Skolelinux 2.0 RC1 has been released now

Skolelinux is the Debian-edu project's Custom Debian Distribution (CDD) in development. It is aiming to provide an out-of-the-box localised environment tailored for schools and universities. The out-of-the-box environment comes with 75 applications aimed at schools, as well as 15 network services pre-configured for a school environment. The simple, three-question installation requires minimal technical knowledge. Skolelinux is Debian, which means, among other things, that there are no license costs or worries, and that upgrade and maintenance of the software can be done over the Internet with the power of Debian's apt-get. The core goals of Skolelinux are localisation and ease of system administration.

Skolelinux is made as free (as in speech) software, and is an overall computer solution based on school's resources and needs.

1. Skolelinux is a network architecture tailored for use in schools.
2. Skolelinux is developed and supported by a large and growing international community.
3. Skolelinux is designed to be easy and cheap to maintain.
4. Skolelinux gives the students their own usernames, home directories and services.

encouraged, but a place that promotes the making and sharing of knowledge. Skolelinux respects this need.  

Skolelinux has several advantages

1.   First and foremost, Skolelinux is free software. This is ethically important for schools. School should not be an arena where piracy is accepted       or encouraged, but a place that promotes the making and sharing of k owledge. Skolelinux respects this need.  
2.   Skolelinux gives great economical savings. Teleplan, an independent agency, has estimated (report available in Norwegian only) savings up to       60% by using Skolelinux with thin clients, compared to a traditional Windows solution. These savings are mainly due to eased maintenance,        and not because Skolelinux has zero cost
3.   Skolelinux is part of Debian, and as such, is supported by a large and vibrant community. This means lots of momentum, development,and        
      a guarantee that Skolelinux will be around in years to come.
4.   By enabling reuse of old equipment, Skolelinux helps save the environment. Instead of trashing old hardware, it can be used as thin clients.
5.   Skolelinux is very stable and reliable. The students will experience predictability and a system that works. Additionally, Skolelinux is less    
      vulnerable to worms and viruses.
6.   Skolelinux is made by schools for schools. Thus, Skolelinux is tailored to school needs.
7.   Skolelinux makes the users independent of supplier, and can decide themselves when to upgrade both hardware and software.
8.   Skolelinux has user-friendly licences that give you rights – not responsibilities!

Skolelinux's Work

Skolelinux offers several ready-to-run services in its default installation

1. Centralized user catalogue. Use the same username and password for all services and on all machines in the network.
2. Centralized storage. Regardless of which machine in the network you use, you have access to your own files. You meet your own desktop             with  your configuration.   
3. Thin client solution. The applications are run on a thin client server, which is a reasonably fast server. The image is drawn on the thin client. This 
    enables you to reuse old computers and run new software on them. Additionally, the use of thin clients eases administration, as the thin client    
    server is the only machine needing software updates and -maintenance.
    Backups are done on a daily basis.
5. Printers can be shared and made available on the network.
6. A proxy server caches files downloaded from the Internet, for a faster surfing experience.

Some more nowledge about the Skolelinux

On a warm summer day in 2001, a group of four computer-savvy people sat down and talked about the computer situation in schools. They found it depressing that Norwegian students – computer users of the future – did not have access to the source code behind the software they were using, or enough equipment to learn while using computers as a tool. Additionally, they wanted to have the "road signs" of the information highway available in the local language.

With great enthusiasm and computer knowledge, they decided to stop just talking and actually do something about it. Now, three years later, Skolelinux is, in various reports, said to be "the only computer solution that takes the schools' needs and resources seriously" (Statskonsult report #18, December 2003).

Download linux from here: debian-edu_sarge-i386-rc1.iso (698MB, MD5).

Visit http://d.skolelinux.no/info/cdbygging/news.html form more information.