[Lancaster] computers for nigeria

[max]

hello all,

i hope to be able to make it this evening to LLUG, but this is in case i don't
manage...

a friend is wanting to take computers to nigeria, for use in schools, 
community centres etc. he's happy to find some funding, and DHL have agreed 
to take the computers for free. he still needs the geeks to put the package 
together tho...

i suggested a linux X-terminal system, using thin clients

- linux because once it's been set up properly then there's less need to 
fiddle and repair than with win.

- also no licencing issues (not that that currently seems to be a major 
consideration in africa, but when winXP starts to trickle down i'm sure it 
will become an issue.)

- also with linux we can do an X-terminal system, allowing us to get more
computers for each fundraised pound.

- thin clients so there's less physical hardware to break down (dodgy 
electrics - one X-client server equals just one UPS), plus network
boots (eg pxes) should be less prone to software problems than the X -query
system we have in the folly (MIT magic cookies being my biggest and most
unpredictable bugbear). also easier to physically set up (plug in to
mains, plug into ethernet, turn on)...

some guys from nigeria will be coming over to lancaster at some point, so we
can give them some training in using the desktop, adding users, updating from
cds that we could send them etc so that they can show ppl backin nigeria.

so what we need to know is

a) is anyone interested in helping find lots of machines (ebay, compswap, 
local businesses etc)

b) who's interested in helping set up however many machines we find

c) how much do we reckon this will all cost

d) other considerations like climate etc (mobbsey recently did a computer
workshop in a container for jamaica - we could talk to him about climate
probs)

if anyone's interested we can talk about it tonight, or email me....

thanx

max at tofubandits.org.uk