could be a server just for you and your user group and configured just for your setups. > We give teachers a tool so that they can produce > a custom school specific image for internal redistribution after they have > installed their printers, set up their WLAN access points, etc. Your setup may not allow, but in one setup I work at I netboot (a few hundred) lxde desktop stations with debian live and I have a small program that maps their home directory in and configures their station to utilize campus cups servers for printing. On what I call firmware units, desktops provide the network manager and I train users to use the tool, but it is pretty straight forward. What I have discovered over time is the more I can stay generic on setups, the easier it is to stay current. > Right now I > see no way to provide this functionality via a web front-end slapped onto > live-build but I would be glad if you can prove me wrong. > Well it is hard to quantify exactly with out more details of scope of hardware, but on a custom setup you could put any set of configurations you wanted on the images or even script by equipment, building, user group for things to include. I am not saying it would be perfect, but utilized with persistence it might get you further than you are now. > >> You're certainly free to choose another approach, it is just one that >> we don't support or recommend. > > > I am fully aware of this and I can live with that. > > >> But, I think if you explored our way, you would discover there are >> benefits to doing it this way and such technical challenges as there >> are to rolling it out to your target audience are actually possible >> to overcome. > > > We (developers of the lernstick distribution) use live-build to produce the > official (generic) image and see all the technical benefits of doing so. It > is a fantastic tool for us developers but *absolutely* impossible to use for > normal users that barely can distinguish their word processor from their > operating system. Yes, this is the target group we currently have to deal > with... > I do understand and I believe live-build.debian.net offers an example that basic users can utilize to configure to build and create images. It would just require customization to meet your scope and needs. I do hope this information assists. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [email protected] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [email protected] Archive: http://lists.debian.org/ca+p-vy8itfa+e3q1nrqvkzfhnexvvdck-9qlfj-djrkvhu6...@mail.gmail.com
