Hi, Alex, Thanks for your observations. When you say “Persistent flash drives run much slower than Virtual Machines” are you booting your virtual machines from a DVD or USB or are they installed on the computer hard drive?
In my experience virtual machines are quite slow until you give them a full 4 GB of RAM. I’m sure this varies with the other load on the computer, but on an 8 GB machine you have to be careful what else you run besides the VM and the OS. Since lab computers often have a “typical” hardware configuration, meaning 4 GB, this is likely an issue for us. My last experience with VirtualBox quickly ended in a munged unbootable system, so I think it’s very important to keep content stored outside of the VM. For best results student work needs to be stored in a readily accessible workspace. If they can’t save their materials on the mounted drive, they need a mountable workspace. Uploading/downloading to Google Drive is not an acceptable option, it’s too cumbersome and too easy to forget all of the pieces that you’ve been working on. I know Google Drive now has a mountable option, but Google’s recent attempt at this kept hanging up my Mac (maybe it works better on Windows). DropBox seems to be a better option here. However, we also have concerns about student privacy, so while we can use Google Drive (because the University has a FERPA-compliant contract with them), I don’t think they have such an agreement with Dropbox, so we can’t require students to use it. Git is another option because it can do simple smart uploads/downloads, but again it’s an extra step that students have to remember before they shut down their VM. — Andy On Jun 3, 2015, at 1:30 AM, Alex Mandel <aiman...@ucdavis.edu> wrote: > This question is more for the OSGeo Live list, and I'll be happy to > answer more questions there if you want to continue the conversation. > > Persistent flash drives run much slower than Virtual Machines. There is > a work around to use non-persistent flash drives and then use sudo > permissions to write files back to the flash drives but it's a hassle. I > have also found that computer lab managers often prefer to use Virtual > Machines which pose less of a threat to the main system and network and > the ports are not exposed directly to the network and main hard drive is > not mounted with full read/write. Note, BIOS are often locked to prevent > tampering and UEFI secure boot only machines may not work with current > bootable flash drives (only 64 bit signed kernels work on those). > > The only nice thing about a DVD is you can't accidentally delete files > important to the boot process. Note if you use a DVD or USB (in > non-persistent mode) and the computer has sufficient ram, once running > there may be no noticeable difference in speed so long as the media > isn't needed. > > Generally I have students save all of their work out to a remote server > (Dropbox, Google drive, etc) and make a copy to a flash drive or two. If > they are somewhat more technically savy - version control. Both > Bitbucket(Academic) and Gitlab offer free private repos. > > Thanks, > -- > Alex Mandel, PhD > > Geography Graduate Group > University of California, Davis > http://geography.ucdavis.edu > > On 06/02/2015 09:23 AM, Andy Anderson wrote: >> Thanks, Jeremy! >> >> It does appear that flash drives are replacing disks for many uses, in >> particular they allow local writing of maps and transformed data. With a DVD >> there needs to be writable storage available, ideally on the network so it >> can be accessed from any computer. We will be lacking that for our course so >> this may be the best approach. >> >> Have you tried setting up the flash drives to be bootable, to avoid the need >> for a VM? >> >> http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/bootusbflash.htm >> >> Also, are you encouraging the students to back up their flash drives in some >> way? >> >> — Andy >> >> On Jun 2, 2015, at 8:22 AM, Jeremy Morley >> <jeremy.mor...@nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:jeremy.mor...@nottingham.ac.uk>> >> wrote: >> >> I have training material that is based on OSGeo Live running as a Virtual >> Box VM. The material is designed to run from a 16GB or preferably a 32GB >> memory stick using VirtualBox installed on the local machine. The practicals >> use a pack of UK Open Data so can be redistributed. This scheme is the >> result of a lot of iteration. It now runs pretty smoothly, is fairly easy to >> set up, and using memory sticks means the students can take away a "GIS >> system on a stick" at the end of classes. Typically on 1-2 students of 15-20 >> a year have claimed the deposit back rather than keep the stick. The data >> pack could go on the web to be downloaded. The practical class material ATM >> is 4 PDFs (originated from Word docs) >> >> I'm seeing Charlie on Friday and can discuss handing this on then. There's >> also a series of lectures to go with the practicals which use PPT slides. >> >> Jeremy >> >> -- >> Jeremy Morley >> Chief Geospatial Scientist >> Ordnance Survey, Explorer House, Adanac Drive >> Southampton. SO16 0AS. United Kingdom >> jeremy.mor...@os.uk<mailto:jeremy.mor...@os.uk> >> >> Honorary Assistant Professor, School of Geography >> University of Nottingham >> jeremy.mor...@nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:jeremy.mor...@nottingham.ac.uk> >> >> >> On 28 May 2015, at 09:41, Charles Schweik >> <cschw...@pubpol.umass.edu<mailto:cschw...@pubpol.umass.edu>> wrote: >> >> Hi Cameron, all: >> >> We'll ponder this as well. I'm copying my collaborators. >> >> Charlie >> >> On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 11:31 PM, Cameron Shorter >> <cameron.shor...@gmail.com<mailto:cameron.shor...