Back to the concept of an SDCS sponsored "project", I ran across a side project of On-Disk.com called "Public Software Foundation" and their goal is to provide managed and documented open source software kits for libraries or other "lending" institutions. Basically, they manage the software ISO kits, some documentation, and system requirements specs along with some online forums for users. We, the public help with getting our local libraries the kits and can provide some user support so it's a more locally supported effort.
I have 4 of the kits already and will bring them to the next KPLUG( 6/12 ) meeting if we have it. I have the following kits: Knoppix, Open Office, Fedora, and Ubuntu. The kits include a large black plastic DVD-rental style of case with a nicely printed case label installed in the wrap-around clear sleeve on the case. Inside is the CDROM with On-Disks professional looking labeling. The CDROM is not a pressed CD but instead the writable type used for making custom CDROMs. Even though there are clips on the inside cover of the case which can be used for holding further documentation, there is none supplied. System requirements and installation instructions are on the case label and the CDROM label along with URLs to online support forums. If this has anyone's interest, the place to go for further info would be the Public Software Foundation website: http://www.publicsoftwarefoundation.org I will probably poke and prod my local library in the next couple of weeks to see if there's any interest there. I'll also ask about who at the city level I would need to talk to if approval is needed and for city wide distribution. Since I feel it will likely come up that this is all freely downloadable software, the reason this technique is being attempted is because many/most Microsoft Windows users do not know it is there let alone know how to burn ISO images. I know Windows software developers who have no understanding of how to burn ISO images so I have doubts the user community, in general, is better at this. Doug -- KPLUG-List@kernel-panic.org http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
