Computerbank Ubuntu Distro almost ready

We've been working pretty much flat stick to get our much awaited ubuntu distro ready. Next week we start cloning it for a Cook Islands project we are working on. I'm just going over the final bits and pieces now.

We've been doing our own debian derived distros ever since we first started, at one time we were rolling out a Knoppix variant.

This distro has to be our best by far, it builds on all the work and experiences we've had over 10 years as well as upon the good work of the Ubuntu community. Many folks have helped - Ed, John, Con, David L, Glenn, Alistair, Mohan, Barry, myself and many others.

The distro is inspired by our users - users who are new to computing and who have generally only been exposed to a Windows environment. Most of our users use the mouse to click on things, typing commands and using a shell is alien to them.

We are still using KDE as the default desktop but have also included a full working GNOME desktop for people to try out. We use KDE because we can make it look familiar to Windows users. In some cases GNOME may be the better choice as it is simpler to use.

A lot of time has been spent working on special scripts - cloning, refreshing users, adding users, deleting .ICEAuthority and updating skel files. While we plan to develop more scripts, we will not hold up the release waiting for them. The main scripts are in place and fully work.

We include a lot of software - 79 'end user' programs across different software categories - our distro is 4G!! We spend a lot of time tweaking program options, optimising configs and setting consistent choices. We pay a lot of attention to getting it all right so the user doesn't have to do a thing. I'm really proud of our efforts in putting together a rock solid and fast distro.

The major changes this time around include a move from su to sudo (kdesu), new software additions (games, graphics, education, multimedia, office), updated software versions, use of GUI network tools for setting up network cards, use of GNOME PPP instead of a custom dial up config tool. Some software has also been dropped.

I'm currently working on the final touch- bringing our userguide up to date. I've also been playing around with recordmydesktop and have put together a number of video how to screencasts aimed at people who prefer a more visual approach to learning.

References: For more info on the Computerbank distro see the Computerbank wiki page http://vic.computerbank.org.au/wiki/ComputerbankUbuntuDistro

Sleeping with Serena the PD Machine

I had my first night on the Gambro PD machine "Serena." I wasn't really sure what to expect, I had heard the machines were noisy. Serena is very quiet, you can hardly hear it.

Serena has a touch screen and easy to understand menus. It is very easy to operate. The procedure for hooking up is very different to the manual exchanges. Serena needs to be primed before use to ensure all the lines are ready to go. I've included a picture of serena all primed and ready to go.

Overnight I run through 5 cycles, almost 8 litres passes in and out of my peritoneum over an 8 and a half hour period. While it is too early to tell, unlike with manual exchanges, I did not feel a thing while the machine was draining and filling. Yay!

Being on the overnight system frees up my days and means I don't have to lug medical equipment and fluid bags with me. Another Yay! The main thing is to remember to get to bed on time. :)