10 pc Cybercafe for 30ukp!!!!

Message

Colonel Panic · #101 Post by **Colonel Panic** » Tue 13 Feb 2007, 14:42

Thanks for your replies above, and rarsa you're right; I normally get onto a computer at the centre during a break or when the weather turns bad

It's one of the most glaring flaws on Windows XP IMO that you're expected to run as admin rather than as root on most applications, making it very easy to break and "infect."

Lobster · #102 Post by **Lobster** » Tue 13 Feb 2007, 15:15

Colonel Panic - try Major Geeks
http://www.majorgeeks.com/

couldn't resist . . .

Colonel Panic · #103 Post by **Colonel Panic** » Tue 13 Feb 2007, 18:27

Thanks, I know the site well.

I'm not sure I know enough to be a true geek though, I've basically picked things up as I've gone along and there's a lot to learn. Maybe I'm an apprentice geek instead

Auda · #104 Post by **Auda** » Tue 13 Feb 2007, 19:22

but is it possible to install filters to stop users accessing certain sites

I dont know but I guess that if you added a list of banned sites to the hosts file it would work. I have a list of 16,789 sites in my servers hosts file that redirects to a local page saying I have blocked that site.
Auda

Gekko · #105 Post by **Gekko** » Thu 15 Feb 2007, 04:12

Auda wrote:
but is it possible to install filters to stop users accessing certain sites
I dont know but I guess that if you added a list of banned sites to the hosts file it would work. I have a list of 16,789 sites in my servers hosts file that redirects to a local page saying I have blocked that site.
Auda

Now I'm going to quote myself again

There is Squid Proxy which I was trying to make work on Puppy but wont work without another user in Puppy; it can't run as root. So we'll have to wait until I get the time to look at the source, or until 2.14.

Auda · #106 Post by **Auda** » Thu 15 Feb 2007, 05:44

Um yeah I didn't read that bit

Auda

BarryK · #107 Post by **BarryK** » Mon 05 Mar 2007, 23:14

If anyone wants to influence my next step, please do:
http://www.puppyos.net/forum/azbb.php?1173087234

mechmike · #108 Post by **mechmike** » Thu 08 Mar 2007, 15:32

Here:

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/459/index.html

Actually, I linked to Mr. Goose's article, which in turn links to yours...

Feel free to chime in, as the article makes your points nicely!

Also, this is being discussed on Digg:

http://digg.com/linux_unix/Linux_Preven ... e#c5592844

ecomoney · #109 Post by **ecomoney** » Sun 17 Jun 2007, 12:37

Hi all, sorry Ive been away the last couple of months. I will be back on board full time from now on.

Weve had a (another) major refurb of the cybercafe, with the help of a community grant weve bought new desks, chairs, paint for the walls and now we even have a carpet!!! Weve also installed a testing version of apuppy 2.15ce based setup that is running (fairly) sweetly on the computers......which havnt needed to be upgraded or changed at all. The computers have been in since christmas now, and havnt needed any maintenence or re-installation through corruption at all. A testament to puppy linux's reliability.

We setup the new 2.15ce system on the computers while we were waiting for the desks to arrive, it took about an hour to install all 10 using a four-port router over a "quick and dirty" DHCP network. Weve refined the installation procedure and got the time down to about 8 minutes per pc (we just copy the pup_save.3fs, pup_215.sfs, zdrv_2.15, Oo_215.sfs and a zipped /boot directory over then network using betaftpd and gFtp).

Yesterday, they had their first real test as the centre is opening on Saturdays now for childrens activity sessions (painting, rounders, making bread etc....and puppy linuxing

). Besides a couple of firefox crashes, they all performed brilliantly. The users seemed to like the new setup and the new features that have been added. These are all ones that have been identified through teaching and supporting the users at the centre over the past year, more of those later, anyway, heres a few pics...

The Puppy Cybercafe

Happy Kids

My step-daughter Jessica.....absorbed in supertux

Billy Billy is one of the students at the computer classes who started from the point of switching one on, and is now downloading mp3, searching the web, using forums and freecycle and loves youtube!).

