Hey All, I'm looking for tips to add to my list of things to do to prepare several laptops I managed to get donated from local universities for college/sub-college students overseas in Jamaica.
The units are PIII 600Mhz, 256Mb RAM, 10Gb HD w/modem jack... no Ethernet. Win2000 is installed. These units run Knoppix v3.8.1. While running Knoppix v3.8.1 my old Xircom REBM56G-100 w/modem is able to connect to my network. I have on my list to config and run via the modem, both on the PCMCIA card and the built-in modem. I also was able to get connected with my Linksys WPC11 ver3 wireless card while running Knoppix v3.8.1. It appears that Xircom REBM56G-100 w/modem PCMCIA cards are still available for cheap (@$15-$20 easy). I am considering spending money to get that card for these units because they do not have access to wireless and hardly any broadband and what broadband they do have is prohibitively expensive BUT network capability may be available at school. Knoppix v3.8.1 has that UnionFS feature in addition to saving system configuration options so it does seem that a high degree of utility can be had for everyday usage. In addition there does seem to be an active LUG in Kingston (I'll begetting info on dial up etc from them). These are other things I'm thinking about. I will be sending CD's of current Freeware "clean bad things out of Windows apps". I want to send a BART-PE disk loaded with virus cleaning software but that is not kosher M$ license-wise. Part of this exercise is in consideration of the fact that in a place like Jamaica and other 2nd-3rd world areas almost nobody can afford Micro$oft but they all use Micro$oft because it is readily available as stolenware. Since these units only have a 10Gb HD I don't think I want to actually install Linux to the HD but make Knoppix an option because a HD install will in all likelihood just get deleted. If I can make the Knoppix option as viable as possible I may get the recipients to actually go to the Jamaica LUG and get converted. The news of Cuba going to Linux will be an additional assist as the citizens of 2nd and 3rd world countries pay much more attention to their peers than we do. Anyway any tips or other considerations I should add are appreciated. TIA, RBW -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
