Well, here's the thing. I'm studying at this school with awesome computers, yet they don't use them at the maximum power. With windows 98, MSI and outlook they are claiming to use 'em at max. power.

Whenever I have got some pics I want to moderate, I have to

use paint, instead of gimp. This just sucks. Now, I have joined this board, that can give ideas, and they might me used. I am going to suggest the use of linux, however,... I am going to need some good arguments. Can any of you give me some good ones? The system-admins are worried 'bout their precious network being fucked up.

I'm gonna need some good arguments...

The school I'm on, is a socallled advanced school, I don't know the exact word in english. It's a school where you go, before going to the university.

Try bringing in a Knoppix CD, and booting one of the machines from that.
Make sure you figure out in advance how to get networking and the like set up, so you can bring in the CD and show a sysadmin how to configure it in 10 minutes or less. Then show them the GIMP, and other sweet linux apps. then mention things like licensing fees and software costs.

Your school sounds like a quebec cegepe... where you from?

I'm from the Netherlands. And the school sucks. I showed it to those ignorant people and.. not the entire system admin team is going to decide whether we're gonna get linux, but some ignorant breezer sluts can decide too! (n)
I got the coollinux live-boot (love@icewm) and told them what everything was. Indeed, I showed them Gimp, abiword, xmms and opera. Told them it was free, you could get help almost anywhere, but...
The discussion with the IG (ignorant girl):
Me: "so, sounds neat, huh?"
IG: "Well... I don't know. I know some things about this program... and it's not very good."
Me: "Erm.. what prog?"
IG: "This whole linux thing."
Me: "It's not a prog, it is an operating system."
IG: "It makes your computer slower. Much more slow."
Me: "Well, actually, it doesn't. This is a bit slow, because it isn't installed yet. When it is running from the cdrom, it is slow, but that is the same with any windows program you try to run from cdrom."
IG: "I don't.. just don't think so.. I don't like it."
Me: "erm.. maybe that is because... you don't know it?!"

That's the end of the story... because of this one girl that is in the students board, she's speaking for the pupils that are against linux. Fact that the entire system admin team thought it was nice and safe (!) didn't matter... no linux because of silly, small-minded people.

Mention to the administrators that Linux allows you to set up nice firewalls and to block internet smut through tools like squid...

The puritans among them might like that.

advantages of linux
1) bettor reasource managment
2) multiple users (over 4 billion last time i heard)
3) linux and its major componets were amde for networking computers (linux kernel, CUPS, X11)
4) free (if ya have the time), cheaper (if ya dont have the time)
5) FULLL customizibility (almost full, if worst come to shove just modify/rewrite the program)
6) security (good built in firewall, with a few patches just for added security ya cant go wrong)
7) stable (depending on how its set up, for me tho it frezes once a 2 months, but i know that cuse i use older hardware wich isent very stable in my mind)
8) you can put it on almost any popualr computer (use those old terminals, consoles, older hardware (i386), super computers, regualr computers (like desktops/webserers), macs, i know theres more but i dont know there names, only wierd words like alpha, sparc, and i think amiga, and mips)
9) fast (under a minute for me to boot up (just about 30 seconds), even our desktop computer wich should run circles over my linux laptop needs more time then that to boot, reason: cuse its windows)
10) good suport (forums like these make geting help very easy, in windows there tech suport is lacking to non existant for me)

What Rounan said is a great idea. Also stress the big advantage of the ease of control for root user and use no language (f) in these boards, they are totally open to view and some people get upset

Windows 98??? The argument is simple: 95/98/ME HAVE NO SECURITY. None. I assume some/all of these computers are connected to the internet. If they are then ANYTHING is better then 95/98/ME. Even Win 2K or XP. Linux has the advantage of being free, though.

i can ealy mess up a win95/98 comp (i dono if this works for other versons of windows)

at the logon screen press
control alt esc
and you can do whatever you want (altho you cant login to the network, the computer is still basicaly under your complete control)

explain to them that a demo cd is not "living" on the computer yet. That is why it is a bit slow. Talk up the cheapness and security to the admins though, not the students. Tell them they can dual boot for those "linux-challenged" students, once its on there and flies, then they might see the light. Ask if you can set up a propper linux demo, (install it on one computer) to show them how it would really be.

rock on.
titanium_geek

Bring a computer with Linux installed on the hd.

If you can't get liinux installed on all of the computers, ask to install linux on a few, and slowly convert the school to linux.

-Joey

"That's the end of the story... because of this one girl that is in the students board, she's speaking for the pupils that are against linux. Fact that the entire system admin team thought it was nice and safe (!) didn't matter... no linux because of silly, small-minded people."

I think that your problem is political and not technical. You need to use political tactics to win this fight. You could start by forming a Linux club. The announced purpose of the Linux club would be to share the Linux hobby with your fellow members. The secret agenda of the Linux club would be to overthrow Windows at your school. The Linux club would act as a political pressure group to get Linux installed along side of Windows at your school. If the students board is an elected body (it was at my school) then you could get the best politician in the Linux club to run against this IG in your next election.

___________________________________
Be prepared. Create a LifeBoat CD.
http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

Steve Stites

Quote:

Originally posted by Joey.Dale If you can't get liinux installed on all of the computers, ask to install linux on a few, and slowly convert the school to linux. -Joey

This is a very good idea, 1 or 2 isolated off the network they are so scared of losing control of in doz 98? can show them the stability and advantages without any risk of security exposure.

heheh...

another one... It remember my old days... I tried to convert the school.
Give it up. No one is going to be interested in Linux. Because for a school:
computer science = typing letters with nice pictures in it.

Windows is the best. (huh... I am starting to believe it , at least that is what my classmates are telling me)

XP is very good... Linux is better, and alot. Linux needs a certain amount of intelligence from the person who operates the PC. You see, most schools aren't able to provide that.
ask my computer science teacher:
Teacher: What is that?
Me: it is called the command line...
Teacher: Where is Windows? (I had it in the complete DOS-style)
(5 sec later)
You broke the computer! Your going to have to pay for the costs!
Me: I type exit...

See, some people don't care about it. Most people will never know that there is a way to operate a pc without a mouse.

At least I use linux. That is what makes me better than my classmates showing off with their paper filled with nice pictures. You know that there is more. They don't... They don't want to...

Geert.