<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thanks to all the responses. I have played around with Ubuntu a little in the past, but will try it again. I'll report back on my progress after much tinkering around, etc. :-)<br><br>IDLE is very important to me when it comes to teaching Python....<br><br>Richard<br><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">----- Original Message ----<br>From: Lloyd Hugh Allen <chandrakirti@gmail.com><br>To: Atul Varma <varmaa@gmail.com><br>Cc: Richard Guenther <heistooheavy@yahoo.com>; "edu-sig@python.org" <edu-sig@python.org><br>Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 5:28:36 AM<br>Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Donated computers, Linux, and IDLE problems.<br><br><div>I agree (and this is the
time of year that considering how to set up<br>the lab is particularly relevant, for those people who are able to<br>control how their lab is set up).<br><br>I am using Ubuntu now, and am able to pull up an Idle session by going<br>to the Applications menu, coming down to programming, and choosing<br>IDLE. To install IDLE, go to System --> Administration --> Synaptic<br>Package Manager, search for IDLE, and then go down the alphebetized<br>list to find IDLE (current version). Check it, "apply", and then<br>Ubuntu will grab anything that is missing and install IDLE.<br><br>There are two drawbacks -- currently my Ubuntu only sees 2.4.3 (I<br>don't know the process to allow the current version to automatically<br>be recognized), and Ubuntu get angry at particular graphics cards. Be<br>very, very careful about updating your video drivers, lest you end up<br>having to reconfigure them and/or X from the console (doable, but not<br>"I'm setting up a lab of 30 computers and
need to be ready for class<br>before I go home"able).<br><br>The good news is that as soon as 2.5.1 has been blessed by the Ubuntu<br>gods, an icon will appear on the menu bar suggesting that you<br>automatically upgrade to it. You can manually update, but then you<br>don't get automatic updates as they are blessed.<br><br>Good luck,<br>Lloyd Allen<br><br>On 7/19/07, Atul Varma <varmaa@gmail.com> wrote:<br>> Hi Richard,<br>><br>> Have you considered using Ubuntu? The latest version of the distro<br>> comes with Python 2.5 installed, and IDLE can be easily installed<br>> using the built-in package management system. I've also found that<br>> installing Ubuntu is easier than installing Windows, and its base<br>> configuration is reasonably minimalistic.<br>><br>> - Atul<br>><br>> On 7/18/07, Richard Guenther <heistooheavy@yahoo.com> wrote:<br>> ><br>> > I'm not sure if this is the best place to
post this question, but it<br>> > certainly fits into the edu-sig realm ;-)<br>> ><br>> > I will be sponsoring a high school computer programming club again this<br>> > year. I get older computers donated to me quite often, most in the Pentium3<br>> > range. Often they have a crippled version of Windows on them, but no<br>> > restore disks, etc. Also, most of these computers will NOT be hooked up to<br>> > the internet.<br>> ><br>> > What I'd like to do is put a simpler LINUX distro on them (MepisLite is my<br>> > current favorite for these situations), and then get Python up and running<br>> > with IDLE working.<br>> ><br>> > But it's not easy! I don't know of a distro yet that comes with a working<br>> > IDLE installed. Whenever I've done the source file dance ("./configure,<br>> > make, make install") with newer versions of
Python, I get the common<br>> > PYTHONHOME and PYTHONPATH problems and also can't get IDLE to work.<br>> ><br>> > Any suggestions or advice?<br>> ><br>> > Richard<br>> ><br>> > P.S. I know this sounds like a technical question for a n00b forum, but the<br>> > context of this problem (I'm a teacher trying to set up some convenient<br>> > Python boxes for my students to use) made me think it might be appropriate<br>> > here. If not, I apologize in advance. I am, btw, getting our PCs in the<br>> > computer lab set up with Python (and IDLE) running on Windows, I just wanted<br>> > to put these donated comps to good use....<br>> ><br>> ><br>> > ________________________________<br>> > Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today!<br>> > _______________________________________________<br>> > Edu-sig
mailing list<br>> > Edu-sig@python.org<br>> > <a target="_blank" href="http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig">http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig</a><br>> ><br>> ><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Edu-sig mailing list<br>> Edu-sig@python.org<br>> <a target="_blank" href="http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig">http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig</a><br>><br></div></div><br></div></div><br>
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