Chilean Monks Need Linux Help? 66
Inexile2002 asks: "Ok, I'm going to Chile this Xmas season, and a distant second cousin of mine, a monk in a Dominican monastary emailed me
requesting that I bring copies of and set up Linux on their machines
and network. I've NEVER set up a Linux network before, won't have
reliable internet access when I'm there (if I have it at all) and to
top it all off, would really rather set this up in Spanish for the
non bi-lingual monks. (My spanish, of course, is weak and useless
when discussing computers) For someone who doesn't know Linux well
and won't be able to check online help, what is the best hard copy
Linux help out there? Is there a Spanish Linux? Will the monks,
once they do have reliable net connections, be able to seek
bilingual online help?" We've all been in this position before, but
the multi-lingual angle is a new twist. Do any of you have any hints,
or suggestions to pass along to Inexile2002?
Three reasons (Score:1)
Perhaps they saw a photo of RMS and mistook him for someone else (guess who).
They tired of waiting for Jesux
Re:What do they need it for? (Score:2)
Just because they're monks doesn't mean that they are closetted introverts who never speak to anyone; remember that it was monks who invented beer! Mmm, beer good....:)
As far as linux goes, it's free and churches are no longer as rich as they once were, so they may be keen to save some money. Also, any MS license fee saved is more money for the needy/poor/sick/whatever, which should interest any worthy christian.
Re:What do they need it for? (Score:2)
(Beer, as a fermented grain based beverage, is much older than monks or monasteries. There is some evidence that suggests that using grain as a food is NOT what caused man to cease to be nomadic. Rather, some believe it was to ferment the grain. So, yes, we are all descended from people who were trying to get drunk on a regular basis.
Damn. Can't wait for that brown ale to finish carbonating...)
Re:What do they need it for? (Score:2, Informative)
Shaolinux Temple? (Score:2, Funny)
Linux in spanish (Score:3, Informative)
There is also the Debian translation repository at: www.debian.org/international/Spanish [debian.org]
And if you're interested in a Red-Hat based distribution that is supposed to have a fairly complete collection of spanish instructions, check out: conectiva.com [conectiva.com]. These guys also have a spanish-language publication that you might be interested in looking into. You might even want to sign up your new admin for a year or so.
hmmm, it's amazing what you can find in 15 seconds with Google, isn't it?
More on Conectiva Re:Linux in spanish (Score:4, Informative)
I think that can help you a lot, once you can phone then.
URL: http://www.conectiva.cl/
Phone: (562) 3790930
Fax: (562) 3790626
Re:More on Conectiva Re:Linux in spanish (Score:2)
"Linux Helps Monks. More Money For Orphans"
Re:More on Conectiva Re:Linux in spanish (Score:2)
Then you try to compile a driver for some hardware.
Then you ask about the source and they say "kernel compilation" is not included in the basic support package.
Then you go to their website and you cant find the damn thing!
Then, if you have a Win machine at the monastery, you just d/l a 30MB tar from kernel.org.
Informative my ass!
Re:Linux in spanish (Score:1)
Re:Monk with plenty of time. (Score:1)
And actually, I think that would be true for any platform -- it's much better to have a full-time support person.
The only exception in the case might be Macintosh -- Macs have always had localized, well-translated versions of their system software for most languages. Of course, they are much more expensive.
Ekk thats a tough one. (Score:4, Insightful)
And of course pray, pray heavily, pray often. Oh yea and before you leave, practice practice, practice, practive. Oh yea did I say practice. Installing linux on most likly old computers, you havn't seen which don't have an internet connection is a job only the most brave should take. If you can accomplish this, mention this at any tech job, you will be instantly hired. Oh yea, bring a laptop if you can with linux and windows and whatever network connection and dialup equipment you can find just in case. Oh yea, and do like the monks. Pray!
Re:Ekk thats a tough one. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Ekk thats a tough one. (Score:5, Funny)
OT Re:Ekk thats a tough one. (Score:2)
would that I had mod points for you.
mike
Re:Ekk thats a tough one. (Score:1)
Re:Ekk thats a tough one. (Score:2)
BSD is not for monks! (Score:2)
BSD? That with a picture of a little devil? To monks? Vade retro Satana!!
