[TOS] Summer '10 POSSEs status

[Matthew Jadud]

2010/2/26 Karsten Wade <kwade at redhat.com>:
> * If it all possible, have a room of computers installed with the
>  Fedora X POSSE Spin.  This room should have wireless and wired
>  ports.

This could be difficult. Is this a *requirement* for hosting a POSSE? See below.

> * Require POSSE attendees to bring a laptop for extended learning.
>  Best if the system runs Fedora POSSE Spin, such as via USB as a live
>  system with persistence on the USB device.

I wouldn't call it "extended learning." We spent a lot of time hacking
at the end of the day. I thought that was an essential part of the
POSSE experience.

Another possibility would be for us to post a VirtualBox disk image
that is ready-to-roll. Participants install VirtualBox, download the
disk image, and they're done. No rebooting, no setting up persistence,
etc. I would think that would be closer to "Just Works" than anything
else.

I am leery of insisting on having environments locally that Just Work.
Our department runs Linux, and we have a great deal of control over
our machines within the department. However, we run Ubuntu 8.04. We
could do live disks/USB, but it would require machine reconfiguration
to allow the live boot. Or, we could have VMs... but that would
require a software push, another kind of reconfiguration. We could do
those things, and it would be relatively easy... but it would be work
for our admin. If I had to deal with the university-wide systems, we'd
be completely up a tree without a canoe, because they just don't
reconfigure labs for 1-week sessions in the middle of the summer.

Participants should show up with systems (on laptops) that Just Work.
The host should provide wireless that Just Works.

That would be my take as a participant in a POSSE. I wouldn't put more
on your local organizers than you have to. As it is, guest access to
the network can be a trial at some institutions, let alone machine
configuration. YMMV, each institution is different, etc...

Cheers,
Matt