Pesegueiro de libertades

27/12/07

LOS MONOS INTELIGENTES

Filed under: Sociedad y Justicia

Esta historia me ha llegado por correo y como me ha dado mucho que pensar espero que os toméis vuestro tiempo porque merece la pena la reflexión.

“Un grupo de científicos colocó a cinco monos en una jaula, en cuyo centro colocaron una escalera y, sobre ella, un montón de bananas.

Cuando un mono subía la escalera para agarrar las bananas, los científicos lanzaban un chorro de agua fría sobre los que quedaban en el suelo.

Después de algún tiempo, cuando un mono iba a subir la escalera, los otros lo agarraban a palos y le hacían descender.

Pasado algún tiempo más, ningún mono subía la escalera, a pesar de la tentación de las bananas. A partir de ese momento se suspendieron los baños fruto de la tentación.

Entonces, los científicos sustituyeron uno de los monos. La primera cosa que hizo fue subir la escalera, siendo rápidamente bajado por los otros, quienes le pegaron,

Después de algunas palizas, el nuevo integrante del grupo ya no subió más la escalera.

Un segundo mono fue sustituido, y ocurrió lo mismo. El primer mono sustituido participó con entusiasmo de la paliza al novato.

Un tercer monos fue cambiado, y se repitió el hecho.

Finalmente el cuarto, y luego el último de los monos veteranos fue sustituido.

Los científicos se quedaron, entonces, con un grupo de cinco monos que, aún cuando nunca recibieron un baño de agua fría, continuaban golpeando a aquel que intentase llegar a las bananas.

Si fuese posible preguntar a algunos de ellos por qué le pegaban a quien intentase subir la escalera, con certeza la respuesta sería:

‘No sé, las cosas siempre se han hecho así, aquí…’

20/12/07

UTOPÍA PRÁCTICA

Filed under: Uncategorized

Respondiendo al post que me dedica Utopía Práctica le envío un saludo. Continuaremos los cafés, cervezas, vinos, cenas, … con tiempo y calma, sin prisas y en buena compañía. Y como no a seguir practicando utopías, y como dijo (no me acuerdo) “hacia la utopía camino y nunca la alcanzo pero a cada paso que doy más cerca estoy de ella”

Visitad la Utopía y a practicarla.

04/12/07

Configurando el servidor LTSP5 en edubuntu 7.10

Filed under: Software libre

He descargado edubuntu 7.10 (versión servidor LTSP) que viene ya preparado para hacer funcionar un servidor LTSP en un aula. El fin de este Post es contar mi experiencia con LTSP, para que pueda servir de ayuda.

  1. Configuro las dos tarjetas de red, para ello edito el archivo /etc/network/interfaces
  2. sudo gedit /etc/network/interfaces
    

    y escribo la configuración de las dos tarjetas, (ojo aquí la tarjeta es eth2 porque el equipo tiene 3 tarjetas de red, si sólo tenéis dos tendréis que usar eth1).

    auto eth0
    iface eth0 inet static
    address 69.57.241.253
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    network 69.57.241.0
    broadcast 69.57.241.255
    gateway 69.57.241.1
    # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed
    dns-nameservers 69.50.2.190

    auto eth2
    iface eth2 inet static
    address 192.168.0.1
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    network 192.168.0.0
    broadcast 192.168.0.255

    La tarjeta eth0 será la que va conectada a internet (esta tendréis que configurarla con vuestros parámetros de red) , y la tarjeta eth2 la que dará el servicio a los terminales.

    Reinicio los servicios de red:

    sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart
    
  3. Ahora vamos a instalar los paquetes necesarios, para ello ejecutamos:
  4. sudo apt-get install ltsp-server-standalone openssh-server
    

    Comenzará entonces a leer una serie de paquetes que instalará y configurará.

  5. Construimos el entorno LTSP, para ello ejecutamos:
  6. sudo ltsp-build-client
    

    comenzarán una serie de procesos de verificación:

    y luego empezará a instalar los paquetes:

    Esto le llevará unos 10-30 minutos dependiendo de tu conexión.

  7. Lo siguiente será construir una imagen del núcleo para arrancar por el método etherboot, ya que las tarjetas de red arrancan por el método pxe.
  8. sudo apt-get install mknbi
    	
    cd /var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/
    	
    sudo mknbi-linux –output=vmlinuz.etherboot –rootdir=”/dev/ram0″ –append=”rw” vmlinuz initrd.img
  9. Una vez hecho esto cambiar el fichero /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf
  10. sudo gedit /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf

    borrarlo y pegar las siguientes líneas:

    #
    # Default LTSP dhcpd.conf config file.
    #

    authoritative;

    subnet 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
    range 192.168.0.20 192.168.0.250;
    option domain-name “ltsp”;
    option domain-name-servers 192.168.0.1;
    option broadcast-address 192.168.0.255;
    option routers 192.168.0.1;
    # next-server 192.168.0.254;
    # get-lease-hostnames true;
    option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
    option root-path “/opt/ltsp/i386″;
    # if substring( option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9 ) = “PXEClient”
    #{
    filename “/ltsp/i386/vmlinuz.etherboot”;
    #filename “/ltsp/i386/bzImage-2.6.17.3-ltsp-1″;
    }
    # else {
    # filename “/ltsp/i386/nbi.img”;
    # }
    #}

    Guardamos y reiniciamos el ordenador. Y ya podremos arrancar nuestro primer cliente.
    Para los clientes he creado 12 usuarios llamados alumno01, alumno02, …. vosotros tendréis que crear tantos usuarios como equipos tengáis en el aula.
    Un saludo a todos y espero que os sea útil.