Centre Manager Jean Marshall

Jean Marshall is the manager of the Drop in Centre, although she has seen all that has been done with puppy, she has not taken the plunge and used puppy herself. Although having the newest computer in the bulding (2ghz with 512mb RAM), it was also (by far) the slowest with Windoze XP. Jean has had people contact her to use the cybercafe for training, but they have been put off when they heard that the machines were running Linux, as they imagine it to be totally different to doze and the training they would recieve not applicable to working other computers.

Recently, while I have been away, someone came and offered to help at the cafe with the computers, and has already windozed one of the cybercafe computers (which took him 4 1/2 hours!). After a lot of "enthusiastic" discussion, Jean has agreed to limit the number of pc's with xp on them to two while she assesses their stability (not much to fear there then!). Ive also agreed to meet some of the training providers to demonstrate to them puppy's useability.

At first I was worried about this, but overall Im looking forward to there being a couple of xp machines...as a nice comparison

, although am still worried that Jean will decide to windoze all of the cybercafe, and it will be lost to puppy. I am not sure she is aware of all the open-source activity around the world with this forum and linux in general, as she only uses her computer for these two tasks. I do try and keep her informed, although I am only one voice. When it comes to computers, Jean is a very "Stick to what you know and learn only what you have to" type of user.

Thankfully yesterday, Jeans computer (which she uses only for doing posters in micro$oft publisher and picking up her AOL mail) picked up some virus or other and threw the network settings, disconnecting her from the internet. At first she thought it was something I had done with the recabling and refused to believe her pc had failed on her, until I booted with a puppy live cd and showed her the internet working on it. She then, very reluctantly agreed to trial puppy on her own pc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ten minutes later her computer was installed with a dual boot system (cd in - linux, cd out windoze) and she was reading her email again. I talked her through using openoffice draw to design a poster, although it will take a bit of training she seemed reasonably impressed.

I know from my previous experience that if the cybercafe goes over to closed source, it will not only cost a lot of money in liciencing to Redmund (Jean can apply for a grant for it), but the support costs and problems will spiral through the roof. I am worried about what the future may hold and how she will get on with puppy. Jean is not only the manager of the local drop in centre, but is very influential with other charities and causes in the area, and I wouldn't want her to quit in her linux training early on before she really sees the benefits for herself.

May I ask some of the forum readers to email Jean ( riddingsaction <at> aol.com ) with some encouragement and some of their own experiences with puppy? I am not sure she is fully aware of the team of people (i.e. you) that have made the cybercafe possible as she does not understand the forum system, although she does know about email. It would go a long way to helping preserve the cafe as a puppy testbed and working case study, and as a facility to the local community.

As I mentioned, I have installed a new system at the cybercafe, modelled on Windows Vista (thanks whodo for the themes and tips!). Its still having the bugs ironed out and extra useability improvements added (you can see a list of the features in my working nots here and can get a screenshot here. The major useability improvements are...

-No BSOD (Black screen of death) on an improper shutdown, rather a timed out message. (thanks WhoDo, and guestoo for the timeout tip, see here...)

-Logging out with icewm brings up a shutdown menu, rather than BSOD) ((thanks WhoDo and Guestoo again!)

-A double/single click handler (with a splash message) has been added to all of the icons on the desktop, so absolute beginners dont have to learn to double click, advanced user just have one click, but people that instinctively double click icons dont open two instances of the application. Thanks again to Guestoo for devising a solution to this major headache (cant find the link at the moment).

-Firefox flash has been patched and is *relatively* stable, thanks to everyone who helped in sorting that vexing problem, just search for "firefox flash" on the forum search.

- Openoffice upgraded to 2.2 for faster startup.

- gxine plugin added to firefox to play non-flash videos from the web.

Just a reminder that the previous puppy 2.02 based installation can be downloaded at
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=18800.

Thanks to everyone that has posted their tips and experiences on the forum, and everyone that has assisted and helped bring this project to fruition.

Lobster · #110 Post by **Lobster** » Sun 17 Jun 2007, 15:34

I love seeing the kids using the easy to use Puppy.
Bravo

Here is my letter to Jean

[quote]Hi Jean

My name is Ed Jason.
On the Internet and in the Puppy Linux realms
I am known as “Lobster

Linux_chick · #111 Post by **Linux_chick** » Sun 17 Jun 2007, 21:22

It looks sooo different from when i was there. Looks bright and 'enticing', how it should look for a modern community centre. ACE.
Well done all....

