Thanks for all your opinions, I guess this is not an easy task, but I'm willing to give it a try...
Some points that I've summed up (correct me If I'm wrong):
1. Totally agree Tiger OC: Only when Linux becomes an integral part of school and the work place and people are trained in its use will Linux become a main stream OS.
This is the longterm effort, obviously, the most difficult and tricky one, since this decisions often are taken by politicians, and in my country, this is bad news. This needs more thinking on how to do a comprehensive approach on schools, but clearly the future is brighter if kids of today learn Linux in school.
2. Good idea fair_is_fair, putting ads in the newspaper, nothing is more powerful than seeing Linux in action, this goes also for what archtoad6 said, using marketing in order to have attention of the public toward Linux. So free installations is a good beggining for me I must said that this can have a boomerang effect as described by fair_is_fair, people going back to Windows, that will be very sad. So I think that besides a good dual boot installation (totally configured so people just start playing with Linux) and some instructions it's necessary the following:
- Give every new Linux user a booklet with the small quantity of pages that explains the key features that a "regular Window user" needs to know to survive the key first days with Linux, the first thing that comes to my mind is: an easy explanation of the filesystem (if something will panic a "regular Window user" it will be having trouble saving some file downloaded from the Internet, only this will cause this user to go back to Windows!, it happens to me...), maybe the Linux policy of permissions on files, and I would like to include some about the philosophy of Linux, please give me more hints on what else could be included, also if you know of some link in the Internet of such a document please let me know.. A warning here, on these strategies It's absolutely necessary some funding......
3. A key point named for many of you, if the "regular Windows user", that has spent some time learning windows and even having tons of troubles, is comfortable (how???) is just static not even considering changing something, as jaz and ayslu said, they are completely windows-dependent, and yes ayslu there is an social effect here that makes people wanting to be part of the main group and not being isolated. I believe that it's here the target!!!! This is the main reason why people doesn't want to try Linux, it's just perceived as something hard, difficult, and even worse isolator of other people. If you use Linux you are weird, not sociable and going against the main stream (meaning problematic). No one wants to be perceived this way...
How to fight this?, mmmm well i supposed I need help here, but I think that we must change how Linux is seeing by the "regular user", yes it can be done, I believe it can achieved by telling people the truth! Linux is not just for geeks, it's for everybody, that is a powerful, secure, stable and easy to use, summing up: Linux = Fun, I believe that this is true, do you agree?
When people start to couple these two words It's Linux time.
Thanks again for your thoughts, I'm planning to produce this booklet, if it is not available in the net already (after all I need an Spanish version)...
Please keep posting more opinions, They're very helpful

It's not all controlled by the politicians. There is no law that says, "Schools must use Windows." As a former English teacher of five years, I can attest that most decisions are made within a school district or sometimes within the school itself, or even the department. Your best bet is to find some Linux company (say, Canonical?) that's willing to donate preloaded Linux computers and training to both very poor public schools and private schools (there are not-well-funded private schools, believe it or not). Isn't this what Apple did in the 80s? Schools that can't even afford enough textbooks for classrooms will be more than grateful to have functioning and new computers. Also, the security model of Linux is a boon to any school's IT department--knowing how easily computer-savvy (and computer-ignorant) school children can mess up computers when given administrative privileges.

P.S. I'm going based on U.S. schools. Like most Americans, I'm a big egocentric. Sorry! I do realize sometimes that Linux is a global community.

Worked for Firefox, didn't it? What would the ad say, though?

Honestly, I feel quite alone in Linux-land, except for these forums. My dad uses Linux, and the head of the IT department at work uses Linux, but both of them are hardcore Linux users (total command-line, slackware kind of Linux users), so I can't really relate to them. I don't know any "ordinary" Linux users in real life--it's just me. I'm talking family, friends, co-workers, church members... no one I know is a regular Linux user.

I believe it's true, but people won't change until Linux is in the schools and workplaces. School is a much easier place to break into than the workplace. A lot of times, I've thought of what I would do if I were super-rich. I'm glad Mark Shuttleworth has decided to fund Ubuntu. If I were super-rich, I'd set up scholarships or donate Linux computers to schools. Young minds are impressionable, and they don't have to unlearn Windows. You can get them fresh, and one day, they'll be in the workplace and say, "Where's my Linux?" or they'll be starting their own companies and insisting IT buy Linux computers.

If you want to honestly and properly teach school students about linux you need to expose them to all the various OS's and let them decide which one they like the best. Otherwise you will be no better then MS (if that is your argument anyways) And even then you still have issues of Art Students who need Photoshop, and Technical Drawing students who need AutoCAD. Niether of which have a a real OSS competitior or linux compatiable software (sorry gimp is pretty darn good but its not photoshop)

And this is all assuming they will even like linux. I agree with a lot of people who say Linux is not ready for mainstream yet. Yes its made great strides but the simple point and click wholesome feel of Windows does not quite translate over yet to linux. Hardware support is certainly still lacking, software installs at times can still be a confusing mess of CLI commands, and a lack of centralized tech support (at least in a school enviroment) can become a turn off. They would need to pay for a linux like SUSE for the tech support and then if you do that you can throw the cost argument out the window. MS gives schools Windows software at no or little cost.

