havocovah
January 20th, 2010, 12:01 AM
Hi folks:
Haven't seen this idea anywhere, so I thought I'd bring it up for discussion, with the view to creating a project if there is no duplication, and a favorable response.
I'm proposing a simple and robust edition of Ubuntu that could be loaded on cheap USB memory sticks, and/or CD/DVD, designed to be distributed widely to relief and aid workers in a disaster zone, with a view to quickly establish a uniform network using whatever computer resources are available.
Quite often relief workers find themselves offered in place computer resources, and resources that are donated/lent from a wide variety of sources from all around the world. Often these computer resources are lacking in any semblance of uniformity of language, operating system, hardware, and software.
The proposed project would package a simplified version of Ubuntu, together with common applications and browser, a full suite of manuals and information commonly needed by relief workers, and including the ability to securely access VPN or Intranet resources for relief organizations.
The distributed USB stick/CD/DVD would allow relief workers to access vital information using any reasonably modern computer hardware, without needing to worry about hardware or software compatibility. So long as the hardware is capable of booting from an USB memory stick or a CD/DVD, the source of the hardware becomes irrelevant.
A further possible option would be to issue the package on a standardized USB wireless adapter/memory combination, with the wireless preconfigured. This would allow the relief organization to quickly set up a wireless access point in aid stations or offices, and have all relief workers immediately supplied with network access.
I will post my proposed requirements shortly. In the meantime I invite discussion.
Haven't seen this idea anywhere, so I thought I'd bring it up for discussion, with the view to creating a project if there is no duplication, and a favorable response.
I'm proposing a simple and robust edition of Ubuntu that could be loaded on cheap USB memory sticks, and/or CD/DVD, designed to be distributed widely to relief and aid workers in a disaster zone, with a view to quickly establish a uniform network using whatever computer resources are available.
Quite often relief workers find themselves offered in place computer resources, and resources that are donated/lent from a wide variety of sources from all around the world. Often these computer resources are lacking in any semblance of uniformity of language, operating system, hardware, and software.
The proposed project would package a simplified version of Ubuntu, together with common applications and browser, a full suite of manuals and information commonly needed by relief workers, and including the ability to securely access VPN or Intranet resources for relief organizations.
The distributed USB stick/CD/DVD would allow relief workers to access vital information using any reasonably modern computer hardware, without needing to worry about hardware or software compatibility. So long as the hardware is capable of booting from an USB memory stick or a CD/DVD, the source of the hardware becomes irrelevant.
A further possible option would be to issue the package on a standardized USB wireless adapter/memory combination, with the wireless preconfigured. This would allow the relief organization to quickly set up a wireless access point in aid stations or offices, and have all relief workers immediately supplied with network access.
I will post my proposed requirements shortly. In the meantime I invite discussion.