[Linux-aus] Application to Grants Scheme
Christian Ramilo
bramilo at gmail.com
Sun Feb 15 11:26:45 EST 2009
To whom it may concern
Happy New Year, and greetings from Darwin.
Melissa Draper has asked me to submit our application for assistance
-- which we sent to committee at linux.org.au -- to this list for your
consideration.
Below is the text of the application. A text file of the application
is also attached.
Thanks for your interest in the proposal.
Yours sincerely,
Christian Ramilo
Executive Officer
Darwin Community Arts
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 14 January 2009
Project Name: Malak Telecentro Server and Multimedia Workstation
Aim of Project: To enhance the capacity of the Malak Telecentro to
provide broadband and multimedia facilities to communities in Darwin
using GNU/Linux and other FLOSS products
Person Resposible for Request: Christian Ramilo
Request: $1,980.00
Linux Australia Proposal
========================
Author: Christian Ramilo <eo at darwincommunityarts.org.au>
Table of Contents
=================
Linux Australia Project Proposal: Malak Telecentro Server and
Multimedia Workstation
1.1 Summary
1.2 Background: Malak Telecentro
1.3 Enhancing the Network
1.4 Enhancing Multimedia Production Facilities
1.5 Equipment Cost
1.6 More Information
Linux Australia Project Proposal: Malak Telecentro Server and
Multimedia Workstation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.1 Summary
===========
We seek assistance to purchase two computers for deployment at
Malak Telecentro in Malak, Darwin. One of the computers will be an
Ubuntu-based LTSP server for up to twenty client computers; it will
also provide proxy, firewall, and other services to the Telecentro
Network. The second computer will run Ubuntu Studio and will be used
for expanding multimedia activities at the Telecentro. Total cost for
the two computers, sourced locally, will be about $1,980.
1.2 Background: Malak Telecentro
================================
The Malak Telecentro was established by Darwin Community Arts
([http://www.darwincommunityarts.org.au]) in October 2007 as a
community-based Internet access facility. It is the only facility of
its kind in Darwin.
The Malak Telecentro -- in Shop 2, Malak Shopping Centre -- offers
broadband access to the Internet free of charge to the community. It
currently has a local area network of fifteen personal computers with
the Ubuntu GNU/Linux operating system, and one Apple eMac running Mac
OS X. There are more computers that are in storage, slated for
setting up later. Free WiFi connectivity is available through an
Open-Mesh network.
The computers and other equipment were donated by Charles Darwin
University and other donors. The furniture is mainly from NT
Government surplus stores. Other equipment was provided by Darwin
Community Arts, which operates the Malak Telecentro.
NT Freenet ([http://www.the-mesh.org]) provide technical advice and
support for the Telecentro and related projects.
The Telecentro is staffed mainly by volunteers from Darwin
Community Arts, Melaleuca Refugee Centre, Multicultural Council of the
Northern Territory, and NT Freenet. With the current number of
volunteers, we are able to open the Telecentro for community use
during these times: Tuesdays to Fridays, 2:30 to 4:30 PM, and every
second Saturday, 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Hours of operation will increase as
we recruit more volunteers.
Most regular users are local residents, mainly young people, though
there are a few regular users from other suburbs too. The Telecentro
also hosts workshops and activities on digital media, including the
Our Malak/Connect Workshops ([http://www.malak.org.au]).
In 2009, more digital and locative media workshops and events will
be hosted by the Malak Telecentro, especially digital video and audio
production and distribution; these workshops and events will be
supported by Australia Council for the Arts, Australian Hunman Rights
Commission, Arts NT, Community Benefit Fund, Scanlon Foundation, and
other organisations.
1.3 Enhancing the Network
=========================
There are currently fifteen networked computers running Ubuntu
8.04. Until recently, these computers were running anything from
Ubuntu 6.06 to 8.10 and were managed individually -- since late 2007,
each one had whatever version of Ubuntu that was available at the time
installed on it; and each computer had to be upgraded individually. In
December, a server was set up to provide over-the-network installation
and maintenance, and another computer was set up for proxying and
content filtering. This setup has made management of the network and
the machines on it much more efficient. The machines still need to be
individually managed (such as for distribution upgrades), however.
In 2009, we intend to expand the network to 20 computers, all
running Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. We believe it would be simpler and more
efficient (for the network and for our workers) to manage 20 computers
using LTSP and rather than managing each one individually. We can also
run other services, such as proxying and content filtering (which we
now run on two separate computers), on a single, more powerful server.
