Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 18:24:45 +0200 From: Fred Mobach <fred@mobach.nl> To: lwn@lwn.net Subject: kmLinux : new German Linux distribution for schools Hello, 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 will not pay so much attention on 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 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. This 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. Fred Mobach fred@mobach.nl