@gmail.com>> wrote: >> Hi Jorge, others, >> One thing which would be very valuable would be to align development of GIS >> training material with the OSGeo-Live build process. Probably incorporate >> training material in the documentation at: >> http://live.osgeo.org<http://live.osgeo.org/> >> >> This could be collaboratively developed and continually updated by both >> project teams, training institutes, and our existing teams of translators. >> >> Jorge, it looks like you have a good start on this. I'd be interested to see >> how we could link with OSGeo-Live. >> >> Warm Regards, Cameron >> >> On 27/05/2015 7:01 am, Jorge Gustavo Rocha wrote: >> Hi Charlie, hi Andy, >> >> Last year I've started (but not finished) a web gis course, based on OSGeo >> Live. >> >> My goal was to create a course that could be translated to different >> languages, and always using local data. >> >> I've created http://mapmaking.info/ to setup the course. I've just created >> contents for chinese students, using chinese data (but I didn't had time to >> write it in mandarim, so it is still in english). Now I'm translating the >> course to portuguese, using data from Portugal. >> >> My suggestion is to use administrative data for some global source like: >> * http://www.gadm.org/ >> * http://gdem.ersdac.jspacesystems.or.jp/ >> * OSM planet extracts >> >> Every student would use the same technologies, the same algoritms, but using >> data that has some meaning for them. Those interested in teaching the course >> to a new community would have to translate the contents and to provide the >> equivalent datasets related with the community. >> >> We already have tons of open source software available in different >> languagues and amazing data from all around the globe. It is time to create >> powerful contens "Think globally" adapted to local learning communities "act >> locally". >> >> As a minor note, whenever possible, we should align our syllabus with the >> BoK, despite web gis being the weakest BoK topic. >> >> Regards, >> >> Jorge Gustavo >> >> On 26-05-2015 17<tel:26-05-2015%2017>:37, Charles Schweik wrote: >> Hello GeoForAll colleagues, >> >> Some colleague and I just received some funding to develop a new Web-GIS >> course for Spring 2016, and this week we are working on a rough draft >> syllabus as a requirement from the funder. We're in negotiation with the >> funder on intellectual property rights, but we are confident that we >> will be able to license the course open access under some Creative >> Commons license. I also want to try and use this effort as a step >> forward in our quest to build the content system and a 'new derivative >> work' system. >> >> My request: >> * >> * >> *If you have taught a Web-GIS class in the last few years and are >> willing to share your syllabus with us*, or if you have relevant >> materials you are willing to share, please let me know (and copy my >> developer colleague, Andy Anderson, cc'd above). If we use anything, >> we'd of course give you attribution! >> >> Thanks in advance! >> >> Charlie Schweik >> >> Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst >> Dept of Environmental Conservation and Center for Public Policy and >> Administration >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ica-osgeo-labs mailing list >> ica-osgeo-l...@lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-l...@lists.osgeo.org> >> http://lists.osgeo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ica-osgeo-labs >> >> >> J. Gustavo >> >> -- >> Cameron Shorter, >> Software and Data Solutions Manager >> LISAsoft >> Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf, >> 26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009 >> >> P +61 2 9009 5000<tel:%2B61%202%209009%205000>, W >> www.lisasoft.com<http://www.lisasoft.com/>, F +61 2 9009 >> 5099<tel:%2B61%202%209009%205099> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> ica-osgeo-labs mailing list >> ica-osgeo-l...@lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-l...@lists.osgeo.org> >> http://lists.osgeo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ica-osgeo-labs >> >> >> >> -- >> Charlie Schweik >> >> Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst >> Dept of Environmental Conservation and Center for Public Policy and >> Administration >> >> Personal website: http://people.umass.edu/cschweik >> Publications: http://works.bepress.com/charles_schweik/ >> >> Author, Internet Success: A Study of Open Source Software (MIT Press, 2012) >> - see http://tinyurl.com/d3e4545 >> >> -------------------------------------------- >> Q: Why is this email five sentences or less? >> A: http://five.sentenc.es<http://five.sentenc.es/> >> _______________________________________________ >> ica-osgeo-labs mailing list >> ica-osgeo-l...@lists.osgeo.org<mailto:ica-osgeo-l...@lists.osgeo.org> >> http://lists.osgeo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ica-osgeo-labs >> >> >> >> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee >> and may contain confidential information. If you have received this >> message in error, please send it back to me, and immediately delete it. >> >> Please do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this >> message or in any attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the >> author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the >> University of Nottingham. >> >> This message has been checked for viruses but the contents of an >> attachment may still contain software viruses which could damage your >> computer system, you are advised to perform your own checks. Email >> communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored as >> permitted by UK legislation. >> >> > > _______________________________________________ Live-demo mailing list Live-demo@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/live-demo http://live.osgeo.org http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc
