There was a typo - not 187 months... 18... LOL David
-----Original Message----- From: David Leeming [mailto:da...@leeming-consulting.com] Sent: Tuesday, 17 April 2012 6:56 a.m. To: 'jbalc...@laptopstolesotho.org' Cc: 'XS Devel' Subject: RE: [Server-devel] Lesotho project network server: obstacles & needs Hi Janissa Your programme sounds very worthwhile and I wish you all the best with it! Maybe I was not clear, but my point is that for us, the XS (we are using v0.6) installed on a low power e-box such as the EPC-AT270 (I can send you the spec sheet, it is available in Australia not sure where you are) has proven exactly what you seem to be looking for. Very low power, running at 15W or less on 12V DC solar power, with auto-power on enabled so even if there is a power outage the locals don't need to intervene. At one site it ran 187 months continuously and no problems. The access points all using DC power via PoE too. Our schools in PNG only theoretically have Internet access in some locations as the quality of service is insufficient. Even if it were, it's only for the teachers due to cost. But the teachers do have some limited options with 3G dongles if they wish to sign up to the OLPC-Australia XO-Certification programme (extended to Pacific) laptop.moodle.com.au and so we spent time training them to do so. It is true one does need some initial "centralised" or outside expertise to set the servers up but in our case we are all Linux novices really and we get by. On site, as I said the servers are very useful, but as in your case we have to just install and leave them and expect little maintenance work although as time goes on various champions emerge. I am typing this in the remotest place in PNG, and yet I am planning today to training one teacher to be able to do some role assignment work on the XS Moodle in some schools we can't visit this time. I guess this list can help you design a suitable configuration for the XS. As I said in our case it is really basic, just using the Moodle home page as a links page to folders of resources in the /library, and some upload folders and the general news/forum. We don't use the class segregation as yet because we are unable to assist when the students change class at the new year, so the strategy is just to tell teachers try not to overload the server, coordinate with each other etc. In the future we can improve on it. David Leeming Solomon Islands Rural Link P.O.Box 652 Honiara, Solomon Islands +677 7476396 (m) +677 24419 (h) www.rurallink.com.sb -----Original Message----- From: server-devel-boun...@lists.laptop.org [mailto:server-devel-boun...@lists.laptop.org] On Behalf Of jbalc...@laptopstolesotho.org Sent: Monday, 16 April 2012 9:07 a.m. To: server-devel@lists.laptop.org Subject: [Server-devel] Lesotho project network server: obstacles & needs I work with a non-OLPC-affiliated XO laptop project in Lesotho. Our project uses G1G1 XO-1 laptops we buy on the open market and refurbish ourselves. Like David Leeming in PNG (see Server-devel Digest, Vol 60, Issue 13, Topic 1 -- Re: Looking for new low power server hardware candidate), I work with schools in a very remote area with rough terrain, difficult access, limited resources, and poorly trained teachers. Unlike David's area, our schools do not have access to internet. The teachers we work with have absolutely no computer experience coming into our program. They are all eager to receive training and use the computers in their classrooms, but because of their own poor education, they have trouble following general instructions and retaining the computer skills we teach them. We find that they need very detailed, written, step-by-step instructions for everything. Most of the time, they are incapable of extrapolating what they've learned and applying it to a slightly different situation or another activity. Much of the teaching at the schools is done in English, despite the fact that English is the teachers' second language. Many of them have small vocabularies with low language proficiency. Those of us helping them are educators and administrators, not computer technicians. For us, most of the discussions and instructions in this server-devel forum go way over our heads. We have tried to get computer specialists to help us set up a server, but this is nearly impossible because it requires a commitment of days to reach and service our area. Twice, computer volunteers have come to our first school to install the server software from a CD onto a standard PC. But, both times the OLPC XS software didn't work and/or was incomplete. Without internet access, they were unable to complete the process. After two years, we still do not have a functional server for the 86 laptops at that school. We haven't even tried to set up a server at our other school, which will have a total 50 XO laptops by the end of this year. Our schools charge and operate all their computer equipment off solar panels and batteries. During rainy months, computer use is greatly reduced because of reduced power output. For all these reasons, we need a very simple, user-friendly, low-energy network server that can be installed and maintained by non-specialist people with limited computer skills and without any internet access. A plug-n-play style server would be the best solution for us. Instructions for installation, maintenance, and use need to be as detailed as possible, in very simple English. We need to be able to purchase 1-2 servers at a time, and we need the server to be available for purchase outside the official OLPC deployment framework. Janissa Balcomb jbalc...@laptopstolesotho.org Laptops to Lesotho Inc. www.laptopstolesotho.inc _______________________________________________ Server-devel mailing list Server-devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/server-devel _______________________________________________ Server-devel mailing list Server-devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/server-devel