Sure, but in the meantime, they can get pleny of MS if they want. There's no danger in the next five years of Linux taking over the schools!

Why? No one ever had to have students "like" Windows or Mac. They just forced the students to use them.

It doesn't? Could have fooled me. I'm pointing and clicking every day. The things I use the command-line for students shouldn't be doing anyway (installing software, configuring /etc/fstab, etc.). For someone who uses Mepis, you should have some screwy notions about point-and-click and Linux. Mepis is just about as point-and-click as you can get!

Turn off to whom? I'm talking about someone paying to have preloaded Linux computers in a school. I'm not talking about handing a bunch of Ubuntu CDs to students and saying, "Here. Install these. Have fun."

Or the tech people who already work at the school could administer Linux. It's a lot easier than administering Windows.

On what basis do you make this claim?

1) I am just saying things as I feel they are. I am just saying that you if you want to bring linux into the schools alongside with the Linux philosphy then you cannot simple use it to replace the current OS you need to have it alongside other computers or maybe even better have computer courses that talk about show by example the difference. But you cannot make USA Middleschool a "all linux" school or else you would be doing the same exact thing MS does and thats still not fair.

2) Thus why you present the choices. The only thing difficult is the stupid Mac. But otherwise have the machines load with different options and students can use what they want to try or what not.

3) For the most part it is Point and Click and I agree, but not as much as windows is. And if you want students to migrate linux over to their home pc's they are eventually going to want to install something (after they get over the shock that 90% of the games made will not easily run in linux and you cannot easily walk into the store and get Linux software like you can with Windows) and I am sorry but Linux on the laptop (increasingly growing PC market) is not quite there yet like windows is. I have Suse 9.3 on my laptop (and its a far step up from anything I have ever in the past used) but its still just not there with battery life (I lose a whole extra half hour for using linux compared to Windows in terms o f battery life) I don't know about wireless. But for me it never works I always have to use the driver wrapper and then manually enter the SSID I want to join no nice client but I still need to try out suse so maybe thats changed.

4&5) Well the impression given is that they were getting free linux software which as far as I am aware rarely offers a central tech support group. If its preloaded great but if they ever run into an issue then what? You are also assuming whoever is currently there is capable of running linux and administering it. If they aren;t you simply can't fire them because of that (I mean look at the school's now days some of those teachers don't belong there yet they can;t be fired because of the teacher union who strikes at the sligthest drop)

6) The basis is 1) on the MS Primary and Secodnary Educators website 2) What I thought was a rather known fact but it has been known for quite sometime that MS does donate computers to schools that otherwise couldn't afford them. I saw it on some chariety listing 3)From experience because my school was given some computers from MS and they even sent a trainer over to help devolp a computer lesson plan.

Well, if you go back to my original post, my proposal was that someone donate Linux computers and training. Why do you notice that MS donates computers and training but assume only Linux computers would be donated (without training)?

Never did I suggest Linux be the only OS students get trained on. In fact, I don't think anyone in this thread suggested such a thing.

And I still don't get what's not point-and-click about Linux for school purposes. As for installing software, I didn't get how to install software on the Mac, either, until recently--even though I grew up using the Mac a lot in school--because, as a student, you're not supposed to be installing software.

I remember the first time I downloaded a .dmg file and tried installing it. I had no idea what to do after double-clicking it. Some white thing appeared on the desktop afterwards. It took quite a bit of experimenting to finally get that I had to open the white thing and drag the icon from there to the Applications folder. They didn't teach me such things when I was using the Mac in school. Did that stop me and my wife from using the Mac at home? No.

Likewise, if Linux computers are used in schools, students should not be encouraged to install software (trust me, though, students will figure out how to do it... you don't need root privileges to install a program locally--say, in your home folder). If they get a Linux computer at home, they'll be so comfortable with the way Linux works that learning how to install software will not be that big a leap.

I still don't get your point. What's your point?

My point is: if we have money or if someone has money, let's donate Linux computers and training to schools that need computers. That way, at least some portion of the population will learn and get comfortable with Linux from a young age.

I'm not saying let's kick Microsoft and Apple out. I'm not saying Linux is the only OS they have to learn. I'm talking about schools that need computers, any computers. I've seen these schools before. They would not mind having Linux. They want to be able to do web research, to have a place where students can type papers, etc.

I don't tell people that what they are using (Microsoft Windows) sucks. That will just make them angry and turn them away. I tell them that Linux is just as good for what they are doing, more secure, and FREE.

my point was not to say it is a stupid idea or that it won't work I was just saying things that I see that could be potential pitfalls in general and not directed at you. I have noticed that people tend to say often in conversations like this that they want only LINUX machines in schools and nothing else. Which iI find is counter productive and what not. Just because something MAY not be an issue does not mean it WON'T be an issue.

