Jeremy Schwartz
Hi Mark,
Two groups have stress tested the Pi, the Orange Foundation (which told is in a lab setting could serve content to 100 machines) and Learning Equality (KA-Lite) which reported 10-12 second delay on video load with 20 users (which I believe).
You could use a beagleboard ($45), Android MiniPC or tablet ($80), Chromebox ($166), Intel NUC ($300+) or pretty much any other higher powered device as well if you were concerned. You can also optimize the Pi using a powered external SSD and just running the OS off the SD card. All of these solutions are furthered optimized by adding a router.
Don’t mean to confuse you with options, just mean to point out you can use RACHEL content on anything that can host a webserver.
Best,
jeremy
From: Mark Knittel [mailto:Ma...@ovationtech.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 7, 2014 9:23 PM
To: Jeremy Schwartz; Sam Kinch
Cc: Johnny Long; Rachel Project
Subject: RE: Installs in Kenya - great feedback!
Thanks for the feedback today. I would like to get all of the input you have on things to do/avoid once we start the board layout. However, I also want to see how the testing goes so I have some idea of what the practical limits are on scaling up a Pi based server configuration. Has anyone done that already? If not, I’ll share what we find in a couple of weeks.
Mark Knittel
Owner, Ovation Technical Services
Board Chair, Technology Alliance Group Northwest (http://tagnw.org)
Bellingham, Wa. 98229
From: Jeremy Schwartz [mailto:jer...@worldpossible.org]
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2014 12:32 PM
To: Sam Kinch; Mark Knittel
Cc: Johnny Long
Subject: RE: Installs in Kenya - great feedback!
Sam is certainly the guy you are looking for. In terms of a broader ‘container’ we also have worked with the Illinois Institute of Technology and Inveneo to develop the Solar Computer Lab in a box.
The box is the shipping container, which turns into the table and securely holds 4-6 laptops and the server/ solar panels.
Lastly, I have in my hands a RACHEL server running off a $50 HKC android tablet with 32GB microSD card. I have not integrated KA-Lite, but have integrated the basic Khan videos. It’s just another option to serve as the server.
Do you mind if we include the googlegroup so others can see the discussion on our forum page?
Best,
Jeremy
--
Jeremy Schwartz
Executive Director
Office: +1.415.535.2138
Mobile: +1.714.745.4841
World Possible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Please consider a $2 monthly donation to support our work!
From: Sam Kinch [mailto:s...@hackersforcharity.org]
Sent: Wednesday, May 7, 2014 9:58 AM
To: Mark Knittel
Cc: Jeremy Schwartz; Johnny Long
Subject: Re: Installs in Kenya - great feedback!
Hey Mark,
It's Sam from Hackers for Charity. Johnny along and I built the RuggedPi idea and have really desired to take it to the level you are talking about for last year. We also work on the RACHEL Dev team as it's crucial to solving the lack of educational material in rural and developing countries. The problem we have had is that we didn't know anyone in the board dev industry to take our ideas and evaluated products and build something feasible and, more importantly, practical. We would love to engage directly with you and share ideas with practical evidence from what really works and doesn't work.
Sam
On May 7, 2014, at 12:44, Mark Knittel <Ma...@ovationtech.net> wrote:
Hi Jeremy: We exchanged emails a few months back when I returned from a trip to Kenya and Uganda where I deployed a number of Rachel setups, and generated a LOT of interest in a more general/affordable Rachel like solution everywhere that I went. Since I returned I have been pursuing the idea of taking the idea of a Rugged Pi sever system and collapsing it down to a single board to reduce costs significantly and improve reliability, etc. I have actually made a lot of progress on that since then, and have a high level design and someone lined up to do a board level design that I can then take to a contract manufacturer that my contacts here use a lot to get a prototype built, and produce final costs for a manufactured product. (Ultimately I’d like to see a second case configured to hold up to 10 Android tablets powered off a battery and optional solar charger – these would be used as a low cost kit of clients for the Rugged Pi server.) I also have a local community college setting up a large scale test of the Rachel Pi system to see how the performance holds up with different size configurations trying to use it simultaneously – probably 20 – 30 devices.
Before I do that I wanted to see if anyone else is pursuing the same thing. I know you mentioned that someone else was looking at something similar, and I don’t want to spend time on something that’s redundant with another effort. If not, I’ll keep pushing here.
Thanks,
Mark Knittel
<image001.png>
Owner, Ovation Technical Services
Board Chair, Technology Alliance Group Northwest (http://tagnw.org)
Bellingham, Wa. 98229
From: Jeremy Schwartz [mailto:jer...@worldpossible.org]
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2014 8:19 PM
To: Mark Knittel
Cc: Sam Kinch; Johnny Long
Subject: FW: Installs in Kenya - great feedback!
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the story, really great to read. We’d love to keep in touch. Johnny (CC’d) here also would love to get involved and see how he can help.
I’ll let him intro.
Best,
Jeremy
--
Jeremy Schwartz
Executive Director
Office: +1.415.535.2138
Mobile: +1.714.745.4841
World Possible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Please consider a $2 monthly donation to support our work!
From: Sam Kinch [mailto:s...@hackersforcharity.org]
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 9:33 AM
To: Mark Knittel
Cc: World Possible Info
Subject: Re: Installs in Kenya - great feedback!