SuSE (Score:3, Informative)
SuSE in Spanish: http://www.suse.de/es/
Haven't tried either, but kudos to the company in recognizing that Portugese and Spanish aren't the same language.
pt_BR and pt_PT (Score:2)
I wonder why, while Spanish speakers usually require just one Spanish version, the Brazilian and the Portuguese ask for diferent translations.
Are both dialects so different?
Re:pt_BR and pt_PT (Score:1)
Re:pt_BR and pt_PT (Score:2)
Spanish: Cómo es usted?
Portugese: Como são você?
And that's just a start. The pronounciation is different, and worst of all, some Portugese speakers are offended if you speak only Spanish to them. Point of pride, I guess, like Quebec French speakers.
Re:pt_BR and pt_PT (Score:2)
Re:Hmmm, Linux Monks... [Longish] (Score:2)
Spanish (Score:1, Interesting)
I didn't have the cd's with me, so I did a ftp install, it took overnight on their 64k connection. SuSE has pdf's of all their manuals in Spanish, so if you can print those out, the monks can learn all about Linux.
And I recently saw a site from a Ciber Cafe in Columbia that ran everything on Linux, I seem to remember them running a support group as well.
You might want to find out if there is a local Linux User Group.
Re:Spanish (Score:1)
Like this [gulich.cl] one!
Best stuff (Score:3, Informative)
Hmmm (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Hmmm (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
[To the original poster]
I ran an international tech support center in Brussles. I can use a variety of national keyboards with one hand while giving demos at local trade shows. Typically American, I only speak English.
Horrid problems handling tech support, right? Nope. I would read anything that came in before handing it out, listen in on the harder phone calls, even if it was in Greek.
When most of the important words are technical, it's not that hard. Even the national language menus often make sense if you know how the originals worked.
Before you go, though, practice installing and using a Spanish language setup including the keyboard. Most distributions have some level of Spanish support, and fetching or installing language packs for the apps/window manager can make up for the rest.
Since you have at a minimum one person who you can use as a translator, you aren't stuck. Your main issue is setting up the network. Do that before you go, and copy the configuration files -- or better yet all of /etc -- to a disk for reference later.
In a worst-case situation where some of the machines don't work as you'd like, gather the hardware details and 'fix' the problem at home. Snail mail them the resulting CD with English directions but use as few words as possible and use the exact commands.
Support? (Score:1)
Spanish Linux & Stuff (Score:1)
As far as HOW-TO and notes and everything goes...
Mirror http://www.linuxdoc.org/
And burn it to a CD ROM.
Past that
What an interesting job you must have (Score:2, Funny)
Well I don't know about you Cliff, but I've never found myself in the position of having to set up a linux network for Chilean Monks, bilingual or not... (c:
--Cycon
Re:What an interesting job you must have (Score:1)
When They Get a reliable Internet connection... (Score:1)
http://www.linuxdoc.org/links/nenglish.html#spa
Which is from The Linux Documentation Project it lists several sources for Linux info in Espanol
As far as distro's Slackware is good as is Red Hat, I found Red Hat to be the most useful for me in my business.
Good Luck
Keith
Internet access. (Score:4, Informative)
That won't be a problem. As long as you have access to a phone line, you'll be able to get dial-up Internet access in Chile - there are many... er... "on-the-fly & no previous contract" plans from ISPs here that are charged on the phone bill. On the other hand, broadband access is expensive.
As for distros: Conectiva would be the choice here.
try SuSE... (Score:3, Informative)
You may want to consider using SuSE. They have pretty good multilingual support (I use the dutch), you can buy it with Spanish manuals (or at least you could with 7.2, probably still can) and they also have spanish how-tos on the disk. And, assuming the program supports it, it comes with spanish translations for KDE ang GNOME programs as well.
If you are going to be without the internet, this could be an interesting choice I think.
Some of the intersting ones are:
Name : howtoes
Summary : Collection of HOWTOs from the 'Linux Documentation Project' (Spanish)
Name : network_es
Summary : SuSE Linux Manual: Network (spanish)
Name : qappl_es
Summary : SuSE Applikation Manual (spanish)
Name : qconfig_es
Summary : Configuration Manual (spanish)
Name : sdb_es
Summary : SuSE Support-Database (spanish)
Name : susehelp_es
Summary : SuSE Help-System (base)
Name : suselinux-reference_es
Summary : System and Reference Manual (es)
Name : susetour_es
Summary : SuSE Tour spanish
Name : books_es
Summary : Several Linux Books translated to spanish
Bring a portable! (Score:1)
Connectiva (Score:2)
Oh. Here [conectiva.com] is the Spanish link. Start there. You don't have to load Debislackhat on their machines.
