%
% Presentation of Freeduc-cd
%
\freeducSection{Presentation}
This version of \textbf{Freeduc-cd} has been designed with the help of
\textsc{unesco} and comes with an accompanying document consisting of
English, Spanish and French booklets.
Freeduc-cd is a ~live~ CDROM of the GNU/Linux system intended for
the educational world. It can be used directly with a PC compatible
computer; whatever operating system is already installed, you can boot
directly from the CDROM drive, without modifying the contents of your
hard drive.
The purpose of this CDROM is to enable teachers to get acquainted
easily with a free system (free as in \emph{freedom}) and to use
some of the outstanding free software usable in an educative
context. Among these programs, some were developed for the educational
world, which is the case with \texttt{Dr.~Geo} and
\texttt{GCompris}, two creations of \textsc{ofset}. Others,
although not specifically for education, are ideal for the purpose;
for example \texttt{Yacas}, \texttt{Gstar}, \texttt{TkGate},
\texttt{Open Office}, and many others too.
\freeducSection{Configuration of your PC to boot Freeduc-cd}
\freeducIndex{Configuration}{Boot process}{}{}
Booting Freeduc-cd is as simple as inserting the CDROM in the drive
and rebooting the system. If your PC is
configured to boot up from the CDROM drive, Freeduc-cd
will run without any other tweaking.
Modern PCs often come configured so that the floppy drive is the
first drive tested while booting the operating system. If this
drive has no boot disk, the second drive to be tested is often the
CDROM drive. And finally, if this drive
contains no bootable CDROM, the system will try to boot up from the
hard drive.
If your computer does not boot up Freeduc-cd in this fashion,
you have to configure the SETUP (BIOS). When you first start up
your computer, some lines are displayed in the screen, generally
indicating a key (F2, Del, ...) which allows you to do this.
\freeducNote{You can try one of the following combinations:
Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+A, Ctrl+Alt+S, Esc, Del, F1, F2,
F3 then F2/F1, F10}
Press the indicated key(s) down, as soon as the message appears and
before you hear the beep. A window (BIOS Setup Utility) will cover the
screen and present various alternatives. Your modifications will be
take action only at the end of your adjustments, when the system gives
you a choice between ~exit without saving~ the changes, or
~validate the changes and exit~.
With the help displayed on the screen, go to the menu item
``Boot''. This screen features some way to configure
the sequence of the drives to use during the boot process,
namely ``Boot devices''. You can encounter four alternatives:
\begin{itemize}
\item First boot device
\item Second boot device
\item Third boot device
\item Fourth boot device
\end{itemize}
It is advisable to configure them in the following sequence:
\begin{itemize}
\item First: floppy disk (Removable Devices)
\item Second : CDROM drive
\item Third: Hard drive
\item Fourth (eventually): Network boot
\end{itemize}
When changes are over, press the key to exit (often ``Escape/Esc'').
The system will ask you whether you want to save the
changes. Reply ``yes'' for them to be taken in account.
Or it can be directly a button ``Save and exit'' on the screen.
As soon as you quit the utility, you hear a beep and the computer
boots. From now on, every time you boot with Freeduc-cd in the CDROM
drive, you will launch this system in the RAM. Without the CDROM, your
PC will boot with its usual operating system.
\freeducSection{Usage of the desktop}
The main applications of the CDROM are accessible by
ten "drawers" situated in the application bar of
the XFCE desktop, at the bottom of the screen. This can be moved thanks
to the handles on the right and left side, or shrunk down by
clicking the little button on the right.
%\freeducFigure{The application bar}{fig1}
\freeducImageSize{fig1}{10}
The ten drawers gather applications of a similar type as per the
following list:
\begin{itemize}
\item basic computer access
\item Internet
\item mathematics
\item sciences
\item audio
\item technology
\item geography
\item languages
\item educational games
\item edition and help tool.
\end{itemize}
To open a drawer, just click on the little arrow situated
above each icon; a second click closes the drawer.
\freeducNote{A click on the icon of the drawer spawns a key application
of the class.}
\freeducSection{Applications of the CDROM}
In the following sections, a brief description of the main
applications is given. In the tables, the codes \texttt{M}, \texttt{P}
and \texttt{S} mean respectively infant school, primary school, and
secondary school.
\freeducSubsection{Basic computer access}
\freeducParpic{\freeducICT} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{xftree}, the file browser of the XFCE desktop. Features
accessible from this drawer range from executing a program, to opening
or formating a floppy disk. More advanced features like seeking a
file, browsing a Windows network neighborhood and managing cipher keys
(GPA) are accessible too.
\freeducSubsection{Internet}
\freeducParpic{\freeducInternet} A click on this icon spawns the Internet
browser \texttt{Mozilla}. The other applications of this drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{A video-conferencing tools}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{An IRC client, for instant messaging}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{An e-mail client}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A FTP client, to up/download files}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A PDF viewer}{P/S}
\freeducEndDescription
\freeducSubsection{Mathematics}
\freeducParpic{\freeducMath} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{Dr.~Geo}, a software of interactive geometry. The other
applications of this drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{A tool for the pavings of the plane}{S}
\freeducDescription{A server of interactive exercises}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A lightweight spreadsheet}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A tool to plot 2D numerical data}{S}
\freeducDescription{A curve plotter}{S}
\freeducDescription{Another curve plotter}{S}
\freeducDescription{A tool for 2D interactive geometry}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A calculator}{P}
\freeducDescription{An advanced calculator}{S}
\freeducDescription{A Chinese abacus}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A browser for fractal curves}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A calculator for numeric and algebraic expressions}{S}
\freeducDescription{A tool for geometry in three dimensions}{S}
\freeducEndDescription
\freeducSubsection{Sciences}
\freeducParpic{\freeducSciences} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{sunclock}, a sophisticated clock on a planisphere. The other
applications of this drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{A simulator for classic mechanics}{S}
\freeducDescription{A unit conversion utility}{S}
\freeducDescription{A tool to create maps of the sky}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A 3D viewer for molecules}{S}
\freeducDescription{A planetarium}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{An editor for scientific and structured documents}{S}
\freeducDescription{A sophisticated clock}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A periodic table of the elements}{S}
\freeducDescription{A molecule editor}{S}
\freeducDescription{An exploration of the Universe !}{P/S}
\freeducEndDescription
\freeducSubsection{Audio}
\freeducParpic{\freeducAudio} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{audacity}, an editor for audio sequences. The other
applications of this drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{A tool to teach solfeggio}{S}
\freeducDescription{A sequencer}{S}
\freeducDescription{A multimedia audio browser}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A sound recorder}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{The audio compact disk reader}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{The mixer of the audio system}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{An audio editor}{P/S}
\freeducEndDescription
\freeducSubsection{Technology}
\freeducParpic{\freeducTechno} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{dia}, a tool to create diagrams. The other applications of
this drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{An editor for printed circuit boards}{S}
\freeducDescription{A simulator/editor for numerical circuits}{S}
\freeducDescription{A morphing utility}{S}
\freeducDescription{A tool for technical drawing}{S}
\freeducDescription{A basic draw utility}{P}
\freeducDescription{An image manipulation and paint program}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{An advanced tool for vectorized drawing}{S}
\freeducDescription{A tool for vectorized drawing}{S}
\freeducDescription{A program to build diagrams}{P/S}
\freeducEndDescription
\freeducSubsection{Geography}
\freeducParpic{\freeducGeography} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{Xrmap}, a tool to explore geographical maps and informations
about countries in the world.
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{A Geographic information system (GIS)}{S}
\freeducDescription{Geographic maps}{S}
\freeducEndDescription
\freeducSubsection{Languages}
\freeducParpic{\freeducLanguage} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{Hanzim}, a program on Chinese writing (classical and modern).
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{Chinese ideograms}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Learning Latin}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Learning Spanish}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{A dictionary set}{P/S}
\freeducEndDescription
The dictionary utility gives access to various dictionaries:
bilingual, English technical words, English usual words. To change the
default dictionary, please go to the menu item
\texttt{Edition->Preferences} and change \texttt{Database}.
\freeducSubsection{Educational games}
\freeducParpic{\freeducLudoEdu} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{Gcompris}, an educational game featuring more than thirty
activities. The other applications of this drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{Escaping from caves}{}
\freeducDescription{Grabbing diamonds}{}
\freeducDescription{Managing a city}{}
\freeducDescription{Disguising Potato Man}{M}
\freeducDescription{Chess game}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Jigsaw puzzle}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Chinese puzzle}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Games of calculations in sequence}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{An educational games suite}{M/P}
\freeducEndDescription
There are other educational games more or less hidden, Have fun finding
them~!
