[backstage] HTML5: open standards with open video?
Some of the f/oss crowd on the mailing list might get a kick out of the recent demo which BBC RAD put up. Its using Ogg Theora video with HTML5's Video tag and some nice Javascript coding to create a video experience more like what you see in Flash players. http://open.bbc.co.uk/rad/projects/html5 Ian Forrester This e-mail is: []secret; []private; [x]public Senior Producer, BBC Backstage, BBC R&D Room 1044, BBC Manchester BH, Oxford Road, M60 1SJ email: ian.forres...@bbc.co.uk work: +44 (0)1612444063 | mob: +44 (0)7711913293 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
[backstage] BBC Backstage now on Identi.ca
http://identi.ca/bbcbackstage - BBC Backstage user on identi.ca which is twinned with the user on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/bbcbackstage http://identi.ca/group/bbcbackstage - Group for your general discussions about BBC technology or technical services Feel free to follow, Cheers, Ian Forrester This e-mail is: []secret; [x]private; []public Senior Producer, BBC Backstage, BBC R&D Room 1044, BBC Manchester BH, Oxford Road, M60 1SJ email: ian.forres...@bbc.co.uk work: +44 (0)1612444063 | mob: +44 (0)7711913293 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] TEDxManchester Tickets
Ian Forrester wrote: Should we setup a identi.ca account too? yes. and a group https://identi.ca/main/register http://identi.ca/group/new :) (Got my TEDxManchester ticket!) Tim - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] very simple re-imaging of a ubuntu build from a USB stick for schools
Full details at: https://sourceforge.net/forum/message.php?msg_id=7557331 On Wed, 2009-08-12 at 11:09 +0100, Phil Lewis wrote: > Here is a follow-up: > > After some banging my head against a brick wall I managed to get > 'Clonezilla Live' to do this automated rebuild using > partclone/partimage. You just boot the USB stick and confirm 'y' twice > (to be sure). It even managed to restore onto a completely dissimilar > piece of hardware successfully :-) > > Process summary: > I had to: > * create a bootable Clonezilla Live USB stick (well documented) > * backup all partitions to it (using 'skip' option) > * boot the USB stick again and tell it to create a 'restore-zip-iso' > with the image I just created > * made a note of the command it says it runs to do this zip restore > * rebooted same USB stick again before actually telling it to proceed > (it takes ages then starts overwriting its own data etc otherwise!), > * edited the syslinux.cfg file to boot-up using those command options > (passed as kernel parameters). > > I'll post the detailed how-to to the clonezilla people because it works > well nut the process isn't documented and not 'out of the box'. > > Thanks for all of your suggestions and advice :-) > > Best Regards > > Phil Lewis > > On Mon, 2009-08-10 at 10:57 +0100, Phil Lewis wrote: > > Hi Tim, > > > > I'll certainly post on how it goes when I have a satisfactory solution. > > > > The hardware is identical - which is why the re-imaging option looks > > better than an automated rebuild. A rebuild could typically take a lot > > longer to run than a re-image (assuming I don't do a byte-for-byte copy > > of the whole disk but use partimage or similar). > > > > Best Regards > > > > Phil > > > > > > On Fri, 2009-08-07 at 18:27 +0100, Tim Dobson wrote: > > > Umm yeah I can probably sort of help. > > > > > > One of the projects I'm working on is a customised version of Ubuntu > > > 8.04 (LTS is a good idea!) that in theory you can use to easily install > > > Ubuntu server with an asterisk voip server and a web UI for configuring > > > it. > > > > > > There's some quite good wiki page on this subject: > > > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallCDCustomization > > > (that's the page for desktop installations - what I'm doing wiki ubuntu > > > server is a bit different) > > > > > > Essentially there are two steps: > > > > > > * create a customised ISO > > > * put the customised ISO on a usb stick and make it work. > > > > > > As we've been finding the second step quite difficult, we've been > > > concentrating on the first step and testing the first bit on CDs - > > > there's no need to complicate things further at this stage. > > > > > > Customising the install process is in theory fairly easy, unfortunately, > > > I had quite a few issues getting the Ubuntu-keyring package to function > > > correctly so at the moment I'm using a non-ideal solution whereby the > > > preseed late_command runs a script to install some packages. > > > > > > It's still a very bad way of doing things and I'll have to go back and > > > see what it is that wasn't quite going right to start off with. > > > > > > What you need is to preseed most of the Ubuntu installer (Alan linked to > > > some good documentation here), modify the image or do something to > > > install those extra packages and modifications, work out how to get the > > > customised image to boot from usb correctly. > > > > > > Just to emphasise, I'm NOT an expert in this area, it just so happens > > > I've been banging my head about this sort of thing for the past few > > > weeks, so I know a little. :) > > > > > > Would love to hear how you get on! > > > > > > Tim > > > > > > Phil Lewis wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > Does anyone here know of any open source software solution that will > > > > allow me to image an Ubuntu laptop on to a USB stick so that it can be > > > > used by a technophobic teacher to rebuild a laptop when one goes bad? > > > > > > > > The reimaging has got to be REALLY SIMPLE - e.g.: > > > > > > > > 1) Plug in usb stick > > > > 2) Power up netbook > > > > 3) Click or type 'yes' to confirm > > > > 4) Wait for a while > > > > 5) Plug out usb stick > > > > 6) Repower netbook > > > > > > > > Some background: a primary school has asked me to design and rollout a > > > > 30-60 netbook solution for their classrooms. I am planning on an Ubuntu > > > > 9.04 build with specific educational extras. It will be somewhat > > > > customised such that the kids/teachers will find it easy to use and > > > > start apps etc (more concerned about teachers here of course). Since I'm > > > > trying to get a basic third-party commercial support contract for the > > > > setup, I want the support people to be able to tell the teachers to just > > > > insert a USB stick to reimage a laptop if required. > > > > > > > > I could go with a scripted PXE-boot based install system but given that > > > > all these
