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List:       suse-linux-uk-schools
Subject:    Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Introducing.....
From:       Jon Stockill <jon () ops-wing ! demon ! co ! uk>
Date:       2000-04-27 18:18:31
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On Wed, 26 Apr 2000 DrCowsley@aol.com wrote:

> Hoping to use Linux instead of NT as a SIMS server, to route packets between 
> Ethernet and Token Ring networks, and to cache Internet traffic locally so 
> that we can run full class Internet without squeezing casual users out of the 
> ISDN bandwidth.   Evaluating it as an alternative to scores of expensive 

Install squid as a web proxy. That'll maintain a cache of documents
resulting in far less traffic over your ISDN line. It can be rather disk
intensive, and require rather a lot of space, but the benefits far
outweigh the cost of the disk space required.

> Windows 95 or Windows 2000 terminals, and Star Office as an alternative to 
> Microsoft Office on scores of terminals - saving thousands of pounds in 
> licence fees!   Has anybody been there already?

Although I'd support you wholeheartedly for that decicision you do have to
consider what software will be required on those systems. If departments
within the school require particular educational software packages then
99.9% of those will only be available for windows machines. You may be
able to get around this problem through the use of WINE (a windows
emulator), dosemu (a dos emulator), or if you're really pushed a copy of
VMWare (which will allow you to run Windows on top of Linux), but then
you've obviously negated some of the benefits of installing Linux in the
first place (Mainly stability & cost).

I can't praise staroffice highly enough. I find it extremely useful when
people insist on attaching MS Office files to email. The cross
compatibility is great, and you don't have to worry about all those nasty
macro viruses.

-- 
 ___   _                     In a world without fences - who needs Gates?
  |   (_'  M1CHW
._|on ._)tockill                               <jon@ops-wing.demon.co.uk>


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