[wlug_org] Re: [wellylug] Installfest flyers

[Brent Wood]

--- Mark Foster <blakjak@blakjak.net> wrote:

> >
> > On Tue, 2005-09-06 at 15:06 +1200, Mark Foster wrote:
> >> A specified Min Spec is a must. Speaking from Multiple Installfests.
> >> Spending all day on a 486 because Linux has been touted as the 'reviver
> >> for old PCs' isn't fun.  The bottleneck is usually in slow hardware and
> >> the sheer waiting time.

A copy or two of Mandrake 486 is a good idea to keep old systems going. Like
Windows, we don't try to install XP-Pro w/ SP98G on a 10 yr old system, but a
lightweight install from the era these were current hardware is one way around
it. Similarly, an early Knoppix can run on older boxes with 128Mb, whereas some
later LiveCD's are now at 512Mb minimum.

 
> I'd still spec it up to say 400mhz/128mb ram.
> The 'nice and quick' doesnt apply when the average CDROM supplied in a
> 200Mhz Machine is likely to be sub-12x.

There will be at least 16 kb/screen/mouse/lan setups ready to have a PC plugged
in, so having one imstall slowly progressing while you work on the box next
door  is quite feasible. One issue is making sure you have some serial mice &
AT keyboards. I don't think we'll go as far as CGA/EGA screens though :-)

I'd like to be facilitative rather than restrictive, and be able to cope with a
few older boxes. 
 
> I dare say the disk space required is distro-specific and that maybe we
> should say 4gb or better.

Except for LiveCD's :-) And you can cut down the installed packages for the
more inclusive distro's anyway, where space is a problem.

> > there are a large amount of computers running around with 128MB of ram,
> > from only a couple of years ago, when all computers with winXP came with
> > only 128MB of ram. We don't want to alienate these people from having a
> > GUI.
> 
> You can easily add a disclaimer suggesting that whilst it is realised that
> the spec supplied is inexcess of the minimum requirement, that a line has
> to be drawn somewhere in the interests of 'not being there all day', and
> that there may be a little bit of flexibility on the day.
> 
> And that should a senior installer say 'sorry, no, will take too long' or
> 'wont work', that thats fine, and the guy can take the media away or
> arrange anotehr time to get an assisted install done (where theres no time
> pressure).

Yep. All good ideas.

> 
> Likewise people with slow systems should be encouraged to arrive sooner
> rather than later.
> 
> Oh and re the Legalese, NZLUG^H^H^H^H^HAuckLUG had a bit of paper that
> users signed. A disclaimer stating 'all care, no responsibility', and that
> Backups were the users responsibility.  We can do our best, but thats all,
> so we make ourselves liable for nothing in that respect.

We did that last year. Jeremy drafted that form (from memory). (That's someone
who's been unusually quiet recently!)

> 
> Ultimately commonsense rules. Especially when we're screwing with someones
> partition tables. (No use of Pirated Partition Magic, either!)

Nope. Last year I purchased a legit OEM copy for the day :-)


Thanks for the input,

  Brent