We need, however, to purchase a more powerful server than what we're
using now (which is a four-year old 2.5Mhz Pentium 4 with 1G of RAM
and a 40G HDD).
Running LTSP also helps us with physical maintenance of the
computers deployed on the network. The computers currently networked
in the Telecentro are mainly four or five year old Celeron-powered
Ipex machines decommissioned by the University. A few of these
computers have had hard drive failures, or other component failures.
There are a number of machines in storage which have either replaced
failed ones or have supplied spare parts for maintenance of the
deployed machines. We wish to continue using these machines, however,
as part of our efforts at adapting Green computing. We can run these
computers without hard drives, and run then as long as possible rather
than consigning them to landfill while they're still working.
1.4 Enhancing Multimedia Production Facilities
==============================================
Since March 2008, we've run Internet and digital media workshops at
the Telecentro. The existing facilities sufficed for the Internet
basics (webmail, web browsing), Text/Blogging, and digital photography
workshops; for the digital audio and video workshops and other
continuing production work during 2009, however, we will need at least
one powerful computer for production and post-production tasks. The
projects lined up for 2009 include podcasting workshops for
multilingual broadcasters, the recording and production of hiphop
songs by local artists, advanced video-making workshops and
train-the-trainer workshops, virtual murals and graffiti (and other
digital public art).
Some existing computers may be run standalone (rather than as LTSP
clients) for audio and video capturing and basic editing but more
intensive work, involving intensive effects or mastering, will have to
be done on a more powerful machine, which will run Ubuntu Studio 8.04.
This proposed Multimedia Workstation will be complemented by our
other digital video and audio equipmnent and will eventually be
installed in a dedicated Multimedia studio also at Malak Shopping
Centre.
1.5 Equipment Cost
==================
We wish to purchase two V3-M2A690G Asus Barebone computers from
local supplier Hallmark Computers; each computer costs about $990 (inc
GST), with the following specifications:
- Asus V3-M2A690G Barebone
- AMD Phenom 9550 Quad Core CPU
- 2Gb Transcend 800Mhz DIMM's
- Seagate 7200.10 500Gb SATA HDD's
- Upsonic ProOffice 650Va UPS
1.6 More Information
====================
For more information on this application, please contact the following:
General and Management: Christian Ramilo, Executive Officer, Darwin
Community Arts, eo at darwincommunityarts.org.au, 0414 682 350
Technical: Sam Wilson, NT Freenet, kahn at the-mesh.org, phone 0427394316.
A copy of the project summary text file is attached.
Yours faithfully
Christian Ramilo
Executive Officer
Darwin Community Arts Inc
Phone (08) 8945 7347
Mobile +61 414 682 350
This email and any attachments may contain confidential or privileged
information and is intended only for the person or entity to which it
is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, the
use of this information or any disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this in error
please notify Darwin Community Arts by return email and delete the
original email. Darwin Community Arts does not represent, warrant
and/or guarantee that the integrity of this communication has been
maintained nor that the communication is free of errors, virus,
interception or interference. The views expressed in this transmission
are those of the sender except where they specifically identify the
view of Darwin Community Arts.
-------------- next part --------------
Linux Australia Proposal
========================
Author: Christian Ramilo <eo at darwincommunityarts.org.au>
Date: 2008/12/28 22:55:32
Table of Contents
=================
1 Linux Australia Project Proposal: Malak Telecentro Server and Multimedia Workstation
1.1 Summary
1.2 Background: Malak Telecentro
1.3 Enhancing the Network
1.4 Enhancing Multimedia Production Facilities
1.5 Equipment Cost
1.6 More Information
1 Linux Australia Project Proposal: Malak Telecentro Server and Multimedia Workstation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.1 Summary
===========
We seek assistance to purchase two computers for deployment at Malak Telecentro in Malak, Darwin. One of the computers will be an Ubuntu-based LTSP server for up to twenty client computers; it will also provide proxy, firewall, and other services to the Telecentro Network. The second computer will run Ubuntu Studio and will be used for expanding multimedia activities at the Telecentro. Total cost for the two computers, sourced locally, will be about $1,980.
1.2 Background: Malak Telecentro
================================
The Malak Telecentro was established by Darwin Community Arts ([http://www.darwincommunityarts.org.au]) in October 2007 as a community-based Internet access facility. It is the only facility of its kind in Darwin.
The Malak Telecentro -- in Shop 2, Malak Shopping Centre -- offers broadband access to the Internet free of charge to the community. It currently has a local area network of fifteen personal computers with the Ubuntu GNU/Linux operating system, and one Apple eMac running Mac OS X. There are more computers that are in storage, slated for setting up later. Free WiFi connectivity is available through an Open-Mesh network.
