Classroom Laptops

This page serves as a specification and feature request page for the classroom laptops.

The classroom laptops are running a Linux distribution, currently Debian (probably better to be running testing than stable), with MATE desktop environment. Tom maintains a canonical image.

They are used primarily for modeling, rendering, and slicing 3d printed parts, but can and should be functional for all purposes in the classroom.

Currently implemented on a bunch (6) of Dell D430s, maybe some D420s.

Hardware

I (Tom) donated 6 old Dell Core Duo D430/420 laptops for this use. They're super cheap and I had a pile of them. I think they're actually kind of ideal for this purpose, all things considered. They're not nice enough that anybody would want to re-purpose them to any other job, and since most of them don't have batteries nobody walks off with them. After almost a year they seem to be doing the job and getting lots of use.

Software (locally installed or remote access)

3d design

• Cura
• Meshlab
• Implicitcad (runs on Jobs or gygax)

Browsers

• Firefox
• Chromium
• Midori or something similarly lightweight.

Microcontroller

• INO
• Arduino

Coding

• Python 3
• Rust

Productivity

• Something for email
• Printing should be enabled

Sys utils

• tmux ssh vi/vim emacs etc.
• Terminator
• guake
• most
• avahi-utils

Other HacDC activities

Documentation, links, and how-tos on the desktop...

TODO

• Update image and re-image all laptops.
• Enable all laptops for incoming and outgoing email...?
• Fix the HW clock issue possibly by setup NTP so that SSL errors don't happen.
• Work out a way to do efficient X-forwarding over our WiFi to job server for heavier applications.
• Configure laptops in some way to be more like a thin client so there is no/less need to 'update' the image or re-image regularly. In the dumbest case we could have them be simple VNC kiosks to a VM running on jobs...?
  • Test above last two for practicality.

Feature requests

• Most recent Arduino suite. [INO]
• More scripts and or instructions for usability -- 2d printing, 3d printing, using jobs.
• Maybe put ~/* or ~/Desktop on a network share.