Mark,
Great to hear about your trip and outreach…thanks!
I provided comments inline with your email below.
On Feb 11, 2014, at 6:20 PM, Mark Knittel <Ma...@ovationtech.net> wrote:
Hi. I wanted to let you know that I just came back from 3 weeks in Kenya working on computer installations for schools, libraries, etc. around Nanyuki, Kenya (Laikipia District). I was there as part of a Canadian group called Afretech (http://afretech.org) and Rotary World Help (http://www.rotaryworldhelp.com). This was my second visit in 3 years to do the same kinds of projects. I decided to focus more this time on providing content, rather than just setting up computers and leaving – especially since the majority of installations do not have any internet. I came across Rachel before I left & did some experimenting with it, and decided to go ahead and install it on a few computers while I was there. It was an enormous hit! In fact, after I showed it to a few folks the word spread, so I ended up putting it into 6 different locations (probably about 75 computers) – either as a network setup, or where needed on each PC. I did some training and the users were on their way. All of the content was very well positioned, but the Kahn Academy videos got the most interest as a learning tool for those communities. (BTW: The 75 computers are supporting somewhere between 3-4 thousand users at schools and a community library, so there is some real leverage/impact.) Everyone that I showed it to loved it, and I had a growing list of locations wanting me to visit to help them with it when I left. I then went to Uganda for a few days and showed it to several groups there that plan to use it now.
Rachel is a great idea, and I hope you keep it up, add content, etc. I do have a few suggestions to make it easier/better going forward:
- Include a suggestion that the tool can be used as a combination between a single (reasonable) desktop computer and Android tablets. I tried it, and it worked great. Not many schools have tablets yet, but the advantage is that they are cheap, don’t require a complicated setup, are very mobile, and do not require a lot of electricity to charge/run. Keep in mind that most places in Africa now that are lucky enough to have computers are still using Windows XP/Pentium 4 class machines with old CRT displays. As these are phased out/wear out (which happens quickly there due to dust, heat, etc.), it will be a lot easier to keep one running and replace the desktops with cheap tablets. In most cases the schools/libraries will want to give out the tablets in a controlled setting so that they do not lose them, but they do that already with the desktops. All they need is a wireless router, which is a lot easier to come by/manage than a network switch or a pool of Windows desktops.
Using a wireless is definitely an option with RACHEL. We mention that in our documentation and another org called Hackers for Charity has a ruggedized server project that uses RACHEL, Raspberry Pi, 24hours+ battery and at the ability to power through a variety of means (http://hackersforcharity.org/education)
- For desktop installations include Chrome in the setup, as older installations of Internet Explorer or Firefox do not work with the videos, etc. Chrome solves that.
Agree
- Find a way to facilitate changing the name to something meaningful for them. I could have done that myself, but did not have time. In any case, the branding will vary by location.
Are you referring to Access Point branding? That isn’t too difficult but you have to login to the Pi to do so.
- Find a way to allow for partial updates to the package without requiring a re-download of the entire package. Some of the material will change over time, new content will become available, etc., and the material needs to be kept current. It is practical for one person that is close to a town at some point to download a partial package using their 3G service or by finding a wireless system to download it. It is NOT practical almost anywhere there to download the entire package. The speeds/throughput are just too slow. If that person can then take it back to the school/library to update the existing devices from a thumb drive they will be in a good position.
Definitely in the to-do list…we do have newer editions that include KA-Lite and Goodwill Community Foundation content. The KA-Lite content (all the Khan Academy videos) can be updated onsite if you have internet access.
Please keep the focus on this. I expect to be back doing this again in the next year. I’d be happy to answer any questions if you have them.
Thanks!
Mark Knittel
<image003.jpg>
Owner, Ovation Technical Services
Board Chair, Technology Aliiance Group NW (http://tagnw.org)
Bellingham, Wa. 98229
Mark Knittel
OK. I’ll let you know what we discover in our test. I’d like to make it work with a Pi for cost reasons, but we’re familiar with doing builds with the other processors if needed. The only one that won’t work (IMHO) is Intel/Windows – too much power and too complicated to manage. I’ve been down that path there already.
Mark Knittel
Owner, Ovation Technical Services
Ed Resor
The RACHEL Pi servers in Ghana and Tanzania (before KA-Lite) connect to a whole computer lab of up to 20 computers. These computers are often of thin Linux clients with a browser running on a Raspberry Pi. This keep power consumption low, but provides an inexpensive computer with a big enough LCD monitor and full size keyboard and mouse that works for up to three students and a teacher or assistant looking over their shoulders.
{My daughter taught computers in Rwanda to multiple classes totalling about 250 secondary schools (and physics to a smaller number). She found the students did well learning from each other. When one of the three took over and would not follow repeated requests to let the others try to do things, she would praise the quick learner and promote him (sometimes her) to assistant and pull him out of the group and send him to help others. The Rwanda curriculum was to teach Windows and Office, so class started with short simple assignments at the black board which the students would them figure out how to do.}
However, my most important advice is to be sure what operating system and server maintenance expertise you have at each of the locations where you will be setting up servers. If the existing expertise is limited to Windows, I would have use RACHEL USB to set up at least one Windows laptop as a server and another laptop as a backup server at each location. If your purpose built servers work and can be maintained, great.