Welcome to the Kenyan forums

[davehat]

Here we are, a nice fresh, clean forum, lets try and keep it that way (well, clean at least - not empty)! If you're interested in Kenya or Ubuntu or both, feel free to drop by and say habari in this thread.

My Kiswahili is not that hot, but please don't let that stop you talking in the (other) national language - all the other LoCo team members are fluent, don't hold back because of me!

Of course if you use Dholuo, Luyia, Kalenjin or Gikuyu, or one of the other 60 or so native tongues, I'll probably fall silent. Hopefully you'll get a response from someone though (which reminds me - I'll add a "languages spoken" sticky to the top of the forum).

So, habari zenu?

[Iandefor]

How curious! I'm going to Kenya for about 3 weeks in January.

How's the weather over there ?

[cantormath]

Here we are, a nice fresh, clean forum, lets try and keep it that way (well, clean at least - not empty)! If you're interested in Kenya or Ubuntu or both, feel free to drop by and say habari in this thread.

My Kiswahili is not that hot, but please don't let that stop you talking in the (other) national language - all the other LoCo team members are fluent, don't hold back because of me!

Of course if you use Dholuo, Luyia, Kalenjin or Gikuyu, or one of the other 60 or so native tongues, I'll probably fall silent. Hopefully you'll get a response from someone though (which reminds me - I'll add a "languages spoken" sticky to the top of the forum).

So, habari zenu?

Do you see alot of linux or ubuntu in Kenya?

[davehat]

Do you see alot of linux or ubuntu in Kenya?

Honestly? No, not yet - but then I'm a stay at home dad most of the time and I don't live in Nairobi...

The majority of computers I see here in Kisumu run xp or win 98. Encouragingly enough, the majority of present interest in Ubuntu is coming from students at the various Universities. The LoCo team was founded by a Student at the University of Nairobi and I know of other users in other colleges.

I've managed to get a group of local techies interested - the kind of guys who are out fixing up local donated computers around Kisumu. The first install I showed them was Ubuntu Breezy, but I have since been trying to encourage them to use Xubuntu (because Ubuntu/Kubuntu system requirements can be difficult for them to meet. I'm also trying to work out how to get the guys a set of cds with the uni/multiverse on them (dvds are no good here...). Anyone got any ideas about that?

There's much work to be done getting Ubuntu out and about, but there are a growing number of us keen to make it happen! It will take time though...

How curious! I'm going to Kenya for about 3 weeks in January.

How's the weather over there ?

Oh, the weather is terrible! I'm in Kisumu, which is currently being inundated (we just spent 24 hours without power). The coast has flooding of almost biblical proportions! Nairobi is being pounded by extreme bouts of weather too. The North is dry - but that's because they're technically still suffering a drought...

Hope that doesn't put you off your holiday

[cantormath]

The majority of computers I see here in Kisumu run xp or win 98.

We will need to change that....::

[Iandefor]

Oh, the weather is terrible! I'm in Kisumu, which is currently being inundated (we just spent 24 hours without power). The coast has flooding of almost biblical proportions! Nairobi is being pounded by extreme bouts of weather too. The North is dry - but that's because they're technically still suffering a drought...

Hope that doesn't put you off your holiday

Oh, lovely. I just hope that weather clears up a wee bit before I get there . I've been committed since late September to this trip and can't back out now just because of some nasty weather.

I think I may be swinging through Kisumu at some point- shall I bring an Edgy disc or two ?

[S1NGH]

I'm also trying to work out how to get the guys a set of cds with the uni/multiverse on them (dvds are no good here...). Anyone got any ideas about that

Jambo!
Mabari gani?
perhaps if CDs are not required really, you could maybe setup a WAN and let the guys get the stuff from the server? just an idea, but don't know how things go back there!

ps: i am not a native Swahili speaker, my parents speak it though so i can get translations from them

[Iandefor]

I'm also trying to work out how to get the guys a set of cds with the uni/multiverse on them (dvds are no good here...). Anyone got any ideas about that?

I think it would be kind of useless to build a set of CD's with Universe and Multiverse on them- you'd only be able to access one set at a time, etc. I would recommend using something like APTonCD to build a "best of" CD from Universe and Multiverse.

Or you could do an 'apt-get install *' and use APTonCD on your package cache, assuming your ISP doesn't crucify you afterwards .

[S1NGH]

I think it would be kind of useless to build a set of CD's with Universe and Multiverse on them- you'd only be able to access one set at a time, etc. I would recommend using something like APTonCD to build a "best of" CD from Universe and Multiverse.

Or you could do an 'apt-get install *' and use APTonCD on your package cache, assuming your ISP doesn't crucify you afterwards .

wow! this is quite useful, i think i am going to do just this with the situation back here, that way people will use linux more often, what do you guys think about it?

[zsh]

Habari zenu,

Ubuntu DVDs would be a great help here, if you can burn one and airmail it(I'll pay for media and shipping), that would be great. Most people here have 32kbps/128kbps ADSL so downloading dvds is not a viable option.

Nearly all ISPs and other big organisations here run on FOSS, however very few people use Linux or BSD on desktops. Hopefully that will change with time.

Join us on our IRC channel #ubuntu-ke!

PS. The weather here in Nairobi is not too bad, it rains during the night and morning but its sunny in the afternoon.