[OLPC-Peru] [Server-devel] Extreme Linux Server Available to North America

[info en olpc-peru.info]

Hello John and all,

Using "Servers" and VSAT connections in Peru is not the best way to 
reach the "most needed" children in my country.  I say this with the 
most humble and full respect for your work and the work of all our 
peruvian authorities.

I understand fully (more than that!) the problem that our president (Dr. 
Alan García) has indicate: "... there are 85,000 cities in Peru.  80,000 
of them are cities with less than 100 families.  It is impossible for 
the government to reach those 80,000 small villages easily.  Those 
80,000 villages are located over the 3,500 meters altitude" (it was said 
just 2 days ago).  This explains why the Peruvian Government officials 
are happy to send the XOs to the locations were there is energy 
(electricity), VSATs (from the previous "Huascaran" project) and they 
will look in their budgets to buy some servers.  We can not fix this (we 
can not fix the mentality, the real scenery, all the people and facts 
limitations).

But we can not preach to the chorus (the chorus is formed by those 5,000 
cities with more than 100 families... they are part of the top of the 
pyramid) .  We need to give tools and solutions that will help those 
peruvian functionaries to send the XOs to some of those 80,000 forgotten 
villages and not JUST to the other 5,000 (that is clear that they are 
not in the bottom of the poverty pyramid).  Once we provide these tools 
the functionaries, and our president, will be MORE THAN HAPPY to send 
the XOs to those forgotten villages.

So we need to learn about 3 things:

*ENERGY*
How is the advance in providing some kind of autogenerated energy 
(crank, weels, human or animal generated energy) ? (I know Richard is 
the most interested in this issue, but I have not get further 
information about many issues related to this "energy" aspect, we have 
discuss solar panels and other options that seems not very useful for 
our mountains... but I don't know what is the state of the things on 
this moment.  Many pending answers in this area).

*SERVERS*
How usefull or practical is if the XOs behave without a separated 
server? Is there some testing about that option? Will it be useful and 
realistic?  Is this the first recommendation that the OLPC is doing to 
the peruvian government or is the "you need to buy a server" the 
preferred option that you recommend?

*INTERNET CONNECTION
*Is there some advance in relationship to developing a "sneaker net" (I 
call it a "llama net"...) for those localities where there is not 
Internet available or all the efforts of this first 40,000 computers 
located in Peru are focused on villages that have "VSATS" ?  (If my 
memory is not bad... in some moment Walter told that the OLPC project 
will be more than happy if they hear about some kind of "off line" 
connection for the XOs... something like the old UUCP method).

I ask your pardon if some of this questions are too hot to handle.  But 
sooner or later we need to take the bull by the horns.  If not... the 
project will not survive by itself and it will depend ALL the time on 
the will of the government that will be in charge.

Thanks for your time and big efforts to help our country.  We know is a 
valuable effort.  Let's convert it in a unforgettable journey.

Best regards,

Javier Rodriguez
Lima, Peru


John Watlington wrote:
> On Apr 29, 2008, at 7:00 PM, Martin Langhoff wrote:
>
>   
>> 2008/4/30 Holger Levsen <holger at layer-acht.org>:
>>     
>>>  On Tuesday 29 April 2008 22:41, Martin Langhoff wrote:
>>>       
>>>> If those same machines could be ordered with RAM ranging from 512 to
>>>> 2GB... instant love ;-) -- add a fanless ext USB drive enclosure and
>>>> run run run.
>>>>         
>>>  did you contact the manufacturer?
>>>       
>> No. But if there are higher spec'ed machines in the pipeline, it'd be
>> good to hear about them.
>>     
>
> Yes, Peru is in contact and I will try to start a direct discussion.
>
> John
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>   

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