[IAEP] Achievements and impressions on SugarCamp Lima

[Walter Bender]

2011/11/24 Rubén Rodríguez <ruben at gnu.org>:
>
> I'll try to sum up some highlights from the SugarCamp event in Lima.
> I'd like to start by thanking the Escuelab people for inviting me to
> the event, and SugarLabs for very generously providing me the plane
> tickets. I hope it was worth it :)
>
> My main job during the hackathon was to finish up TOAST using Sweets
> 0.94. That system was used as a testing environment, since Trisquel
> images are easy to make and run. Locale support for aym_PE and quz_PE
> was added, and scripts were written to fetch the latest Quechua and
> Aymara translations during build, allowing to make new isos every time
> the translators need to check if new strings have the proper context.
> Many thanks to Alsroot for all his help!
>
> The current image can be downloaded from here:
> http://devel.trisquel.info/sugar/toast/iso/
>
> Build scripts and files:
> http://bzr.trisquel.info/makeiso/branches/toast
>
> During that process many small achievements were reached too, like
> fixing some bugs and testing the support for LTSP thin client
> environments. LTSP was used to show translators the results of their
> work -which by the way was a very emotive moment in an event filled
> with passion- and shown to deployers as an affordable way to recycle
> old computers and simplify maintenance.
>
> On the non-technical aspects, getting to work in this camp gave me the
> opportunity to better understand the Sugar and OLPC projects and the
> many difficulties they have to overcome in real-life deployments.
> Getting to know Peruvian teachers and hackers showed me how we are
> taking too many things for granted, like the fact that in many cases
> schools don't have internet connection, -and when they do it is usually
> not enough to download iso images-. To fix this we are starting a
> project to make a fully self-contained installer, including all
> Trisquel editions -providing TOAST and GNOME environments among
> others-, and a set of miscellaneous packages which should allow to
> install school servers and provide a catalog of educational programs
> outside Sugar.
>
> I also spent some time in graphically documenting the hackathon,
> recording many videos with which I intend to make a documentary short,
> and also taking some photos that can be found in my blog:
> http://quidam.cc/fotos/24-11-2011/sugarcamp-lima
>
> On a personal level, I like to think I helped a bit with the
> negotiations which should now be leading to a pilot experiment in Puno
> to allow local communities leverage the effort in deployment of XO
> machines, which needed the help and trust of the government to let them
> modify software images and get them signed. One of the ideas discussed
> there was how deployment calendars should match development cycles for
> both Sugar and the distributions which support it, and the idea of
> having long term support releases for Sugar.
>
> I had the most amazing experience of getting to know many Peruvian
> hackers who I wish we will now be able to provide better fitting
> software and documentation. I have to say that Escuelab astonished me,
> it is six floors of pure hacker goodness, sustained by very committed
> people with more will than resources. I am also very happy that I got
> to know three Sugar hackers so skilled and involved that now I know the
> only possible outcome for the project is success.
>
> I will miss you all.
>
> Ruben.
> _______________________________________________
> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
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> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>

Thanks for your thoughtful and detailed trip report. I am glad that
Sugar Labs could play a small role in helping you participate. Let's
hope it leads to rapprochement between the national and regional
governments and the various FOSS communities in Peru.

regards.

-walter

-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org