[backstage] TEDxManchester Tickets
Hi All, Cutting straight through the Ubuntu debate, If you want tickets for the Manchester TEDx event, you may have noticed there currently all gone. We are planning to release more in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for announcements. Of course they will be first announced on the backstage twitter bot - twitter.com/bbcbackstage (unless twitter gets another ddos attack) Should we setup a identi.ca account too? Ian Forrester This e-mail is: []secret; []private; [x]public Senior Producer, BBC Backstage, BBC R&D Room 1044, BBC Manchester BH, Oxford Road, M60 1SJ email: ian.forres...@bbc.co.uk work: +44 (0)1612444063 | mob: +44 (0)7711913293 - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
Re: [backstage] very simple re-imaging of a ubuntu build from a USB stick for schools
Here is a follow-up: After some banging my head against a brick wall I managed to get 'Clonezilla Live' to do this automated rebuild using partclone/partimage. You just boot the USB stick and confirm 'y' twice (to be sure). It even managed to restore onto a completely dissimilar piece of hardware successfully :-) Process summary: I had to: * create a bootable Clonezilla Live USB stick (well documented) * backup all partitions to it (using 'skip' option) * boot the USB stick again and tell it to create a 'restore-zip-iso' with the image I just created * made a note of the command it says it runs to do this zip restore * rebooted same USB stick again before actually telling it to proceed (it takes ages then starts overwriting its own data etc otherwise!), * edited the syslinux.cfg file to boot-up using those command options (passed as kernel parameters). I'll post the detailed how-to to the clonezilla people because it works well nut the process isn't documented and not 'out of the box'. Thanks for all of your suggestions and advice :-) Best Regards Phil Lewis On Mon, 2009-08-10 at 10:57 +0100, Phil Lewis wrote: > Hi Tim, > > I'll certainly post on how it goes when I have a satisfactory solution. > > The hardware is identical - which is why the re-imaging option looks > better than an automated rebuild. A rebuild could typically take a lot > longer to run than a re-image (assuming I don't do a byte-for-byte copy > of the whole disk but use partimage or similar). > > Best Regards > > Phil > > > On Fri, 2009-08-07 at 18:27 +0100, Tim Dobson wrote: > > Umm yeah I can probably sort of help. > > > > One of the projects I'm working on is a customised version of Ubuntu > > 8.04 (LTS is a good idea!) that in theory you can use to easily install > > Ubuntu server with an asterisk voip server and a web UI for configuring it. > > > > There's some quite good wiki page on this subject: > > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallCDCustomization > > (that's the page for desktop installations - what I'm doing wiki ubuntu > > server is a bit different) > > > > Essentially there are two steps: > > > > * create a customised ISO > > * put the customised ISO on a usb stick and make it work. > > > > As we've been finding the second step quite difficult, we've been > > concentrating on the first step and testing the first bit on CDs - > > there's no need to complicate things further at this stage. > > > > Customising the install process is in theory fairly easy, unfortunately, > > I had quite a few issues getting the Ubuntu-keyring package to function > > correctly so at the moment I'm using a non-ideal solution whereby the > > preseed late_command runs a script to install some packages. > > > > It's still a very bad way of doing things and I'll have to go back and > > see what it is that wasn't quite going right to start off with. > > > > What you need is to preseed most of the Ubuntu installer (Alan linked to > > some good documentation here), modify the image or do something to > > install those extra packages and modifications, work out how to get the > > customised image to boot from usb correctly. > > > > Just to emphasise, I'm NOT an expert in this area, it just so happens > > I've been banging my head about this sort of thing for the past few > > weeks, so I know a little. :) > > > > Would love to hear how you get on! > > > > Tim > > > > Phil Lewis wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > > > Does anyone here know of any open source software solution that will > > > allow me to image an Ubuntu laptop on to a USB stick so that it can be > > > used by a technophobic teacher to rebuild a laptop when one goes bad? > > > > > > The reimaging has got to be REALLY SIMPLE - e.g.: > > > > > > 1) Plug in usb stick > > > 2) Power up netbook > > > 3) Click or type 'yes' to confirm > > > 4) Wait for a while > > > 5) Plug out usb stick > > > 6) Repower netbook > > > > > > Some background: a primary school has asked me to design and rollout a > > > 30-60 netbook solution for their classrooms. I am planning on an Ubuntu > > > 9.04 build with specific educational extras. It will be somewhat > > > customised such that the kids/teachers will find it easy to use and > > > start apps etc (more concerned about teachers here of course). Since I'm > > > trying to get a basic third-party commercial support contract for the > > > setup, I want the support people to be able to tell the teachers to just > > > insert a USB stick to reimage a laptop if required. > > > > > > I could go with a scripted PXE-boot based install system but given that > > > all these netbooks will we wireless I think this would make it harder > > > for staff if they have to find an ethernet cable before re-imaging > > > if/when required. Also with all the (documented) tweaks to the desktop > > > etc, PXE would be quite a tedious scripting task and probably not the > > > best solution given that the build will be almost static. > > > > > >