Linux_chick · #112 Post by **Linux_chick** » Sun 17 Jun 2007, 21:56

Here's a thankyou from me too, although i dont work here any more, i still keep an interest. Thankyou to those people from this forum who have helped greatly in this cyber cafe becoming a very successful centre of excellence and helping to improve the communities resources and lives of those that participate here.

It is refreshing to see that there are people who have a great empathy and dedication to help others.

cthisbear · #113 Post by **cthisbear** » Sun 17 Jun 2007, 23:42

" ecomoney "

A foolish wastrel you are indeed!

Open source ...closed source.....what foolish words thou speak young man.
If I need sauce then surely I use Worcestershire.

Your rants and mumbles do not go unnoticed around these parts.

Beware! I do not hunt you down on my square wheeled chariot.

And the Earth be flat too.
Be-gone with your wild and improbable assertitions..I say.

Chris

tony · #114 Post by **tony** » Mon 18 Jun 2007, 11:26

Hi Jean.

I have been computing for over 40 years. The first thing I learned was that people are more important than Hardware or Software. Hang on to your people at all costs.

Having old computers on site is an advantage. State of the art computers delivered to our villiage hall on Thursday were stolen on Sunday.

Here in Hanney Oxon we have no enthusiasm, no computers, no cybercafe. How about a few spinoffs?

Regards Tony

ecomoney · #115 Post by **ecomoney** » Mon 18 Jun 2007, 12:19

Hi Tony

Sorry to hear about your computers. My advice would be to ask around the local schools or council offices. They will probably have a roomful of computers they cant afford to dump. Let me know if I can help with any install problems.

Weve just had 2 Senior tutors from our local adult education service in to assess the software for a basic internet course starting tommorow, they heard we were running linux and were skeptical. They just left promising to ask their IT department if they can have it installed on all of the computers for Adult Ed across the county

Keep up the good work guys!

timbutton · #116 Post by **timbutton** » Tue 26 Jun 2007, 14:51

I heard there is some product in Canada, which may turn those PC into
Coin operated PC

shawdebrun · #117 Post by **shawdebrun** » Tue 26 Jun 2007, 15:50

I bought one from company weavefure which is pretty cool

ecomoney · #118 Post by **ecomoney** » Wed 27 Jun 2007, 01:19

We have no plans to charge for the use of the computers as yet (we ask a small fee for printing to cover consumables, and the cost of skype phone calls). To secure funding though I have been asked to gather some usage statistics, i.e. the number of people who use the cybercafe each day. At the moment were using deadtree version 1.0 stable for this

Would like to upgrade soon though.

Someone asked earlier how we were filtering the content to the computers with so many youngsters using them. To be fair this has never been too much of a problem as the kids are supervised at all time and the last thing they would want to do is "look at things they shouldnt" at the cybercafe. However, it is a question that was often asked by concerned people, so weve implemented dansguardian content filter on the smoothwall box. You can read about it here..., and the smoothwall gui for it here....

The Mighty Windle · Sat 30 Jun 2007, 17:54

Greetings o Puppynauts!

It's taken me a wee while to post on here, I've been using Puppy Linux since just before August last year. I've known the bod known as Ecomoney for nigh on 25 years now, having first met him when i was a snot-goggled sprog of about 7 years old.
I'm the hardware monkey that helped build phase 2 of the Riddings Drop In Cyber cafe just before Xmas and new to a lot of this software malarcky, so please be gentle with me... !

Linux_chick · #120 Post by **Linux_chick** » Sat 30 Jun 2007, 21:37

Hello stranger 'Windle'...yes, we did lots of good work at the cyber cafe...didnt we? .Good to see you on here...lol.
Its great that what i was seeking in software has been established with ecopuppy...(more or less).

See you soon....'Woof' 'woof'..

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

10 pc Cybercafe for 30ukp!!!!

Ecomoney, I linked to your story...

Cybercafe Update

cc cybercafe

Cooooool

Another letter to Jean.

Hi Tony

May turn those PCS into coin operated

Coin operated Cyber Cafe

Howdy peeps!