Re: [staff] Debian Install workshop in Brest

[georges.khaznadar@free.fr]

Hello James, hello everybody,

I support your idea to demonstrate a live distribution before installing Debian.

Here in Dunkirk (North of France), I use to show a laptop with Debian installed and featureful, then discuss a while, eventually launch debian-live or a child live distribution, and finally let the user launch Calamares to start the installation.

During the discussion, if it becomes clear than the computer will be used by young pupils, I propose to install Primtux (https://primtux.fr), which is a finely tuned French distribution targetting them, developed by skilled K-12 teachers.

Also, a good brand of Debian, finely tuned for W10-aware French users, is the distribution Emmabuntus-DE (https://emmabuntus.org/), which used to be a distribution made on top of Ubuntu and which is now directly Debian-based (-DE means Debian Edition). This distribution was developed together with the Emmaüs organization (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma%C3%BCs_France), whose members recycle loads of old computers. So, the distribution Emmabuntus-DE can fit low-end and oldish computers (notwithstanding fitting also high-end machines)

The only language-specific steps are at the very begin of the installation : 

• language: choose France
• time zone: click on Paris (or any west-European city)
• keyboard: then the default option is OK (can be checked with the mock input field: type anything there; for example Alt Gr+ E should yield a "€" character)

Dialogs which come later are in French language, but the context is explicit enough for us to help, even when we do not speak French.

Troubleshooting:

most of help requests I got after install-parties in Dunkirk are about peripheral devices which were poorly driven. For example, reviving a 18 years old ASUS Eee-PC laptop, with a Debian systems for 32 bit systems resulted in a well-working machine, but issues with the printer's support (CANON PIXMA MG2550)...

Best regards,                         Georges.

James Addison a écrit : 
> [...] e.g.
> building our competence as volunteers, and reducing actual risks to
> potential installers of Debian -- could also be worth spending
> braintime on.
> 
> So, a couple of ideas to that effect:
> 
>   1) Perhaps we should encourage compatibility testing of devices, in
> preference to immediate on-the-day installation?
> 
>     - For example, invite participants to try using a Debian Live
> image that will not modify their system.
>     - Even if a Live image works perfectly, we could remind
> participants that their operating system remains supported by their
> vendor until October, and -- as reported[1] recently -- that continued
> support options may remain available.
> 
>   2) It would be good if volunteers can find time to successfully
> install Debian on a host before the installfest.
> 
>     - On a physical machine/laptop ideally - but if not, then at least
> in a virtual/emulated machine.
>     - Providing feedback to the debian-boot team (e.g. installation
> reports[2]) could be a valuable additional output of this.
> 
> Are those sensible, feasible and realistic (and/or any other adjectives)?
> 
> What other ideas could help?
> 
> Regards,
> James

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