[ Thanks to Fred Mobach
for this review: ]
The kmLinux distribution is completely new for me so I decided
to take a look at it and to inform you as most of you do not hear
much of what is happening in Germany ;-).
kmLinux (http://www.lernnetz-sh.de/html/projekte/opensource/kmlinux.html)
is a complete Linux distribution for schools and very simple to
install. It is in development by the Landesbildungsserver
Schleswig-Holstein (http://www.lernnetz-sh.de/) (a
govermental organization of the Bundesstaat Schleswig-Holstein) in
close cooperation with the Verein Freie Software und Bildung
(http://fsub.schule.de/indexf.htm)
(Union for Free Software and Education) and SuSE (http://www.suse.de). SuSE needs no
introduction I assume.
kmLinux comes in two versions : kmLinux and kmLinux-S. It is
based on the standard SuSE distribution. Both versions are not
server but client oriented, a graphical client computer. The
computer must have a Pentium cpu and a VESA-2.0 – compatible
graphic card.
It is still in development. Help is still needed as you can read
(in German) at
http://www.lernnetz-sh.de/html/projekte/opensource/kmlinux/mitarbeit.html.
It contains a lot of applications (see
http://www.lernnetz-sh.de/html/projekte/opensource/kmlinux/software.html)
for textprocessing, mathematics, CS, physics, chemistry, astronomy,
internet, graphics and games.
kmLinux is a version which does not need a separate partition,
it has to be installed on the first IDE partition of a windows
computer and needs 1200 MB. I don’t know why they are talking about
drive c:. It is intended to let people know how Linux looks and
feels without the hassle of a normal installation:-). Most users
are not computer professionals and that is also true at schools.
Because of performance issues this version is not intended for
permanent usage.
The second version, kmLinux-S, has to be installed on a system
with at least 1600 MB free IDE disc space. If need be (?) an
already available windows partition can be kept on disk also. The
installation process can be started by booting from CD, floppy or
from a DOS program. The installation process is very simple because
it has been preconfigured as far as possible. It takes less then 15
minutes and is then immediately useable.
These versions uses Reiserfs in order to prevent problems by
those teachers / students who don’t know how to shut down a
computer in a regular way ;-).
This comes to you from your Dutch correspondent :-).
Have a good day.