\freeducSubsection{Edition and help tools}
\freeducParpic{\freeducPublishing} A click on this icon spawns
\texttt{GQview}, an image viewer. The other applications of this
drawer are:
\freeducStartDescription
\freeducDescription{The free office suite}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Image viewer}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Layout and desktop publishing tool}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Lightweight word-processor}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Basic text editor}{P/S}
\freeducDescription{Screen magnifying utility}{}
\freeducDescription{HTML page editor of Mozilla}{}
\freeducDescription{Browser for system help (\texttt{man})}{}
\freeducDescription{Browser for system help (\texttt{info})}{}
\freeducEndDescription
In addition, the icon \freeducIcon{fig12} gives access to inline help,
please be patient since it needs to launch an Internet browser.
\freeducSection{Cheat codes}
\freeducSubsection{Network}
If you use Freeduc-cd on a machine connected to a local area network
with a \textsc{dhcp} server, its network interface is automatically
configured, so giving access to resources of the local area network
and possibly to the Internet. On the other hand, the SMB browser -- in
the first drawer at the left side select the entry \texttt{SMB
Browser...} -- allows the connection to a Windows network
neighborhood and to read and write data there.
\freeducSubsection{Floppy disk}
From the first drawer on the left side you can open a floppy disk --
select the entry \texttt{Open floppy}. To save documents on a floppy
disk, save or copy your documents in the directory
\texttt{/mnt/floppy}, which stands for the floppy disk drive.
\freeducSubsection{Program data}
In a GNU/Linux system, each user has a home directory where data from
programs are saved. Although Freeduc-cd does not use the hard disk, it
cannot avoid this rule and the default user has her data saved in the
directory \texttt{/home/knoppix}. With the program \texttt{xftree},
you can copy data from this directory to a floppy disk. It can also
happen that some programs save data in a hidden form -- in fact the
file name begins with a ``.''. To have these files visible, you must
activate the displaying of hidden files in \texttt{xftree}, by
clicking on the icon at the right side of its toolbar.
\freeducSection{Troubleshooting}
\freeducSubsection{Lock during the boot process}
In a few cases the hardware detection process can cause your computer
to lock up. In this eventuality, you must notice where the lock
happens and reboot your PC. At the boot prompt of the CDROM,
get into ``advanced option'' (typing 'F2'). There you can deactivate
the detection of the problematic peripherals. For instance,
if the lock happens upon the detection of USB, enter the command
'knoppix nousb'.
N.B.: you can catenate options like in
'knoppixnousbnopcmcia'
\freeducSubsection{Everything seems to pass round, but you lose
the display}
In that case, a problem happened upon detecting your screen. It happens
sometimes with older screens with a smaller size (14'' or 15'').
You can first check that the CDROM is working, by pressing
simultaneously on the keys 'Ctrl Alt -' or 'Ctrl Alt +' (use the + and
- of the numeric keypad). You should get the desktop displayed with a
lower resolution, but in a greater virtual screen.
To avoid this misbehavior, you can at boot time enter the option
'knoppixxvrefresh=60' or 'knoppixscreen=800x600' (usual
resolutions are 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024).
\freeducSubsection{The BIOS of my PC does not allow booting from the
CDROM drive}
You can find on the CDROM an image of a floppy disk which can enable
you to activate it.
In MS Windows: insert a blank floppy disk in your drive and just
execute the utility mkfloppy.bat from the CDROM.
In Linux: insert a blank floppy disk in your drive and execute the
command mkfloppy.sh from the CDROM.
\freeducSubsection{I have a laptop and nothing is displayed}
If the above mentioned method does not work for you, and if you have a
laptop, enter the option 'knoppixfb600x600' (for other resolutions,
you can try fb640x480, fb1024x768, fb1280x1024).
\freeducSubsection{I tried it all, and nothing works}
Subscribe to the mailing list of Freeduc-cd and explain your problems
there. Subscribing can be done at the address
\freeducLink{http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ofset-freeduc}