The computers and other equipment were donated by Charles Darwin University and other donors. The furniture is mainly from NT Government surplus stores. Other equipment was provided by Darwin Community Arts, which operates the Malak Telecentro.
NT Freenet ([http://www.the-mesh.org]) provide technical advice and support for the Telecentro and related projects.
The Telecentro is staffed mainly by volunteers from Darwin Community Arts, Melaleuca Refugee Centre, Multicultural Council of the Northern Territory, and NT Freenet. With the current number of volunteers, we are able to open the Telecentro for community use during these times: Tuesdays to Fridays, 2:30 to 4:30 PM, and every second Saturday, 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Hours of operation will increase as we recruit more volunteers.
Most regular users are local residents, mainly young people, though there are a few regular users from other suburbs too. The Telecentro also hosts workshops and activities on digital media, including the Our Malak/Connect Workshops ([http://www.malak.org.au]).
In 2009, more digital and locative media workshops and events will be hosted by the Malak Telecentro, especially digital video and audio production and distribution; these workshops and events will be supported by Australia Council for the Arts, Australian Hunman Rights Commission, Arts NT, Community Benefit Fund, Scanlon Foundation, and other organisations.
1.3 Enhancing the Network
=========================
There are currently fifteen networked computers running Ubuntu 8.04. Until recently, these computers were running anything from Ubuntu 6.06 to 8.10 and were managed individually -- since late 2007, each one had whatever version of Ubuntu that was available at the time installed on it; and each computer had to be upgraded individually. In December, a server was set up to provide over-the-network installation and maintenance, and another computer was set up for proxying and content filtering. This setup has made management of the network and the machines on it much more efficient. The machines still need to be individually managed (such as for distribution upgrades), however.
In 2009, we intend to expand the network to 20 computers, all running Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. We believe it would be simpler and more efficient (for the network and for our workers) to manage 20 computers using LTSP and rather than managing each one individually. We can also run other services, such as proxying and content filtering (which we now run on two separate computers), on a single, more powerful server. We need, however, to purchase a more powerful server than what we're using now (which is a four-year old 2.5Mhz Pentium 4 with 1G of RAM and a 40G HDD).
Running LTSP also helps us with physical maintenance of the computers deployed on the network. The computers currently networked in the Telecentro are mainly four or five year old Celeron-powered Ipex machines decommissioned by the University. A few of these computers have had hard drive failures, or other component failures. There are a number of machines in storage which have either replaced failed ones or have supplied spare parts for maintenance of the deployed machines. We wish to continue using these machines, however, as part of our efforts at adapting Green computing. We can run these computers without hard drives, and run then as long as possible rather than consigning them to landfill while they're still working.
1.4 Enhancing Multimedia Production Facilities
==============================================
Since March 2008, we've run Internet and digital media workshops at the Telecentro. The existing facilities sufficed for the Internet basics (webmail, web browsing), Text/Blogging, and digital photography workshops; for the digital audio and video workshops and other continuing production work during 2009, however, we will need at least one powerful computer for production and post-production tasks. The projects lined up for 2009 include podcasting workshops for multilingual broadcasters, the recording and production of hiphop songs by local artists, advanced video-making workshops and train-the-trainer workshops, virtual murals and graffiti (and other digital public art).
Some existing computers may be run standalone (rather than as LTSP clients) for audio and video capturing and basic editing but more intensive work, involving intensive effects or mastering, will have to be done on a more powerful machine, which will run Ubuntu Studio 8.04.
This proposed Multimedia Workstation will be complemented by our other digital video and audio equipmnent and will eventually be installed in a dedicated Multimedia studio also at Malak Shopping Centre.
1.5 Equipment Cost
==================
We wish to purchase two V3-M2A690G Asus Barebone computers from local supplier Hallmark Computers; each computer costs about $990 (inc GST), with the following specifications:
- Asus V3-M2A690G Barebone
- AMD Phenom 9550 Quad Core CPU
- 2Gb Transcend 800Mhz DIMM's
- Seagate 7200.10 500Gb SATA HDD's
- Upsonic ProOffice 650Va UPS
1.6 More Information
====================
For more information on this application, please contact the following:
General and Management: Christian Ramilo, Executive Officer, Darwin Community Arts, eo at darwincommunityarts.org.au, 0414 682 350
Technical: Sam Wilson, NT Freenet, kahn at the-mesh.org, phone 0427394316.
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