Press Package to be released to the media upon release of 5.0.

The press package contains the following pieces:

The press package is available in English and other languages: online at http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/PressReleases/

Media information

This is the freely available 'press package' about Debian Edu ("5.0.4+edu0"), which is a Debian Pure Blends Linux distribution based on Debian 5.0.4 ("Lenny").

For questions regarding the 'press package' or any content found within, please contact the Debian-Edu media contacts found here: http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/PressReleases/PressPackage_5.0/English

Press release

Debian-Edu: Skolelinux 5.0 available for free download!

The Debian Edu Team is proud to take the next step in making free software suitable for educational purposes by releasing Skolelinux 5.0. Skolelinux is an adaptation of Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 "Lenny", with customized services which make it easy to set up and maintain an entire network of computers in schools and similar environments. Supported by regional and national projects in Norway, Germany, Spain, Denmark and even Taiwan and Japan, it is available in more than 50 languages. Skolelinux 5.0 is available free of charge at http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/Download.

Skolelinux Developers

Skolelinux is based on Debian 5.0 "Lenny". As usual, it comes with predefined installation profiles making it easy to set up the network, ranging from the main server to workstations and even thin clients.

The setup of terminal servers has been improved and now even supports diskless workstations out of the box. Maintenance is easier as software is installed and maintained centrally for many client computers. Other improvements include web browser plugin support using free software products such as Gnash, Java and others. System administrators, and teachers performing that role, will be glad to see the machine and network monitoring setup that automatically reports the status of all machines on the network.

Screen shots are found here: http://www.slx.no/en/take-a-tour

An article about Skolelinux enterprise capabilities can be found here: http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/PressReleases/PressPackage_5.0/Enterprise

What's new in Skolelinux 5.0

About Skolelinux

Skolelinux is a complete software solution tailored to the needs of schools and other educational institutions. It provides a complete system, from the central server running all the services the school needs, to the desktop software students use in class. Skolelinux works out of the box with no tricky setup to perform. Skolelinux provides the following:

Skolelinux is the result of the work of the Debian Edu project. Debian Edu is an official part of Debian, and Skolelinux is a "Debian Pure Blend". It is installed at many or all of the schools in municipalities, regions and cities throughout Europe, Asia and South America. Several regions and states run and maintain Skolelinux centrally with commercial service providers or public employees. Smaller installations at single schools can be maintained part-time by a teacher with no particular training. Reports from commercial and public installations suggest that diskless workstations require half the maintenance costs compared to ordinary desktop alternatives.

Contact information

<please: confirm this list>

For more information about Debian-Edu/Skolelinux please see our webpage at

Download:

Manual, most current version:

Manual, Translations: http://maintainer.skolelinux.org/debian-edu-doc/

Release notes:

Screenshot:

A complete list of improvements have been made available at http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/ReleaseNotes

A complete featurue list http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/Documentation/Lenny/Features

Quotes

"Unlike similar projects, Skolelinux takes care of the whole school network, not just the student computers. This makes it possible for me to deploy far more machines in a secure and stable network, without worrying about how to configure and maintain services, and without any tech support." Nigel Barker, IT co-ordinator and Chemistry teacher, Hiroshima International School.

"We will most likely be able to reach the goals of The Knowledge Promotion Reform because of Skolelinux.", says principal Heidi Olsen Sværd at Håvik school in Narvik municipality.

"It is easy to maintain. We have had a few startup problems, but surprisingly few", Monica Larssen, IT co-ordinator/ advisor in Harstad municipality says.

Going forward