[Glastonbury] Just a little idea

[tim hall]

Last Thursday 04 November 2004 12:30, Damon Chaplin was like:
> On Wed, 2004-11-03 at 10:58, Rick Fitzsimmons wrote:
> > I'd be interested in helping. I know next to nothing about multimedia
> > stuff (keen to learn), but I do have experience of Linux servers and
> > network installation. I /hope/ to be at the meeting tonight, so if I
> > make it we can discuss then.
>
> I'd be willing to help a bit as well.

Great, the more the merrier, I say!

> I'm more of a GNOME hacker than a sysadmin or multimedia person, though
> I have just read the "Linux Administration Handbook"!
>
> What do they use the PCs for? Mainly email & web browsing?

At the moment, yes.

I'm currently working on a proposal to present to the MC - it's a community 
organisation, most of whom aren't terribly computer literate. So I need to 
carefully explain the bits that are going to cost them money. (Shouldn't take 
long ;)

Once I get my CD burning sorted, I'll put the OpenCD on the Windows machine, 
just to get them used to the software. They've been using Mac OSX for the 
last two years, so it may not be so hard to get them used to GNU/Linux. 
They're already learning to hate Windows XP ;D

The first stage is to network up the building. I'll get back in touch with 
everyone when I've got enough network cable to play with.

Next, I want to set up an intranet server for day-to-day business - basically 
so I can write a Python-driven Bookings system - and a couple of client 
machines for the Cafe and Office. This can all be done piecemeal according to 
the availability of hardware. I can do all this myself, I'm intending to use 
the AGNULA/DeMuDi installer for a base system - this will give all the 
machines multimedia kernels, which could come in handy later on - and then 
install relevant extra bits from Debian Sarge. If I'm maintaining it, I need 
to use a system I know.

To complete the first stage I need to get the Assembly Rooms on broadband. 
I've already had several useful suggestons, which I'm in the process of 
following up. Thanks!

Long term, I'm looking at being able to webcast gigs and conferences and 
record events using entirely Free Multimedia software, if I have my way. I 
have a vision of the Assembly Rooms becoming a multimedia playground, which 
could be achieved very cheaply (i.e. on the budget that we actually have), 
built up gradually and has the potential to be a rather fun way of showcasing 
GNU/Linux for the Glastonbury High Street public.

I also wish to present an alternative to the culture of software piracy and 
offer some free creative tools and basic training to people looking for 
something positive to do, show how computers can help people with 
'disabilities' - we've had great success with some of our dyslexic staff 
already learning to use Photoshop, so perhaps I should introduce GIMP and 
blender. 

The more GNU/Linux savvy people the staff of the Assembly Rooms get to meet, 
the more confident they will be. I do think that once they've started using 
it for email & browsing, they're unlikely to look back ;)

Thankyou for your support! The fact that I've been able to go back to the 
Assembly Rooms with such an enthusiastic response from  the group has moved 
this on from being just 'my' little idea.

cheers

tim hall