[Debconf-team] Equipment loans for DebConf in Argentina
Greetings,
I have been asked by Philip Hand to help get hardware contributed to
DebConf in Argentina. Phil has asked that "some laptops" and "some
servers" be loaned to DebConf.
If you already have things well under control, and do not need my
assistance, that is also fine with me. You may stop reading now and go
on with the rest of your day.
If you are still reading, then I will assume that you would like to have
help in getting equipment. While I am happy to approach various people
in various companies to do this, I feel that it is best to have a list
of what is actually needed available so companies that I approach would
be able to look at it and say "Yes, I could loan them equipment like
that".
Having worked for a large corporation who had to manage "loaner
equipment", I can *guarantee* you that this is more of a project than
you might think for them, and particularly for a DebConf that is held
outside of the country of "Corporate Headquarters", but I am willing to
try and help out.
What I suggest is a Wiki page that is public. On this page you state
why you need the equipment and the fact that the equipment will either
be returned with the Debian operating system installed, or wiped clean.
Please list this in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
You then list the equipment needed along with a column that will show
what equipment is not yet committed or whether the equipment has been
committed, somewhat along the lines of:
o Intel/AMD 32-bit server - XXX memory, XXX disk |Not Yet Committed|
o Intel/AMD 64-bit server - XXX memory, XXX disk |Committed, Intel|
o laptop - Intel/AMD - 2D, XXX disk space, XXX memory |not committed|
o laptop - Intel/AMD - 3D, XXX disk space, XXX memory |Committed, Apple|
o laptop - Via - 2D, XXX disk space, XXX memory |Committed, Apple|
o laptop - Intel/AMD - 3D, XXX disk space, XXX memory |Committed, Apple|
o motherboard - Intel Menlow/Atom - 3D, XXX disk space, XXX memory |Not
committed|
o networking gear - what type?
Please be as comprehensive as you can on this, so you can get what you
need. For example, do the servers need to be SMP for possible testing?
Should they be able to support virtualization at some level?
I also suggest that you keep it within "reason". Phil has suggested
that at Edinburgh 10-15 laptops helped people with doing critical work,
particularly in doing installation testing, and having some fairly
powerful servers (hopefully supporting virtualization) would help also.
The Wiki page will then allow people at various companies to pass on the
pointer and say "Can we help"", yet keep the needs up-to-date. Point to
it in a prominent place on your DebConf web pages, with a "equipment
loan" star next to it. Later on, give it a place of prominence showing
what equipment was loaned, and by who.
If this page already exists, then please give me a URL and I can send it
around to various people in various community-minded organizations to
help.
As I said before, if this is all under control then I apologize for the
intrusion. I look forward to attending my first DebConf in Argentina.
Warmest regards,
maddog
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