All,
Neil Stockbridge spent some time developing a distrubuted system to tell
people where they could go to get 'big files' of their choice.
Concept - On the internet you could get a list of the files and their
locations. By going to the location you could get the actual file via wifi.
It was modeled on some research that Neil did, google for 'yellow chair'.
People on my neighborhood network have been able to get a large store of
FOSS for month.
Neil do you have your big files web site still set up? I'm not sure if
mine is still working correctly?
I have to confess that I had trouble keeping up with Neils work because
of my lack of linux expertises and I was putting my time into
understanding other stuff that the time that Neil just 'knows!' :)
Christopher Sawtell wrote:
I agree this exercise is probably a terrible Johnny come lately, but
we have been very well served by e-caf in the past. Now that that
business has folded, and folks were bemoaning the absense of a
Definitve Source of Linux and other FLOSS in Christchurch I thought
that it would be worth-while experimenting to see if such a source was
still needed, especially as we could conduct the experiment at no
cost, bar a 'bus ticket or three. So we now have what we have.
I'll update the website tomorrow once the new files are on the drive.
btw, Anybody know of a "Corporate Patron" who would like to give us
the necessary electricity to run a small machine 24/7 so we could
create a Linux and F/LOSS WiFi Hot-Spot?
Yes - the CCC.
We've got 5 computers running all the time in the CIA. It's currently
got a net connection and if we want to keep it then we have to show
better use than it's getting at present.
We just need to find a 54mbit wifi card for one of the machines with a
linux driver so that people can associate with it.
I'm sure Addington net would also do something more with us if we wanted
to. They were very supportive of the CRRA project to set up the CIA.
With respect to the 6 month trial... Consideration needs to be given to
the fact that software budgets for schools are going to be given back to
schools in the next 3 years. Business advantage is growing from FOSS
standards - eg in the printing arena we now want customers to give us
SVG formats. Media are doing more and more to draw attention to the
fact that running Linux on your desktop gives you less risk from hackers
and virus at present.
I suspect that the resource isn't going to get used much in the next 6
months. But if we don't start putting these resources in place now
then, when our community (Christchurch community, not Linux community)
actually need/want/demand the resource, we're not going to have the
skills and experience as a community (Linux/FOSS) to step up to the
challenge.
/random thoughts :)
In the mean time, great work Chris, I agree with Nick's comments (or the
centerment that I'm sure went with them) we/someone have/has to START
some where.
Cheers Don
