Remote access partition and install Linux. With a Near Zero skilledoperator at the remote site.

[Kelsay, Brian - Kansas City, MO]

First off, decide which LiveCD YOU want to support as an installed
system.  Pick one that will work on the bare minimum, lowest machine CPU
and RAM of the group.  If one PC is lower than all the rest, give them
Damn Small or Puppy and all the rest something else, realizing that you
now must support two distros.  Of the ones that fit that criteria, which
have installers, and which will give a decent user experience.  

Say you decide that you want to go the *ubuntu route, look over some
existing install docs found on the Internet, then edit for your
audience.   It is likely that this group knows nothing about firewalls
or routers or even which box is the cable/DSL modem.  I have experienced
this with VPN users at work that have never had an ISP, much less
broadband Internet in their home.   Also, keep in mind that they are not
going to understand ANY lingo or jargon from the computer or linux
world.   You will need to replace or define all jargon words in the
install doc.   If the document you work from doesn't have any info about
working from LiveCD, then you will need to add to it.

Good Luck,
Brian K.

________________________________

From: Oren Beck
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 6:21 AM


The reasons for this situation are several at more than one location.

The overview is to remotely install Linux on computers owned by non tool
users, zero skills presumed of them.

What I am seeking is several methods for making the process just plain
work. 
Initial customer is my mother in Berkeley, and her social groups may
join in. 
The minimal cold start scene will be a Knoppix or Damn small tested
computer and net connection.
The defined factors are: DSL or cable modem set up as DHCP. Hardware
approx 2000 or newer. 
Working OS of XP or  installed Knoppix or both in  most cases.  Very Few
sites with no OS. 
Internal HD swaps are a non starter as most of these folks are non tool
using mundanes.
The rest of the story is they almost all are politically or socially
desiring to use Linux by choice!
With a few skeptics that "want to be shown" more about the net than
Linux as they still use TYPEWRITERS!
And they often have little to no computer skills to unlearn. 
Short of my doing some major frequent flier miles tripping,KCLUG may be
their salvation.




"Someone is going to do it- why not us?"

-- 
Oren Beck

816.729.3645