What's the buzz on deploying OLPC school servers with XO laptop distributions? School servers are a vital link in the successful implementation of XO in the worlds developing countries. You can go to OLPC Wiki page of XO Deployments - and see the thousands of XO's sent. With G1G1 2008 now past hopefully thousands more will be getting ready to find new homes. Will they be hobbled by the lack of school server support?
XO meshing needs school servers
I am Chuck Bryerton and I know that XO to XO mesh is a wonderful feature to have. Yet to unlock the full potential of the net these deployed XO's will need school servers. By OLPC Wiki page on Deployment Support it takes 1 school server per every 300 XO's.
I know it may be old data but just by looking at the already deployed countries listed with no school servers:
- OLPC Haiti: 13,000 XO's
- OLPC Afghanistan : 11,000 XO's
- OLPC Ethiopia: 5,000 XO's
- OLPC Guatemala: 3,000 XO's
- 32,000 XO's = 107 school servers needed!
All we have is this, admittedly great, video from OLPC Oceania, where David Leeming shows how open educational resources form SchoolNet can be used with a school server:
I would like to know how G1G1 donor can help with school servers to ensure my donated XO lives up to its full potential where ever in the world it may be.
What is needed in these areas that a G1G1 donor may help with?
School server on the XO is not there yet, but it is not dead either for groups of less than 50 XO's. Still some talk on Server_devel.
Consider reviewing the
http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/server-devel mailing list to see the XS development efforts.
They could use help testing their builds and setups--something that would provide good experience for anyone wishing to eventually support a live deployment.
Hi Chuck! The XS is alive and kicking! By pure coincidence, I have just published a blog entry on the OLPC blog: http://blog.laptop.org/2009/02/11/school-server-051-holding-the-xo-universe-together/
In terms of volunteers helping pilots deploy XSs (whether the volunteer is a G1G1 donor or not), I suspect there are several things that can be done there. Perhaps jump into the server-devel list (it's not just for developers :-) ).
If you flesh out what you think you can and cannot do (send preconfigured hardware vs flying there yourself), then we can figure out how you can help. Maybe it can become a mini-guide.
I've found the following press release:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/PRWeb/release/10217.html that points to http://education.critical-links.com
It seems that School Servers are getting in business.