[Luna] Install fest notes

[Andrew Roazen]

Given the relatively light marketing, turnout was decent. We installed 
Ubuntu 6.06 onto an ancient 128Mb/10Gb/866GHzP3 Optiplex GX110 and 
upgraded it to 6.06.1 for a bookstore worker who needed a front end 
workstation to the web-based Java interface their management software 
uses. Ubuntu 6 has the official Sun Java 5 JRE in the repository now, so 
he isn't even working with the Blackdown JRE clone.

Things we learned:

    * Shane got to see 6.06.1 not sucking
    * I got to see the 6.06 alternate installer demonstrate how a
      curses-based installer can successfully install desktop Ubuntu on
      a system too memory light to boot the official liveCD
    * I learned about EasyUbuntu, an installer script with a spiffy
      interface for quickly getting restricted codecs, DVD support,
      Flash/Java plugins and more installed quickly (a keeper for future
      install fests)

If I were planning another one of these, I would suggest we set up four 
side-by-side PCs: one running XP Pro, one running a Gnome-based distro, 
another with a KDE distro and finally an ancient low-end $35 campus 
surplus beater PC running Damn Small off a business card CD. Reasons:

   1. Let people play with all four to see the similarities and differences
   2. Visibly demonstrate a low-end PC getting a new life
   3. Network the XP and Linux boxen to show how well they swap file
      formats if anyone asks

Thoughts?
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Andrew Roazen, Application Systems Analyst
| Cline Library, Northern Arizona University
| ? 928.523.6764 vCard <http://www2.nau.edu/%7Ear24/aroazen.vcf>

The opinions expressed are those of the guy who sits at this desk, not 
his employers.
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