The Steps the Organization Needed to Accomplish Prior to Computer Delivery

1. Identification of users to participate in testing of Linux distributions/window managers on Nov. 14/15.
2. Provision of space, furniture (tables and chairs), and sufficient power supplies for testing on Nov. 14/15.

The Steps the Project Team Needed to Accomplish Prior to Computer Delivery

1. Research accomplished before the November trip to East St. Louis when we provided 5 different Linux distributions and style options for users to test.
   1. Linux Terminal Server:  Hardware requirements, distribution options, and technical issues with LTS software were addressed.  We looked for a distribution that had longevity and sustainability and could continue to be maintained and updated.
   2. Window managers and themes:  What should Linux look like for them?  We worked on finding easily accessible and intuitive visual interfaces for the user population.  The window manager needed be lightweight to account for hardware constraints. We looked into custom icons, shortcuts, and themes that facilitated ease of use.
   3. Multimedia possibilities:  We looked into distributions, drivers, and software to support a video camera.  We considered going with a distribution like Mint that would be pre-packaged with multimedia capabilities as opposed to a distribution like Edubuntu which would not.
   4. Applications to install. We looked into what sorts of software would be engaging and useful to the congregation.
   5. Security:  Would we need to use something like OpenDNS for our site?  If so, what sites should be blocked?  How much access would our users need to multimedia sharing sites (YouTube) or social networking (MySpace, Facebook)?  Does OpenDNS deem inappropriate any sites, particularly religious sites, that church members may want access to?
2. User testing
   1. Set up and demonstrated distributions at Morningstar on Friday, Nov. 14.
   2. Tested with church members on Saturday, Nov. 15.  During user testing we tested 5 different distributions and window manager combinations:  Mint 5 Gnome, Mint 5 XFCE, Mint 5 Fluxbox, UbuntuLite LXDE, and gOS.  These combinations were assessed for intuitiveness, ease of use, and stability during testing.  More information on user testing can be found here. Ultimately, we discarded gOS because of stability concerns and Fluxbox because it was not behaving well with older monitors.
   3. During testing, we also determined that our hardware was not adequate to meet the demands of an LTS and modified our network scheme accordingly.  We attempted to maintain the elements of the LTS that seemed to be most attractive to Pastor Kaitroy (ease of maintenance, internet access to all computers, and potential for learning opportunities).  Over the next couple of weeks, Adam put together a distribution which included Child’s Play, GnomeSword, Firefox, and OpenDNS, while addressing usabilty issues.  This distribution was then installed on eight standalone clients, to which we added OpenOffice Suite, KDE-Edu, Pingus, Wbar, and other software for a print server, web development and hosting, and media editing.  Members of the team also created training materials for installation of programs through both the GUI and CLI, internet security information, linux equivalents to windows programs, accessibility training, and information on setting up a network.
3. Final Installation
   1. On our third trip to East St. Louis, we installed eight computers running the custom Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church distribution based on Ubuntu 8.04.
   2. We provided training for Pastor Kaitroy as the future administrator of the lab.  The agenda for this training can be found here (agenda).

Obstacles Encountered During Implementation

1. LTS
   1. Given a lack of knowledge concerning the available hardware and the experimental nature of LTS technology, we had several concerns about using this method for our project.
   2. We were also unsure that this model would best serve the needs of the community.
2. Networking
   1. We had problems connecting our wireless bridge to the church’s wireless router.
   2. This was solved through a judicious chat with LinkSys tech support – turned out to be just a matter of entering wEP keys in the right fields.
   3. We assigned static IP addresses to each computer and, after moving one of the computers off the uplink port on the switch, could successfully access the internet on all eight machines.