Re: Better hardware support etc (Was: Debian Edu + Skolelinux: 2 names, 2 distros, 1 project)

[Nigel Barker <tech@hiroshima-is.ac.jp>]

On 15 March 2010 22:32, Petter Reinholdtsen <pere@hungry.com> wrote:
> [Sérgio Saraiva]
>> Packages software work for all types of hardware (drivers) and that
>> be the best (ex. flash) for the users.
>
> I am unsure I understand you correctly, but I believe you mean Ubuntu
> succeed in making hardware work out of the box and provide the best
> user experience by installing for example Adobe Flash.  Please let me
> know if I misunderstood.
>
> We try to get hardware to work out of the box in Skolelinux too, and
> to provide the best user experience, but do not always succeed.  For
> example the latest change to the CDs and DVD by making sure
> debian-installer find and uses the firmware packages should get more
> hardware working out of the box.  I know Ubuntu got some tools to make
> it easier to install non-free X.org drivers when needed, and it would
> probably be a good idea for someone to look at integrating them into
> Debian for Skolelinux to use.
>
> Flash is a problem because the license from Adobe prohibit us from
> distributing Adobe Flash, and thus making it impossible for us to
> include it out of the box.  As a workaround, we have spent quite a lot
> of time and money on improving Gnash, which is a free software
> alternative for Adobe Flash.  If someone could convince Adobe to
> change their license to allow us to distribute Adobe Flash or even
> better, release it as free software, we would have the option of
> distributing it and installing it out of the box.  Until Adobe Flash
> is licensed according to the Debian Free Software Guidelines, I
> believe we need a free alternative like Gnash, and will continue to
> work on making it better. :)
>

I think these two issues are very different for schools. Things like
flash and java are just an apt-get away.

However, if Debian won't install on our hardware, that is a much
harder problem to solve. For example I have spent many hours getting
skolelinux to work on laptops purchased with ubuntu. Of course that's
not debian's fault, but you feel that if it works on ubuntu, it
shoudn't be so hard to get it to work on debian.

Anyway, keep up the good work is what I want to say :)  Free software
in schools is getting stronger every year, and skolelinux is a big
factor in that.

nigel