Re:Connectiva (Score:2, Interesting)
The default seems to be portuguese. there is a link over on the right to switch between spanish and portuguese. go click and you'll see what the differences between the languages are. I think of Portuguese as being the best parts of Spanish, French and Italian. But if you don't know anything about those languages, that doesn't help. Portuguese has more funny looking letters and accent marks than spanish does.
Things to take into account (Score:2, Informative)
Sometimes ram can be so problematical that the installation media won't fit into ram. In this case, make one computer with enough ram (canabalize if you have to) that you can install linux on it. It should be nearly identical to all the other computers. Then use that disk image to create the other hard disks for the other machines.
If you have problems with init running out of memory before the system is loaded, use this command at the lilo prompt
lilo: linux init=/bin/ash
That will just load up the ash command prompt (ash has a very tiny memory profile)
You can remount the drives with `mount / -o rw, remount`
Also, you may need to use an earlier kernel, as they take up less space in memory (The entire kernel must be loaded into ram)
It'll be slow, with all the swapping but it should get the job done.
Also read the Small Memory howto at the LDP
get net access (Score:1)
Two possible distros (Score:2)
SuSE
SuSE is probably the easiest to install, but I've had a hard time with trying to make it do what =I= wanted, as opposed to what =it= wanted.
On the flip-side, Red Hat (which can handle a Spanish language installation, and probably even has the dialect you want!) is only mildly irritating to install, but is MUCH easier to upgrade & manage afterwards, IMHO.
Others suggested d/l every HOWTO on the planet. I agree. Just don't kill off the rainforest in the process.
Installing a network is easy. Don't sweat it. It's no different from installing a standalone box, except that each box needs its own name & IP number, and you need to have one box as a router/DNS server/Mail server. (You can use different machines, but I honestly wouldn't bother.)
To install the network, use the IP numbers 192.168.0.x, where x is some number between 1 and 254. Use 192.168.0.1 as your router & Mail/DNS machine, and tell it to do network address translation (NAT) and packet forwarding. The ISP'll supply the "visible" IP address for that computer, so you can ignore that. That'll be handled by however you're connected up to the Internet. Probably PPPd.
Beyond that, I honestly can't think of any configuration or software you'd need. That should be enough to handle a network of up to 254 machines, with no great sweat. Oh, for e-mail, most clients will be able to pop the mail off the mail server. You're much better off doing things that way than to use fetchmail. Not because it's hard, but because it's one more thing to set up. The LESS you need to worry about, the MORE you can spend time enjoying the experience of creating the world's first Beomonk Cluster.
debian Spanish-speaking fan (Score:2, Informative)
Personally, I'd burn CD images with all the Deian packages. You'd probably want to go with Woody, since it is almost frozen and Potato is quite outdated. Find pointers and instructions at http://cdimage.debian.org/ [debian.org]. This way, you can make the install in English yourself and then install the appropriate packages. There is a very convenient "spanish" task package containing doc-linux-es, manpages-es, ispanish, wspanish and user-es. Then, run the "castellanizar" script found in user-es to have all the possible defaults in Spanish.
Another suggestion is for you to start to practice your Spanish now and make the same question on http://barrapunto.com [barrapunto.com], a Spanish-speaking slashdot copycat site. Best luck, anyway, I hope you make good converts...
Mini distros (Score:2)
http://pocket-linux.coven.vmh.net/about.html.en
or
http://jspiro.tripod.com/linux/hal91.htm
(There's a good list of various distros at
http://www.linux.org/dist/index.html
including various foreign language distros that may be useful)
export LANG=es (Score:1)
this works perfectly with SuSE...
Uh... Wow (Score:1, Flamebait)
You don't speak spanish.
You don't know anything about Linux.
You've evidently never heard of things like "telephones" and "modems"
Why are you setting up a network in Chile?
Take Ghost (Score:1)
Once you get through the hellish install in another language, DO YOU WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!!???
Hell no,
so take ghost, it can be had "Semi-legally" on Kazaa or other services.