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, and Midori or something similarly lightweight.

Microcontroller

INO
Arduino

Coding

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.