LTSPManager: how 1000+ Greek schools switched to Debian-based distributions

In the past 10 years, more than 1000 Greek schools switched their computer labs to Debian-based distributions. The reason for this was the extremely easy-to-use combination of the following software packages: * LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project): netboot all the (diskless) clients from a single image on the server. * Epoptes: a Greek classroom monitoring tool (for the teachers), which was debianized a few years ago. * Sch-scripts (ltsp-manager): a Greek computer lab administration tool (for the sysadmin).

The part of the puzzle that is missing from Debian is sch-scripts. Traditionally, managing a computer lab with LTSP requires familiarity with the command line, but many schools can’t afford a sysadmin. Sch-scripts offered an easy-to-use GUI and proved that a simple teacher can maintain a computer lab with that.

A Debian Outreachy 2017 Project called “LTSPManager” aims to adapt “sch-scripts” into a new Debian package called “ltsp-manager”, primarily through internationalization and localization as well as documentation. We hope that the Greek schools success story can be adopted by a broader audience.

A developer of LTSP/Epoptes/Sch-scripts is the Outreachy mentor for ltsp-manager and will be presenting the technical side of the story, while a Greek teacher is the Outreachy intern for ltsp-manager and will be presenting the school/teacher side of the story, along with the challenges she faced as an Outreachy intern.

• Video
• Slides