Classroom Laptops
From HacDC Wiki
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.