[ale] Help needed for a Non-Profit project - if not Linux thenwill go Windows

Sat Apr 5 23:47:41 EST 2003

I'd like to help, but will be out of town.

One note, I'd be interested in knowing how anyone plans to lock you out 
of the command line with win98.  If you've got a browser, you fire up 
command.com and you've got a dos window.

I've done something very similar to what you're looking for though.  Had 
a slide show fire up from boot for my wife during conference week.  It's 
pretty straight forward, you call startx from rc as the last thing to 
run. In the .xinitrc file it simply called the browser passing to it the 
location of the slideshow.  Worked like a champ.

If you're still looking for assistance late next week I'll be back in 
town, let me know.

Sorry, I would have loved to get involved on this one.

Greg wrote:
>  I am helping out at a non-profit called Free Bytes
> (http://www.freebytes.org) that is providing support to the Atlanta Food
> Bank for an initial order of 30 computers - out of a possible future order
> of several hundred.  We are looking for an OS that can be installed on
> machines that will immediately dial up via modem to an ISP, have a web
> browser come up so folks can use a web based form for ordering food
> shipments, and the box must be configured so that it will not allow the user
> to get to a command line or otherwise play with the machine.  A working
> model must be done by this week and not only is there a time crunch, but
> since the first distro we went with (a Slackware derived version) failed
> miserably (only 1 successful install out of 4 machines and even then the
> modem is almost unconfigurable). We need a solid victory or Windows 98 will
> be installed on all machines (it is an all or nothing project - only 1 OS
> will be selected).  MS Windows is our back-up if a Open Source solution
> cannot be found.
> 
> Here are the HW requirements:
> 	RAM:	64 MG (sorry, we have little ram and the machines have varying slots)
> 	HD:	1 GB is the lowest size, we can put other hard drives in the PCs (all
> less than 1 GB, though)
> 	CPU:	Pentium 133 MHz
> 	Modem:	We need an easily customizable interface so we can easily customize
> it.
> 
> Here are the SW requirements
> 	Boot to a browser after the X windows comes up.
> 	GUI (for a browser and for a button to push that will do a shutdown/halt)
> Need to have good looking fonts on browser.
> 	A button to push that will do a shutdown/halt
> 	Can meet the HW requirements.
> 	Easily installable.  I understand that given enough time any one can figure
> out how to make a modem work, but we don't have the time or the folks who
> have a high level knowledge of a *nix to configure the modems to work.  Our
> installers have primarily Windows experience and work primarily on Saturdays
> for several hours.  A member of the Free Bytes staff will go out to the
> field to deliver, configure, and do a field test of the PC's as well as
> teach the end users and supervise the initial install and test.
> 
> 	Time Line:
> 	If I cannot find a easily configurable distro by Sunday night and no one
> steps up with a viable alternative/solution, then I will have to call the
> project manager at Free Bytes and tell them to go ahead with Windows 98.  We
> would like to do a demo this week to the customer with a Linux box and show
> how easy it is (think kiosk). If I can get a workable solution by Sunday
> night I will call and tell the Free Bytes project manager we can use Linux -
> with a demo box to follow by mid week.
> 
> 	Current Problems:
> 	* HD size: most modern Linux distro's are horribly bloated and we don't
> have the time to take out every single thing as well as the fact that the
> minimum for most distro's is about 1.7 GB anyway.
> 
> 	* Needs to be easily installable.  We may have to do several hundred of
> these boxen.
> 
> 	* Time.  We bet on a solution that has not worked out and does not have an
> easy way to automatically crank up the modem and easily configure the modem
> so we lost valuable time already.  A solution needs to be done ASAP - (in 2
> days) and a working model by this Wed (so I can have a working box in the
> project manager's hands by mid week).
> 
> 	What I need help with:
> 	Suggestions on a good distro. I intend to try several of my old ones this
> weekend.  The modern ones (RH and Suse bombed)
> 	An already scripted distro that can be installed that will provide a kiosk
> or even just simple window manager, browser and a method to easily configure
> the modem.
> 	Suggestions on good modem cards and/or external modems that work well with
> Linux.  I know about the Linux hardware compatibility list but I want real
> world advice.
> 	Any suggestions on how to EASILY configure modems. ( I only have experience
> with TCP/IP and Linux).
> 	Any help to come by next Saturday to put some boxes out the door - unless I
> have to recommend a Windows solution.
> 	Either Linux or a BSD solution is ok.  I know it can be done, I just don't
> have the time now (already spending 12 hrs at work daily) to do it and test
> it myself and Free Bytes needs it soon too.
> 
> 	What I don't need help with:
> 	Any politically motivated flames.  I don't have the time nor the mind.  The
> customer wants a simple computer solution and has already seen a Windows box
> and considers it the standard to beat. We need to have a solution that is
> realistic and will work.  The customer doesn't care about the how - just the
> what.  I will not hesitate to recommend a MS solution to help them feed
> people.
> 	I am sorry, but the hardware and other requirements are not negotiable.  I
> really wish we had modern boxes with already installed <distro here> that
> automagically just needed the phone # to work, but that is not the reality.
> What is in the requirements is all we have to work with (unless some one
> donates several hundred bigger/better/faster/newer computer's in the next 4
> days).
> 
> 	So, can any one help ?  in any way ? even advice on modems is needed.  It
> would be nice if several dozen or even a few were to come by next Saturday
> to help with installs too, but right now I need to get a demo working within
> the requirements. If it passes muster, then we will worry about the initial
> order of 30.
> 
> 	If you want to help, then please email me at runman at speedfactory.net  If
> anyone wants to seriously help take on this project AND CAN REALLY REALLY
> DONATE THE TIME then just ask and we can talk on the phone to night - but at
> any rate I need to give the project manager the word not later than Sunday
> night.
> 
> 	TIA,
> 
> 	Greg Canter
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 

-- 
Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net

The latest, most widespread virus?  Microsoft end user agreement.
Think about it...

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