Salam,
Thank you for your response.
Yes, we can spread GNU/Linux by contacting the Life Makers team.
I believe we can help them in their own efforts by giving them a free standard platform (special packaging of the Linux distro of your choice), that we can tailor at their exact needs.
And since the Arabeyes team has put a lot of effort to translate open source applications in Arabic, I think that if any Arabic version of Linux (using Arabic KDE, Mozilla, etc...) should reach the masses then Arabeyes should be taking some credit.
At the same time, Arabeyes will get publicity/recognition and its vision will reach a great number of people.
How about we start this project (Hayat Linux) and see if it will have a good response from the Life Makers team.
Here is how most people targeted by this project will be using the computer:
- check and send email - chat - surf the web - read and post to forums - use office suite to create and read documents.
What we can do is the following:
1) choose a linux distro (the one Arabeyes team prefers)
2) remove the packages that are not necessary for learners (remove
packages like Apache, MySQL...)
3) package only the necessary applications for a learner: Arabic KDE,
Mozilla, Open Office and any other learner-relevant GNU application
available in Arabic thanks to Arabeyes... (this should result in a very
efficient OS that could run fine on old computers, since this is what
most learners will have access to at home)
4) Write scripts that standardize the environment: desktop background
(Life Makers logo), desktop icons, start menu, etc...
This packaging of applications could also be used in Arabic high-schools and set the background to the logo of the high school.
This project will then allow the spread of computer literacy in Arabic
homes and schools at low cost. The learner's experience will be easier
and uniform between the computers at home, at school and at the cyber
café (they just need to ask for Hayat Linux).
I'd appreciate your comments/suggestions.
Regards,
Ali Echihabi MMath Candidate, University of Waterloo. (519) 497- 5712
-----Original Message-----
From: Mohammed Sameer [mailto:uniball at gmx dot net] Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 5:03 PM
To: ali_echihabi at ieee dot org; Development Discussions
Subject: Re: Amr Khaled and Linux
On Sat, Sep 25, 2004 at 04:43:24PM -0400, Ali Echihabi wrote:
Salam everyone ! I have a project proposal. [1]http://aix2.uottawa.ca/~aechi061/LinuxHayat.html Please visit the page above and let me know what you think. Best regards, Ali Echihabi MMath Candidate, University of Waterloo.
(519) 497- 5712
salam, I still donno exactly what this has to do with arabeyes, do you propose that we start spreading GNU/Linux by trying to contact the life makers' team and tell them about GNU/Linux ?
I'm currently working on a GNU/Linux live CD, I'm doing this because arabbix is _in MY opinion_ dead. And we at eglug.org always need a CD to demonstrate the Arabic desktop.
I'll be using gnome though, As it's 100% translated. Maybe It can be of any help.