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Topic: Looking for suggestions, Readying PC's for kids

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clivesay

Group: Guests
Posts: 935
Joined: Dec. 2003

Posted: July 21 2004,23:27

I am trying to get my hands around what a kid's PC would look like loaded with Linux. I will list my thoughts below and would appreciate your input. I am only about 7 months into Linux so I am sure I may be doing some things the hard way.

Base boot up and do HD install.

I have had some issues with installing .dsl/tar files to live CD and then to HD so I figure safest to do a base HD install and then load applications.

Start loading .dsl/tar files.

I would have .dsl files that contain configuration files per roberts suggestion. My thought is to have a "My Documents" folder in the user dsl directory. This would allow a person to put all their docs in a place that will be familiar to most kids. I could have Rox open to this directory from the desktop. Another reason to create is that I can place a .xtdesktop directory in there that will allow me to have my own icon locations without editing .dsl files. If you restore into /dsl/.xtdesktop you get the default icons along with your own. This would require some configuring in the menu and such but I think it is the best option short of editing each .dsl/tar file.

After installing the .dsl files, I think I would be pretty much set. A nice option would be to have a script that would install all of the .dsl files in one sweep. Would this be possible with a bash script?

Anyway, this is a high level look. I would probably install most of the prepackaged software in the repository on PII 300 machines. I have about 3 dozen of them right now. I also have a couple hundred PI machines that would be scaled down.

I am really looking for some feedback on what would be the best method if you are doing A LOT of HD installs.

I appreciate your feedback. Thanks

Chris

ke4nt1

Group: Members
Posts: 2329
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: July 22 2004,03:48

Quote

Base boot up and do HD install.

I have had some issues with installing .dsl/tar files to live CD and then to HD so I figure safest to do a base HD install and then load applications.

Start loading .dsl/tar files.

BIG YES !! Install to HD from a pristine copy of the DSL .iso FIRST !
Build and startup your swap partition...
Then, add your apps to the HDinstall ...

Quote

Anyway, this is a high level look. I would probably install most of the prepackaged software in the repository on PII 300 machines.

The entire repository of extensions, short of the large .ci files or the openoffice,
easliy fit on a 700 MB cdr.... at the moment !!
The ones in the repository dated 7/18/2004 or later are pretty good-to-go.
Several of the older files still need work, or don't run at all - still alpha..

Quote

I am really looking for some feedback on what would be the best method if you are doing A LOT of HD installs.

If the hard drives are similar in design, I would consider cloning them from a prebuilt master drive.

73
ke4nt

clivesay

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Posts: 935
Joined: Dec. 2003

Posted: July 22 2004,12:20

Kent -

Are you talking about creating an image or having a master HD that you plug into a machine and copy the contents to the receiving PC's HD?

Chris

ke4nt1

Group: Members
Posts: 2329
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: July 22 2004,12:45

There are various methods for cloning drives...

Usually, I have connected both drives to the same motherboard

A = Primary Master - Prebuilt drive
B = Secondary Master - Empty Drive

Connecting them to the same cable as master/slave works too,
but I believe thruput is increased by giving each drive its own bus.

These are a number of softwares for doing this...
Many utilities boot and run from a dos floppy...

73
ke4nt

clivesay

Group: Guests
Posts: 935
Joined: Dec. 2003

Posted: July 22 2004,13:19

Kent -

I will throw my lack of knowledge out there......

If I had a master HD, I would connect it to the receiving PC as a master and connect the receiving HD as the slave. Then I would boot to the master (hda1) and do a mke2fs /dev/hda2 on the slave. Then would it be a simple cp /mnt/hda1/KNOPPIX/* /mnt/hda2/KNOPPIX/ and I would be in business? That sounds too simple!

Chris

15 replies since July 21 2004,23:27

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Damn Small Linux Board » Damn Small Linux » User Feedback » Looking for suggestions