[sugar] USB Based Community Access - What could work technically?

[Edward Cherlin]

On Wed, Oct 22, 2008 at 9:54 AM, Caroline Meeks
<caroline at solutiongrove.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> This is a request for technical assistance for "Sugar on a Stick".
>
> It looks like we have a pilot school for our USB boot project,

Earth Treasury is making arrangements for two more, in Ghana and
Uganda. Perhaps we can work together on this.

Our use case is one donated desktop computer at school, and one at
home, per student, with transfer of work over a network or on USB
stick. Students should also be able to carry their work with them, and
plug in a USB stick to boot Linux+Sugar on any computer they are
allowed to use.

We are told that the computers plus local network and other
peripherals are available in Africa for the cost of trucking them to
the site. OneVillage Foundation Ghana and Winneba Linux User Group
will join in to provide wireless networking, and Fantsuam Foundation
for microfinance. We will need to provide primary electricity
(probably solar) for one site, and backup power for both. We will work
with University of Education Winneba on teacher training, curriculum,
and teaching materials.

Once we get through these pilots, we expect that we can expand this
program, at a very low cost per student, to whatever extent that
funding can be arranged, and that companies will donate their used
computers when they upgrade.

> and a grant
> proposal in so I am trying to think through various use cases around
> creating ubiquitous access with a USB storage device.  I've written up some
> use cases here:
>
> http://www.sugarlabs.org/go/DeploymentTeam/School_Key#Vision_of_different_ways_the_USB_might_work_in_the_students_environment
>
> I'd love thoughts on what is feasible, how hard, and how much benefit would
> each scenario actually provide.
>
> I've done tests to show that "Home" and "Grandma's" are feasible.  I'm
> curious as to whether putting some of the boot files on the hard drive (Zoo)
> could reduce boot time or have any other advanatages as most of our donated
> computers will likely have working disk drives.  I wonder if combining with
> a LTSP or other virtualization scheme is possible (YMCA/School).
>
> Note all scenarios are fictional.
>
> Write your ideas here or on the Wiki page as you see fit.
>
> Thanks!
> Caroline
>
> --
> Caroline Meeks
> Solution Grove
> Caroline at SolutionGrove.com
>
> 617-500-3488 - Office
> 505-213-3268 - Fax
>
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And Children are my nation.
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