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samb0057
April 16th, 2010, 09:04 PM
I'm looking to start an ubuntu giveaway drive in the US. I'm willing to supply the cds.
We can all get together and give these things out on craigslist, to friends and family, etc.

Anybody interested, email me sambarrow@vertitek.com (mailto:sambarrow@vertitek.com)

undecim
April 16th, 2010, 09:30 PM
Buying CDs in bulk or burning them?

samb0057
April 16th, 2010, 09:31 PM
Buying CDs in bulk or burning them?

My company is going to sponsor it and take care of all the buying, burning, printing, etc. All we need to do is distribute them.

samb0057
April 16th, 2010, 10:01 PM
Just registered the domain, linuxgiveaway.com (http://linuxgiveaway.com)

Rasa1111
April 16th, 2010, 10:08 PM
wow, very cool!
good karma to you,
i will shoot an email if thats cool?
:)
much respect. <3

Maheriano
April 16th, 2010, 10:08 PM
I don't get it. People can just download it. If you're going to give away anything, just give them a piece of paper with the website address.

samb0057
April 16th, 2010, 10:10 PM
I don't get it. People can just download it. If you're going to give away anything, just give them a piece of paper with the website address.

To download it, you must have a fast internet connection, blank cds, and a cd burner in your computer. Many people may not have this, and even if they do they may not know how to even burn an iso file.

samb0057
April 16th, 2010, 10:10 PM
wow, very cool!
good karma to you,
i will shoot an email if thats cool?
:)
much respect. <3

Sure, shoot me an email anytime

Rasa1111
April 16th, 2010, 10:33 PM
I don't get it. People can just download it. If you're going to give away anything, just give them a piece of paper with the website address.sadly, many people wont pursue something if it is not simply handed to them.

also, like Sam said,
many people don't have fast enough connections to be able to download the OS.

then,
even many people that do have fast connections...
dont know how, or arent willing to take the initiative of learning how to burn and use ISO files.
(and even if they are, many will still have problems)

I have only been using ubuntu for a handful of months,
but have installed it on at least 12 other peoples computers besides my own since then,

and I have already run into all of these people described. lol

I have burned some discs for them, and showed them how to do it as well,
but my machine isnt really too fast (2.2ghz) ,
and there really are allot of people locally now, asking about and wanting to try Ubuntu,
i just cant keep up with them. lol

My local observatory is also inquiring about Ubuntu now. :D


Sure, shoot me an email anytime many thanks!
this is very cool of you.
i feel good about just helping the people ive already helped get Ubuntu...
i would imagine it will feel really good to do what you guys are doing ..
and bring allot of good also... for you, and others.
good stuff!
:)

Hman242
April 16th, 2010, 11:07 PM
I would love to help!

undecim
April 16th, 2010, 11:09 PM
I'll help.

speedwell68
April 16th, 2010, 11:11 PM
I don't get it. People can just download it. If you're going to give away anything, just give them a piece of paper with the website address.

People don't often see a download as a tangible product. If you handed them a disc they can actually see and touch the product they are getting. I find this where I work. I often have people phone up and ask for the bus timetable, even though they have an internet connection they want me to post one out. They don't want the downloaded PDF or one emailed to them they want the hard copy. You find this more in the older generations.

LMP900
April 16th, 2010, 11:24 PM
sadly, many people wont pursue something if it is not simply handed to them.

also, like Sam said,
many people don't have fast enough connections to be able to download the OS.

then,
even many people that do have fast connections...
dont know how, or arent willing to take the initiative of learning how to burn and use ISO files.
(and even if they are, many will still have problems)

This will be an unpopular opinion (and do remember that this is only an opinion), but if one does not bother to learn how to burn an ISO to a CD or runs into problems doing so, then perhaps he is not prepared to use an unfamiliar operating just yet.

Perhaps if it came with physical Ubuntu documentation, it would be more user-friendly. But as of now, I solve most of my issues through the forums. This is something my non-geek mom wouldn't think to do.

In any case, good luck with the project! I do hope it's a success.

samb0057
April 16th, 2010, 11:27 PM
I would love to help!

