Instead of an ISO, this comes as a ZIP package. This was because it was easier to administer in the network environment. I would simply boot a machine into memory (using the "puppy pfix=ram"), format to ext2 with a 200mb swap, and install grub (settings dont matter...see later). After this I would start a betaftpd on another of the machines where I keep this zip file, with an absolute shortcut to it under the /root/ftp folder, and connect to it using gFTP on the new machine (hint- use "ifconfig" on the command line to find the IP of the computer hosting the ZIP), mount the hard disk on the new machine and transfer to hda1. The whole file transfers in about a minute on the 100mb network we have. Its then just a matter of opening a console window on the new machine (press the " ` " just to the left of the "1" key after mounting the hard disk with MUT), and typing "unzip cybercafe12.zip". This overwrites the "/boot" directory and set up the bootloader.
The final step is to reboot (twice, once into each OS) and do xorgwizard to set up the graphics....thats it!!! The whole process can be done in about 15 minutes.
The setup seems to be fairly stable, and has been tested thoroughly by all the little darling children (bless them
), from Riddings Estate, Scunthorpe. Recently Ive had to take some time off work, but the computers just carried on regardless so in terms of maintenance theres not a lot to do. Ive also installed it on the cheap computers weve been selling from the Cybercafe (just tweak msn and firefox to remember things), and weve had good reports back.Im working on a new 2.15ce setup using the ideas and observations Ive gleaned from teaching and working at the cafe. This is already set up on three of the testing machines, and I hope to release it as soon as it has been thoroughly tested and tweaked.
Me, and the people that use the community centre, want to say a big thank you to all the puppy team for the help and support you have given me through this forum (and off it), to produce this setup. Thank you for your long hours and expertise that has made this project possible.
Robert Simpson
Director - Ecomoney Systems Ltd
Download from our public mirror at www.ecomoney.eu