Linux for kids...

dg1dd1ngs_2

Hey everyone,

I have just got an old laptop for my 4 year old and 7 year old to use. I am going to put Linux on there for them but am having trouble deciding which one.

After a chat to my mate who is a Linux pimp and some Googling, I have decided on three, but I wanted to ask on here in case anyone is going through a similar situation and maybe had anymore recommendations.

The three I am currently considering are:

1. Doudou Linux - It looks really kid friendly and simple to use and is also stable which is important.

2. Foresight Kids Edition - Looks cute, stable distro, comes with some good child friendly stuff as part of the installation.

3. Edubuntu - Seems like quite a good eductional distro. Not quite as easy on the eye as some others but I like the fact it has some great educational software with it.

Thanks in advance for any advice

closed

they won't be using linux in school, didn't it come with windows or factory restore partition?

Sublime_2

Why not dual-boot? Ubuntu, with addons, plus win 7.

dg1dd1ngs_2

There is talk of their school trialing Edubuntu so I wanted them to have some home experience as well.

My home PC has Dual boot Windows 7 and Linux Mint 10 so they can use Windows there.
Another reason for this is the laptop is too old for Windows 7.

Mista_C

closed wrote: »

they won't be using linux in school, didn't it come with windows or factory restore partition?

A few schools partaking in the MoLeNET Project are using netbooks/portables with Linux although the ones I've seen so far are mostly Xandros.

kabayiri

I think you have to try them. It doesn't cost anything to try. Perhaps stick them in a VM?

My kids have been brought up to use Linux or Windows from a similar age to yours. They are truly comfortable with whatever is put in front of them.

I don't think you will have a problem.

GunJack

I know you've narrowed it down a bit, but maybe consider Puppy ??? If I need a bootdisk I sometimes use Puppy and it's very light on resources for an older lappy. It also looks well cute

I'm windows through and through but Puppy ain't bad from the (albeit limited) linux distros I've looked at.

dg1dd1ngs_2

Might give Puppy a go. I am gonna Virtualbox a few tomorrow and see which one they prefer

fwor

dg1dd1ngs wrote: »

Might give Puppy a go. I am gonna Virtualbox a few tomorrow and see which one they prefer

IMO that's not such a good idea - they may just prefer something that looks good visually without having any clue about longer term usability.

My own past experience of Puppy is that it is just too lightweight for this sort of use. I'd go for an Ubuntu derivative, simply because it will have good software repositories which they can install safe software from at no cost.

Mr_Oink

I've got to say it's a good idea to give kids a grounding in O/S's +other than Windoze+.

My daughter has always loved computers and technology. Like all teenagers she wanted her own laptop, so I dug out some old Panasonic thing I had kicking around and loaded it up with Ubuntu 7.10 at the time (Gutsy Gibbon). She loved it and took to it like a duck to water. She was able to do everything she needed to do with it.

When it came to leaving college with average grades, and finding work she was offered three positions in the space of two weeks. She moved through 'helpdesk/call taker' to T1 technical support in about 4 months and continues a steady climb up the IT ladder. Her manager - who interviewed nearly 80 candidates for her position said something like "Windows MSE/MCSP's are two a penny - Linux exposure is like gold dust".

It won't work for everyone out there, but any 'edge' you can give your kids is worth while - especially if the cost of the learning is nothing more than a little time doing something they enjoy, and no cash outlay.

Edubuntu is probably a good choice - you don't want it to be too easy. Kids are remarkable at what they can learn :-)

Sadly I think we fail children with IT training in the country. We see jobs advertised all the time requiring various vendor and vendor neutral certifications and skills sets. Schools seem to be of the 'This is OFFICE' type of training, and many UK 'Technical' colleges don't even seem to carry any relevant or useful courses to help students find work in this sector - somewhere they actually stand a chance of earning a living wage.

gonzo127

i am also of the opinion of give them a go, there is no cost so no loss if you dont like it, the buntu's would always be a good call due to their usability and you will probably find (although you would need to check) that all the software from edubuntu could probably be installed on any of the buntu's,

depending on the age and spec of the laptop i have found Lubuntu to be really fast for a old system (although any based on LXDE is usually very quick), however it might be worth while waiting a little while for Linux Mint LXDE final release (currently at RC stage) as that also includes the software centre type access to the repo's that Lubuntu doesnt at the moment