Send me an email, we'll talk

Hman242
April 16th, 2010, 11:32 PM
Send me an email, we'll talk
I already have.

Uncle Spellbinder
April 16th, 2010, 11:54 PM
Just registered the domain, linuxgiveaway.com (http://linuxgiveaway.com)

Excellent. Though the domain name seems a bit misleading. While Ubuntu is indeed Lunux, Linux is not necessarily Ubuntu. Perhaps ubuntulinuxgiveaway.com or ubuntugiveaway.com would be more precise.

kaivalagi
April 17th, 2010, 12:01 AM
Good luck to you

The more Linux users the better, no matter what the distro is :)

I can't help as I'm in the UK.....not yet anyway, maybe the initiative will go global one day ;)

NCLI
April 18th, 2010, 10:43 AM
Remember to include a link to the Ubuntu Manual or the forums with the disks!

Shpongle
April 18th, 2010, 12:23 PM
Excellent. Though the domain name seems a bit misleading. While Ubuntu is indeed Lunux, Linux is not necessarily Ubuntu. Perhaps ubuntulinuxgiveaway.com or ubuntugiveaway.com would be more precise.

it doesn't necessarily have to be just ubuntu. Im sure others would be willing to help with other distros too

Doctor Mike
April 18th, 2010, 03:57 PM
I would think that such a distribution would need to be modified.

1. basic setup instructions included (paper).
2. instructions should advise booting into live cd first (compatibility).
3. script to automatically generate rescue disk (with full restoration to pre-install state).
4. customized (simplified) guide to common hardware problems and solutions.

If people just install and find themselves in a hardware conflicted state they will want to remove the software as easily as they installed it. If they end up with a mess they may blame the people or company that provided the cd.

Note using DVD instread of CD would allow space for tools to control automatic backup and restoration processes. It's my belief that these things should be part of the basic install CD (less the paper) anyway...

asddf
April 18th, 2010, 04:52 PM
Super Simple installation instructions are needed along with the disk, but I don't think the other stuff is TBH

Uncle Spellbinder
April 18th, 2010, 04:57 PM
Just registered the domain, linuxgiveaway.com (http://linuxgiveaway.com)
Excellent. Though the domain name seems a bit misleading. While Ubuntu is indeed Lunux, Linux is not necessarily Ubuntu. Perhaps ubuntulinuxgiveaway.com or ubuntugiveaway.com would be more precise.
it doesn't necessarily have to be just ubuntu. Im sure others would be willing to help with other distros too

The title of the thread is "Ubuntu Giveaway Drive". The OP stated "I'm looking to start an Ubuntu giveaway drive in the US". That's why I pointed out that linuxgiveaway.com is misleading.

Jon Monreal
April 18th, 2010, 05:16 PM
This will be an unpopular opinion (and do remember that this is only an opinion), but if one does not bother to learn how to burn an ISO to a CD or runs into problems doing so, then perhaps he is not prepared to use an unfamiliar operating just yet.

You make a very good point, but I think you have to remember all of the people that would have trouble installing Windows, let alone Ubuntu (which might actually be easier to install).

The reason people don't burn ISOs to CDs is because they're not interested in alternative operating systems, and they'll never be interested in alternative operating systems unless they try one.


The title of the thread is "Ubuntu Giveaway Drive". The OP stated "I'm looking to start an Ubuntu giveaway drive in the US". That's why I pointed out that linuxgiveaway.com is misleading.

It's probably better this way. Most people don't know what distributions are, and won't even care to learn about them, so I don't think giving away any distribution under the header of being Linux is going to hurt anybody. Adding "Ubuntu" to the mix might only serve to confuse.

All of this said, perhaps emphasis should be put on the Wubi install using the CD. A dead-simple dual-boot might be the right path to getting Ubuntu on people's machines without scaring them too much or having too many people destroy their Windows installations.

samb0057
April 18th, 2010, 08:18 PM
Here's what I need, I need people across the country who are confident they can give out a decent quantity of these CDs. We want to keep waste to a minimal, so please only request as many as you think you can distribute.

Email me with an amount you think you can give out per week or per month, and I'll see if I can have a batch sent to you.