[GRASS-user] GIS course on a live-cd (was Basic GIS course ideas)

[Rudolf Maurer]

Hi!

I can understand => I was a student-job in charge of the lab and
department computers...
We were lucky having an excellent expert in the central university's
computing facility who set up a campus-wide system of a linux-system
booting via network. This could be substituted by any live-cd
(hopefully).
When booting the linux-via-net-PCs mounted a nfs-share and set PATH
and maybe other environment variables (can't recall now, I also can't
remember if it was GRASS 5.4 or 6.0 more likely the last).
Then the students just typed grass in a terminal and where mainly
done. All GRASS-related files like locations and mapsets where stored
on the nfs-server.

This worked after some minor issues rather smoothly, but you depend on
your proper nfs-file-server.
Maybe someone knows a better way than nfs to connect the workstations
to the fileserver.

I personally would love to have a recent bootable live-linux-distro on
a big USB-flashdrive. Then install grass and be happy. I did not
manage to find any live-Distro which would be able to function with
most pcs. Ideas/Hints ?

ArcheOS is a live-distro done by archeologists featuring lots of
GIS-related software:
http://www.arc-team.com/archeos/about.html
Did not yet try it...

So long
Rudy

2006/10/8, maning sambale <emmanuel.sambale at gmail.com>:
> Hi GRASS/QGIS users,
>
> I really appreciate all your insights, it is very encouraging.
>
> Let me just share a few things about our department in the college, we
> are really a very small department and faciliites are really
> insufficient.  We usually borrow computer labs in other departments to
> do GIS exercises.
>
> Last term, we were able to exclusively use the accounting lab for our
> sessions because nobody is using it.  They bought the computers early
> on not realizing that the accounting software they will be buying
> costs a few thousand dollars for each license.  Talk about classic
> foss/propriety scenario.
>
> This term, we may not be able to use a lab exclusively for GIS, we are
> expected to share lab work with advertising, IT, english, etc. courses
> (as expected its on Windows).  My experience with a lab that is used
> by a number courses and not properly maintained is really frustrating,
> I ended up cleaning the units with viruses and other nuisances before
> even starting my sessions.
>
> I am exploring of maybe using a live-cd (the laussane CDs maybe the
> latest) for my sessions in this way we can conduct lessons to any lab
> without the installation, configuration, permission problems and other
> usual windows maintanance nightmares.
>
> I know its a good idea for demos and short exercises.  How about using
> live-cds for a one semester course?
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Maning
>
> PS.  On the issue of lab facilities, I hope to resolve in the medium
> term.  I am still negotiating maybe look for funding to set-up a GIS
> lab for our department.
>
> On 10/8/06, Rudolf Maurer <rudolf.maurer at googlemail.com> wrote:
> > Hi all!
> >
> > I studied at the department of geology at the university of Freiburg, Germany.
> > There since maybe 1999 +/- GRASS is taught once a year in courses as mandatory.
> >
> > In my personal course I can confirm: The jump to Linux-Commandline is
> > hard for most people and defocuses a bit away from GIS. (Anyway it is
> > a good thing to learn!)
> >
> > GRASS on Win is a good point, that helps. Eventhough my experience on
> > my WinXP-Laptop I need to use for work is not tremendous (without
> > Postgres i was not able to generate a location).
> >
> > Recent German pages here:
> > http://www.geologie.uni-freiburg.de/root/projekte/grass/sommer2006/kurslinks.html
> > Many other material there is way outdated, but shows some activities
> > in the past.
> >
> > Good data-material also helps a lot, i.e. when you have local data and
> > current problem-examples.
> >
> > Bye
> > Rudy
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > grassuser mailing list
> > grassuser at grass.itc.it
> > http://grass.itc.it/mailman/listinfo/grassuser
> >
>
>
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