[TOS] Class Proposal

[tosmail20110729.neophyte_rep at ordinaryamerican.net]

Here's a class I'd like to see someone teach:
Installing Linux From Scratch, http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

If I had a class of fifteen students, they would work in teams of three.

Each team would be given an existing standalone machine.  It could be
a Windows machine or a Linux machine.

First task, confirm the hardware conforms to LFS Target Architectures,
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable/prologue/architecture.html

Second task, replace the existing operating system with a Linux
distribution from a LiveCD.  This should include the ability to
restore the existing operating system from backup should the install
fail and as the last task of the course.  A complete replacement using
a LiveCD should be an easy task.  If not, proceed to the community
interaction steps.  The backup requirement teaches good practice.

Each team would be assigned a different Linux distribution.  I would
suggest Debian, RedHat, Fedora, CentOS, and Ubuntu,  These are all
Debian derived and Fedora and CentOS are derived from RedHat.  Thus we
concentrate on interactions with one extended community (Debian), but
are exposed to several different community preferences.  Everyone
needs to understand what religious beliefs mean in FLOSS.  For
additional possible distributions see http://distrowatch.com/

Third task, document that the installed system conforms to the Host
System Requirements,
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable/prologue/hostreqs.html
 If not, proceed to the community interaction steps to find how to
install the required packages.

>From that point, Read The Fine Manual,
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable/

The Linux From Scratch community has a Mailing List and an IRC channel
for support.

For a good idea of what the student will acquire from this course,
read Mr. Gerard Beekmans' "Forward" <
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable/prologue/foreword.html
>, the "Audience" description <
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable/prologue/audience.html
>, and the "Rationale for Packages in the Book", <
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/view/stable/prologue/package-choices.html
>.

I retired as a programmer and system administrator in 2005.  I now
have a dedicated cpu and a good desk in my home lab.  I have not yet
begun the process I described above.  Other interests and my desire to
know enough before I start have consumed the available time.  I think
building an LFS system is possible in a semester, but just barely.
That's why I am constantly surprised by what the professional teachers
propose for their students.