On Tue, 2005-03-01 at 16:59 -0700, Charlie Bullen wrote:
> Hello All, I have gotten permission to do a demo for members of a class 
> on (hold your noses) Windows XP pro. I tend to talk linux up and some of 
> my classmates are interested.
> 
> Here is the demo. Even though my laptop runs Redhat, I'm going to boot 
> it from a clusterKnoppix disk. I then have a bash script that is just a 
> buch of nested loops that run CPU usage up to 100% which I will run.
> 
> Next I will launch openMosix and boot a couple of PCs over the network 
> from my laptop, running clusterKnoppix. I will boot them in text mode. 
> Next I will launch the bash script again, and via a nice openMosix 
> viewer, will show them how the load on the CPU is now balanced between 
> all 3 computers.
> 
> Lastly, I will reconfigure openMosic to boot the PCs to a KDE desktop. I 
> will then let whoever wants to, play around with the KDE desktops while 
> I simultaneously again launch the bash script, balance the load amoung 
> the 3 boxes, showing how each computer can still be used as a desktop 
> with little or no degradation of performance.
> 
> I have done all of this and it all works real well. The instructor is 
> 99% sure that the classroom PC use PXE booting, but in case they don't, 
> I'm bringing a mini-itx box that I have already tried all this out on 
> just in case the classroom PCs don't want to play.
> 
> I am also bringing my own router and cables just to be sure again.
> 
> 
> On the one hand the demo seems a bit complex, but as I am bringing 
> enough of my own gear, which I have run the described demo on several 
> times before, to do everything, without having to use any of the 
> classroom gear, I'm very confident that all will go well.
> 
> I can't wait to see what a bunch of windows people will think when shown 
> what a real OS can do.
> 
> 
> I'll give a post demo report as well.
----
seems a little geeky to me - especially for a class on Windows XP which
makes me think that these aren't sophisticated computer users (or am I
missing the point?) Load sharing among desktops isn't something I have
ever tried or have wanted to ever try and it makes it seem irrelevant
from the word go but perhaps I would think differently if I saw what you
were doing.

The thing that really strikes me is your attitude towards Windows
(several references to your disdain and/or your expectations that we
would disdain Windows). Computer are a tool for us to use. Whether the
underlying OS is Linux or Windows or BSD or whatever, it's nothing more
than a tool. I have seen people draw stuff with a text editor and a
postscript printer that amazed me - they were knowledgeable about their
'tool' and the underlying OS had little to do with anything.

I think that there are some things that are really impressive about
Linux that seem so easy to overlook - but real Administrators can really
appreciate them...

- configuration files in plain text. Use any editor to fix the
settings. 
Want to remove unneeded dictionaries from OpenOffice.org?
emacs /usr/lib/openoffice/share/dict/ooo/dictionary.lst
Want to change your dns server?
emacs /etc/resolv.conf
Want to provide granular control over who can access your files via
samba?
emacs /etc/hosts.allow /etc/hosts.deny

- real logs / real time
/var/log/take_your_pick

- change runlevels, functionality, personality, no need to reboot
telinit 3
telinit 5
emacs /etc/sysconfig/network #change hostname
service network restart
ifdown eth0
ifup eth1

- real time debugging...
/usr/bin/mozilla # reports standard out/standard error to terminal
                 - This is a real clincher - you actually can see
                 - what is going wrong if/when something is going
                 - wrong. Lots of times, it's hard to know what's
                 - the problem on Windows because there's no log

The last thing I would suggest is NOT to use KDE - it's too much like
Windows and it inevitably brings up the comparisons. Different is
better. You will be fielding comments/questions about why they will
think that Windows is a better desktop system (and in many respects it
is). 

Craig

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