This could be the most relevant thread created in a linux forum.

Congratulations Victorh!

There has never been a concerted effort to get linux out to the public that I know of.

We are a group with common interest and a common goal. We have individuals scattered across the globe.

Do we have the power to effect immeasurable change?

Thanks ayslu, stabile007 and fair_is_fair for replying.
I must say fair_is_fair that your words really encourage me, and responding your question, I think that it's hard to say how much effect we can achieve, but I do believe that it's worth to try to unite our experiences and knowledge and put them on practice on some ordered way, if one thing has slowed the adoption of Linux is that we the users, scattered across the globe, are also scattered on using this very rich common expertise on some practical strategies that can be adopted in our own situations.
Well ayslu as my own experience, I'm also very isolated as a Linux user on my circle of friends and relatives, that's why I started this thread, to share experiences that have been applied somewhere else and their results. It's ironic, Linux as we use it today has roots on sharing and growing by the impulse of many people, but we the users are isolated, if it weren't for this kind of forums, we were deeply isolated, we need to change that.
Back to the strategies:
!. The longterm effort, It was discussed before that using Linux computers in schools are the goal to achieve (Give MS some of their own medicine!), this is peculiar to each school, city or country, but there are issues that we can improve here, stabile007 raise some details that needs to be addressed. Ayslu mention some options on how to do it with low budgets. What it's critical for me is the technical support after giving the PCs.
2. Some more practical strategies, I insist on creating a so called "Survival Booklet" so every single new Linux user can have fun with Linux without reading a book of 100+ pages (hopefully he will read such book after tasting Linux), I was wondering what are the most common tasks that a "regular user" does with his computer:
- Surfing the web (check email)
- Downloading some file and saving it on the hard disk
- ???
for each of this tasks we must provide a detail step-by-step solution so they can do it on the way, nothing is more attracting than doing this common actions without reading man pages or FAQs.
3. Ayslu was asking for the ads, what would they say? this is an open question, maybe someone with marketing expertise can help us. The bottom line, providing free installations and some support for the new users. I could add given free CDs to each new user.
4 There remains more questions, the distribution that would best fit a new user???, that's a really hard question, I don't want to initiate a distribution war here. You see that's why I love Linux, I have plenty of flavors from where I can choose the one that I like the most, Isn't this the real fact of exercising our right to choose? or maybe some other approach that we could use taking advantage of this real strength of Linux, the diversity?

Finally I'm aware that nothing is taking for granted and when we apply these strategies we can learn valuable lessons on spreading the adoption of Linux, isn't it worth to do it?, maybe the next generation of Linux users can do better than us...

maybe you can try and have a look at ubuntu , as for creating a so called "Survival Booklet" which is practical you can try the format used in the Unofficial Ubuntu 5.04 Starter Guide , it just a one "long" page of guide ...

but still , whatever methods or practices you choosed , why wait until the next generation , not every linux users are happy or willing to do this kind of "unimportant" thing(including me) because of some reasos , so go ahead and be infront of this stupid and hypocritical old world !! ...

Here's something ....very keen observations...

http://www.zdnetindia.com/news/comme...es/125792.html

Read it..and comment...

However, I feel, the way GNU/Linux is ....its the best....

What do y'all feel..???

I think there are already plenty of comments for that article.

These two articles are far more interesting than Asa's FUD article:

Windows vs Linux - which is easier to install?
Installing Software: A GNU/Linux VS. MS Windows Comparison

Thanks for the links, I've read them an many other articles and their opinions and I think that I'll not despair if some guys just don't want to try Linux. I don't think they are the majority, though. There are some Windows die hards that will not understand any valid argument, even if it's true!.
What I believe is that most of the people are intelligent enough (something that many of these people have forgotten) to listen some arguments and then make up their minds. The goal is to grasp their attention and pass your message to them.
That is my goal, and I will use some of your thoughts and advices on creating this message. For my experience as a Linux user, it's clear that we have a case here, i don't care what reporters or "experts" say about Linux. I'm using some of your thoughts to make that message totally compelling and straightforward so that when people asks "What's is Linux?" or "Why I should give it a try?" I could be prepared to tell the truth but in a way that can be understandable for most of the people: Linux is Fun!. After all it requires an approach that will not scare people or make them turn away as some of you have pointed.
The other point that is taking shape is my "Survival Booklet", and those articles were really helpful, for example I'll add a page to explain how to install packages in the Linux system. I believe eight pages could be right, and I realize that the support in case something goes wrong is critical, so I'll be prepared to help them when in need, that will be very important to all the people that will try Linux. Also I'll add to this booklet the burned CDs of the distribution that I'll use.
Some final observation about what aired said, what I've tried to say is that this challenge that will take place soon is already defined, what it's not clear is the result, and I'll post here my good and bad experiences (hopefully more good than bad ones) in either case these experiences could be used for some of you and some new Linux users in the future to do it better than me.
Thanks again for your opinions.