Fwd: Live DVD (Was: Master-password (katikoan) and Live-DVD
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Chrispin Simasiku Sitali <libsitali@gmail.com> Date: 22 May 2013 10:13 Subject: Re: [Koha] Live DVD (Was: Master-password (katikoan) and Live-DVD To: Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de> Well, to be honest I really benefited from Live DVD. I am a librarian who had no prior experience about linux. The live DVD assisted me a lot to learn about Koha itself and the internal plumbing of linux. I am a self taught koha and linux user. I remember at KohaCon12 in Edinburgh, Scotland asking MJ and Chris Cormack about the possibility of a Koha Lived at the conference. No, was the asnswer. Thanks to Mr Olugbenga Adara of Nigeria and to my own persistence I taught my self. So it was the Live DVD, the Koha mailing list and my own willingness to learn. So if you ask me today, I am able to install Koha on a server with GUI or not, configure them properly for LAN or internet access and do training. I introduced Koha in all the teacher training colleges under the Ministry of Education, including the three new universities Nkrumah, Mukuba, NISTCOL and at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), I wouldn't strike the Live DVD off. Its a very nice tool to begin with, so please dont shoot it down! On 22 May 2013 08:53, Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de> wrote:
Vimal,
I tend to disagree. From what I get from people on mailing lists that use the DVD is - »I don't know anything about Linux« - »I don't have time to learn« - »I want to run the system without basic knowledge about it«
Of course I do understand that librarians have other things to do than learn GNU/Linux. With proprietary software they would pay a company for support. That is an option for Koha too if there is nobody in-house. The problem is that there is a general misconception about Free and Open Source Software: it is free as in freedom, but using it is not free of cost: either you spend time learning or you spend money on somebody who knows about it.
Vimal Kumar V. schrieb am 22.05.2013
In the case of a library professional, they have no Linux experience. They need to familiar with Linux desktop. Live DVD can provide familiarization.
There is no need at all to use the »Linux desktop« to run Koha. Servers are usually run headless, meaning no graphical user interface, just a command line.
It give more confidence in them. Later they can learn ABCD's of Linux and Koha maintenance.
I don't think this is neccessarily true. I am under the impression that the DVD is used to actively avoid learning and it is never going to happen once a library decided to use the DVD in production.
Small libraries can run Koha with the help of Koha Live DVD. When collection grows more, they can opt manual installation. Libraries with big collection can go for servers and manual installation.
I do not understand what the size of the collection has to do with the way Koha is installed. Even a small library with a tiny collection should use the best Koha possible in production… and that is not a Live DVD.
I think this is very misleading and I really hope this (»small-> DVD / big->real installation«) is not the way you are going to promote the Live DVD. I strongly object to this statement and I do not think that it has wide support within the community.
As far as I remember, when you ran for Live DVD manager you talked about using the DVD to learn about and test Koha and not use it in production. I consider it very dangerous that you promote that now and I did definitely not vote for that when I voted for you as Live DVD manager.
-- Mirko
_______________________________________________ Koha mailing list http://koha-community.org Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha
-- Charles Lwanga College of Education, P. O. Box 660193, Monze, ZAMBIA. Mobile: +26 0979 869471 SKYPE: Libsitali -- Charles Lwanga College of Education, P. O. Box 660193, Monze, ZAMBIA. Mobile: +26 0979 869471 SKYPE: Libsitali
Chrispin, Chrispin Simasiku Sitali schrieb am 22.05.2013
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Chrispin Simasiku Sitali <libsitali@gmail.com> Date: 22 May 2013 10:13 Subject: Re: [Koha] Live DVD (Was: Master-password (katikoan) and Live-DVD To: Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de>
Well, to be honest I really benefited from Live DVD. I am a librarian who had no prior experience about linux. The live DVD assisted me a lot to learn about Koha itself and the internal plumbing of linux. I am a self taught koha and linux user. I remember at KohaCon12 in Edinburgh, Scotland asking MJ and Chris Cormack about the possibility of a Koha Lived at the conference. No, was the asnswer. Thanks to Mr Olugbenga Adara of Nigeria and to my own persistence I taught my self. So it was the Live DVD, the Koha mailing list and my own willingness to learn.
So if you ask me today, I am able to install Koha on a server with GUI or not, configure them properly for LAN or internet access and do training. I introduced Koha in all the teacher training colleges under the Ministry of Education, including the three new universities Nkrumah, Mukuba, NISTCOL and at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA),
I wouldn't strike the Live DVD off. Its a very nice tool to begin with, so please dont shoot it down!
thank you very much for sharing your positive experience! I'm happy that you were able to learn thanks to the Live DVD. I'd love to read more experiences like yours if people have them. :) It is not my intention to shoot down the Live DVD. If it is used to actively learn your ways around the system (Koha and GNU/Linux) that is fantastic and exactly the way I would like to see it used. What I consider problematic is to encourage its productive use as a long term option. Not only will it lead to outdated systems, but also to problems regarding community support, as it is not used by developers and there might be problems specific to the DVD. I would love to see Live DVD users teach themselves and later switch to a regular installation, but I am under the impression that this is more of an exeptional case than the rule. -- Mirko PS. Thanks for resending to the list :)
On 22 May 2013 21:12, Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de> wrote:
Chrispin,
Chrispin Simasiku Sitali schrieb am 22.05.2013
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Chrispin Simasiku Sitali <libsitali@gmail.com> Date: 22 May 2013 10:13 Subject: Re: [Koha] Live DVD (Was: Master-password (katikoan) and Live-DVD To: Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de>
Well, to be honest I really benefited from Live DVD. I am a librarian who had no prior experience about linux. The live DVD assisted me a lot to learn about Koha itself and the internal plumbing of linux. I am a self taught koha and linux user. I remember at KohaCon12 in Edinburgh, Scotland asking MJ and Chris Cormack about the possibility of a Koha Lived at the conference. No, was the asnswer. Thanks to Mr Olugbenga Adara of Nigeria and to my own persistence I taught my self. So it was the Live DVD, the Koha mailing list and my own willingness to learn.
So if you ask me today, I am able to install Koha on a server with GUI or not, configure them properly for LAN or internet access and do training. I introduced Koha in all the teacher training colleges under the Ministry of Education, including the three new universities Nkrumah, Mukuba, NISTCOL and at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA),
I wouldn't strike the Live DVD off. Its a very nice tool to begin with, so please dont shoot it down!
thank you very much for sharing your positive experience! I'm happy that you were able to learn thanks to the Live DVD. I'd love to read more experiences like yours if people have them. :)
It is not my intention to shoot down the Live DVD. If it is used to actively learn your ways around the system (Koha and GNU/Linux) that is fantastic and exactly the way I would like to see it used.
What I consider problematic is to encourage its productive use as a long term option. Not only will it lead to outdated systems, but also to problems regarding community support, as it is not used by developers and there might be problems specific to the DVD. I would love to see Live DVD users teach themselves and later switch to a regular installation, but I am under the impression that this is more of an exeptional case than the rule.
+1 If it is used as a demonstration and/or learning tool that is fine, but any system in production should have a clear upgrade path and be being run by someone who knows how to keep it up to date and secure. Like Mirko, I see no problem with the live dvd being used as a learning tool, its when it sneaks into production in a way that makes it very difficult to upgrade. That just is a short cut to long term problems. This was also what I voted for too. Chris
Hello Chris & Chrispin, ________________________________
From: Chris Cormack <chris@bigballofwax.co.nz>
On 22 May 2013 21:12, Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de> wrote:
Chrispin,
Chrispin Simasiku Sitali schrieb am 22.05.2013
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Chrispin Simasiku Sitali <libsitali@gmail.com> Date: 22 May 2013 10:13 Subject: Re: [Koha] Live DVD (Was: Master-password (katikoan) and Live-DVD To: Mirko <5p4m@gmx.de>
Well, to be honest I really benefited from Live DVD. I am a librarian who had no prior experience about linux. The live DVD assisted me a lot to learn about Koha itself and the internal plumbing of linux. I am a self taught koha and linux user. I remember at KohaCon12 in Edinburgh, Scotland asking MJ and Chris Cormack about the possibility of a Koha Lived at the conference. No, was the asnswer. Thanks to Mr Olugbenga Adara of Nigeria and to my own persistence I taught my self. So it was the Live DVD, the Koha mailing list and my own willingness to learn.
+1
If it is used as a demonstration and/or learning tool that is fine, but any system in production should have a clear upgrade path and be being run by someone who knows how to keep it up to date and secure.
Like Mirko, I see no problem with the live dvd being used as a learning tool, its when it sneaks into production in a way that makes it very difficult to upgrade. That just is a short cut to long term problems.
This was also what I voted for too.
Chris
Just like Chrispin, I have also benefited using live CDs / DVDs to get up to speed with Koha. It is a very useful tool for training and learning and demoing Koha, especially in locations were Internet access is non existent. However just like Chris and Mirko, I strongly advice against the use of live CDs / DVDs in production environment, especially when such sites would be live on the Internet. I have actually seen live Koha sites online that were installed using live CDs or DVD and which were still accessible with default usernames and passwords. If this is encouraged, it may give people impression that Koha is highly insecure when such installs are broken into. I believe the live Media should be encouraged but clearly stated at the default screens that it is only for TRAINING PURPOSES AND NOT TO USE AS A PRODUCTION SYSTEM Olugbenga Adara Skype: gbengaadara Blog: http://gbengaadara.blogspot.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/gbengaadara Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gbengaadara
participants (4)
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Chris Cormack -
Chrispin Simasiku Sitali -
Mirko -
Olugbenga Adara