linux4africa

linux4afrika is a project that collects obsolete but still functional computers in Germany, converts them and integrates them into a terminal server network, which is then donated to schools in Africa , in particular Tanzania and Mozambique . The project sponsor is the Freiburg association FreiOSS . The software used is edubuntu , a Linux distribution that was specially compiled for schools. The project helpers work on a voluntary basis and are mostly information technology experts.

The donations are collected in camps and prepared for use. If there are enough donated computers and donations for servers and transport available, a container with 200 PCs, monitors, keyboards, etc. is loaded and shipped to Tanzania by a forwarding agent. With this cargo 10 schools in Tanzania can be equipped with computers. Sending a container costs around 2500 euros. There is a lack of internet connections in Tanzania, so the networks are initially working offline.

Tanzania was chosen because there has been no war or unrest there for over 40 years, the literacy rate is over 90 percent, but the people live in deep poverty. The average income is the equivalent of one euro per day.

historical development

The project was founded in 2006.

In mid-July 2007 the first container with donation PCs could be packed and it arrived in Tanzania at the end of August. In autumn 2007 the project linux4afrika attracted the attention of the federal government and was invited to the development aid committee of the Bundestag in Berlin . Since December 2007 there has been a branch in Leipzig , through which the scope of the project could be expanded to include Central Germany and Berlin.

On February 20, 2008, the jury of the National Committee of the UN Decade “ Education for Sustainable Development ” recognized linux4afrika as the official decade project 2008/2009. On February 26th, 2008 the Tanzania project officially started with the inauguration of the first donated computer room. On February 27, 2008, linux4afrika met Mizengo Pinda , the Prime Minister of Tanzania.

On June 27, 2009 the project linux4afrika, the Linux distribution Skolelinux and the terminal server system X2Go announced their partnership. It is hoped that schools using Skolelinux will enter into a partnership with a linux4afrika school based on a similar system.

Technical background

For the terminal server network based on LTSP , the server (a standard PC) is bought new. For each computer room about 20 donated PCs (min. 64 MB RAM , AGP - video card ) as a thin client converted by the hard disks and away EEPROM on the network card to be replaced. The old PCs then boot completely from the server, all calculations and disk I / O take place on the server. In this way, a high working speed can be guaranteed despite old hardware on the student PCs. Such terminal server networks are also used in German schools and meet the requirements without any problems.

literature

• Markus Feilner: In the land of the wildebeest. Visiting Linux4afrika in Tanzania . In: Linux magazine . No. 12, 2007, ISSN  1432-640X .
• Hans-Peter Merkel: Linux4Afrika - A Linux Terminal Server Project . In: Bernd Lutterbeck, Matthias Bärwolff and Robert A. Gehring (eds.): Open Source Yearbook 2008 . Lehmanns Media, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-86541-271-3 , pp. 325–333.
• Robert Seetzen: Linux for Africa . In: heise open , March 24, 2010, 5:06 p.m.

Web links

• Official website

Individual evidence

1. ↑ linux4afrika.de ( Memento of the original from March 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. the vision 
2. ↑ TV report on Linuxtag 2007 with a report on linux4afrika
3. ↑ linux-magazin.de: Linux4afrika Ubuntu PCs for Tanzania and Mozambique
4. ↑ swr3: ( Memento of the original from April 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. With penguin in hot Africa, radio broadcast on SWR3 
5. ↑ linux-magazin.de: Linux4afrika invited to the Bundestag committee
6. ↑ Linux4Afrika receives award as a decade project of the UN DECADE 2008/2009
7. ↑ A big day for linux4afrika: Official project start in Tanzania
8. ↑ linux-community.de: Linux4Afrika meets the government of Tanzania
9. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated December 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ ubuntuusers.de: Free software solution for Africa