[Nottingham] Re: Linux InstallFest / Awareness Day 1st November

[Mike Martin]

 --- Michael Simms <michael@tuxgames.com> wrote: > > Now we need
lot's of volunteers and ideas for the day ;)
> 
> I'll be there
> 
> > So far ideas and thoughts for the day which need fleshing out
> are:
> > 
> > 1. Bring and Install
> > 	They bring their computer, we install Linux.
> > 	PROBLEM: Backing up their data.
> > 	Personally I think the best we can do is say "make sure you have
> everything important
> > 	backed up before you come"
> 
> I agree with this, there is really no feasable way to  ensure
> complete
> system recovery. I think for ease we should, before anything else,
> resize their existing partitions, anyone have a good tool for that
> that
> will handle NTFS and other doze partitions (AFAIK the gnu tool only
> really handles a few basic types). Then we can set them up for
> dual-boot
> with little or no risk as long as the resize tool works.
> 
> People should be aware they need to backup first, however.
> 
> > 2. Lot's of demos.
> > 	GIMP, Evolution, games , email.
> 
> I'll bring in a nice selection of games to demo. Hell, I may even
> bring
> in some stock to sell to them so they can buy and take away some
> decent
> commercial games if they want to
> 
> > 3.  Who are we aiming at ?
> > 	Joe/Jo public, local businesses ... (all) ?
> 
> Id suggest two areas, one for public, one for business, clearly
> defined
> and signed, so that the suits can see what they want, the public
> can see
> what they want, and they dont have to intermingle too much. They
> will be
> interested in completely different things amd mixing it all up will
> confuse them probably.
> 
> > 4.  Linux tutorials.
> > 	Can we get hold of a screen and projector for the day (I'd hope
> Green's Mill
> > 	would have one).
> > 
> > 5.  Equipement / People
> > 	Any offers greatfully received.
> > 	We will need machines to run demo's on and probably a network.
> 
> I'll bring a box with games to demo, and I'll bring a couple of
> hubs
> (dont have any spare switches but hubs should be enough).
> 
> > 6.  Sponsors
> > 	Please guv, spare a poor impoverished LUG a copper for a cat
> cable...
> 
> well, if I do go for selling some stuff, I'll put a percentage of
> profit
> to the lug.
> 
> 
> > > 2. Lot's of demos.
> > > 	GIMP, Evolution, games , email.
> > *cough kde* *cough koffice* :)
> 
> Personally Im a gnomie but really, whichever looks nicer will be
> better
> 

thats gnome then >)

> > > We hope to use the September meeting to finalise some of the
> plans and
> > > decide upon what we are going to do (and have resources for)
> including a
> > > 'distro war' ie. what distro are we going to install (remember
> this is
> > > probably aimed at the un-initiated so Gentoo is probably not
> the best idea)
> > > and what distro(s) are we going to use for demo machines (eg
> Knoppix).
> > 
> > I think you're right. I think pretty much for absoloute beginners
> it's between 
> > redhat and SuSE, and I personally would go for SuSE.. But then, I
> suspect 
> > there will be much disagreement on this :)
> 
> I would say Red Hat. Why, because people know the name red hat. If
> you
> say 'Red Hat Linux' people will say 'oh yeah Ive heard of that'. If
> you
> say 'Suse Linux' people will say 'huh?' We need to make sure, if we
> want
> to give people confidence in letting us butcher their machines, we
> use
> words they have heard before and can relate to.
> 
> > Let's not forget the does it work on my Mac issue...
> 
> My other company is a Yellow Dog Linux partner, I'll bring a YDL
> distro
> with me just in case. I will admit I work with them, but Ive never
> used
> it. Problem there is I have NO idea about a tool for resizing
> whatever
> partitions macs use...
> 
> > > 2. Lot's of demos.
> > > 	GIMP, Evolution, games , email.
> > Right, I was thinking that it may help to do a couple of writeups
> for
> > the software packages.  I did have a great list of packages that
> we
> > could demo but lost between the pub and my study, pants! :( 
> However
> > broadly I suspect the sort of people that would come to an
> installfest
> > would want:
> > 1) User productivity apps (someone mentioned koffice) I guess
> that means
> > a browser plus mail and office (DTP?) apps.
> 
> Id say Gimp, an office package, mozilla, evolution, that covers
> most
> productivity areas and will make business people happy.
> 
> > 2) Games (well we all need some time out right? :).  I don't
> suspect we
> > need to show much in this regard, just something that works on a
> 486 and
> > something cool and requiring a swanky GFX board.
> 
> Disagree (I would, but I have reasons). People at home want to use
> their
> computer for games, its one of the main uses for computers in the
> home.
> In the office is different, but at home, definitely games.
> 
> > 3) Development, I'm thinking web development as opposed to C/Java
> here.
> > Something like Quanta and Gimp.
> 
> Do we really want to go here, chances are there wont be techies,
> cos
> techies already know about Linux. They'll see people coding and go
> 'urgh, geek geek geek' and run away screaming. Maybe a 3rd area
> separated from business and home for 'programming' for the more
> technically inclined
> 
> > > 4.  Linux tutorials.
> > > 	Can we get hold of a screen and projector for the day (I'd
> hope Green's =
> > Mill
> > > 	would have one).
> > Hmmm, I suspect one-on-one demos would work much better.
> 
> Depends how many people are there
> 
> 
> > For install:
> > 	If a machine has floppy|cdrom|network card we can probably
> install.
> > 	Slackware for floppy only, SuSe|Redhat|Mandrake for the rest.
> > 
> > 	We can also use a CD distro like Knoppix for people to 'try
> without
> > 	commitment'.
> 
> Good idea
> 
> > 	I have to admit to last having tried  RedHat(tm) @ v7.2, SuSe @
> v6.?
> > 	and Mandrake before that but have been lead to believe they are
> > 	reasonalby 'novices' friendly ;)
> 
> RH and MDK are pretty much fine for newbies. My mother worked out
> redhat
> and she barely knows what a keyboard is
> 
> -- 
> Michael Simms - CEO, Tux Games
> http://www.tuxgames.com
> 
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> Nottingham@mailman.lug.org.uk
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