Enlaces que he visitado para la configuración e instalación:


https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP

http://doc.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/edubuntu/handbook/C/server.html

02/12/07

Condenan a una profesora en Sudán por llamar Mahoma a un osito

Filed under: Sociedad y Justicia

La profesora, Gillian Gibbons, de 54 años y de origen inglés, llamó Mahoma a un osito, porque uno de sus alumnos le pidió que le pusiese un nombre a su osito de juguete.
Un juzgado la ha condenado por esto a 15 días de prisión y posterior deportación. Pero no quedan aquí las cosas, porque miles de manifestantes se han lanzado a la calle por lo que piensan que ha sido una sentencia poco severa.

Noticia original

Una nueva muestra de lo que la religión está sembrando en el mundo, si queréis reflexionar sobre el tema os dejo un fragemto de Richard Dawkins, que no tiene desperdicio.
(more…)

01/12/07

18 Ways to Get Free Books

Filed under: Learning English

Original post here

You can never have too many books, so we are delighted to share with you some ways to get them for free. From children’s books to technical books, there are numerous resources that offer literature for free.
Some of the following sites offer actual printed books, while others feature electronic books (aka “ebooks”). Please bear in mind that the list is alphabetized, not ordered by importance.

  1. Bibliomania
    - Bibliomania is a simple and fast-loading site that offers over 2000 classic books, short stories, plays and poems online. From Mark Twain to William Shakespeare, some of the world’s greatest writers are included on the site. All you have to do is browse the site’s genre sections or search for a specific text, then you are presented with it directly on the site’s page. Users can seamlessly stroll through each page with this site, as it isn’t bogged down with flashy graphics.
  2. Bibliomania is an invaluable tool for book lovers, as well as students and teachers. Teachers for the classroom could print off excerpts from classic texts. Also, study guides are available on the site, should you need to cram for a big test. Should you wish to purchase a physical copy of a featured text, you can be directed to a store where you will can order the text online with a credit card.

  3. BookCrossing
    - Touted as “the world’s biggest free book club,” BookCrossing is a free book resource, as well as a human experiment. Through this site, people are encouraged to start a free account and begin “releasing books into the wild.” You can release books by registering them on the site and then leaving them in a public place where they can be picked up for free by others and enjoyed. Also, you can send books to other site members.
  4. Members of BookCrossing can also “catch” books by requesting registered books as gifts or by finding registered books “in the wild.” The purpose of BookCrossing is to track books across the world and to share great literature with strangers. It is a fun project to be a part of and the site, in just a short time, has grown tremendously in popularity.

  5. Bookins - Every “green” book lover should be keen on reducing, reusing and recycling their literature. Bookins offers a very simple system through which to swap your books and their mailing system is the best. You will only have to pay for shipping on the books you receive, never on the books to
    donate. For donated books, Bookins offers free postage kits. The site is free to join and is growing each day.
  6. BookMooch - BookMooch is a free community for exchanging books. By donating books to BookMooch, you will earn points that can be exchanged for other people’s books. This community is free to join and the only price you will pay is shipping when you mail your books.
  7. There is more to BookMooch, however. The points you earn and the books you donate can also be given away to charity, such as African literacy programs or children’s hospitals.This site is one of the largest book-swapping communities online and the interface is very simple. If you would like a specific book that isn’t listed yet on BookMooch, a “wish list” can be made, which will put you first in line to receive your wanted books once they are available.

  8. Childrens Books Online
    - Children’s Books Online is an impressive collection of illustrated children’s books from around the globe. All of these books, scanned and digitized for the site, are free to the public. From classic, well-known children’s books to rare, foreign books, you can find a large assortment. A group of volunteers help to translate and upload new books onto the site and it has grown tremendously since its creation in 1996. Both parents and teachers should find this family-friendly site to be very useful.
  9. Ebookee
    - Ebookee is a colection of free ebooks, where we can find scientific, computer, and tecnological books
  10. Google Book Search
    - Google is continuing its campaign for world domination with this awesome project. By scanning each page of entire texts, Google has digitized at least one million books for users to read online. Still in a beta stage, the site has raised some questions about intellectual property and copyright laws. However, many of the books you will find on Google Book Search are public domain. You can easily get lost in this site and, hopefully, it will only continue to grow for years to come.
  11. Memoware -
    Memoware offers free ebooks and documents that are specifically designed for handheld devices. Memoware downloads are compatible with Palm OS, Pocket PC, Windows CE, EPOC and Symbian software. Available documents include maps and technical references that can be useful on the road or at work. Almost all of the ebooks and documents found on Memoware are “freeware,” though a few are “shareware” products and should be registered if used.
  12. PaperBackSwap
    - PaperBackSwap is one of the largest book trading clubs online. The simple system allows you todonate books for credits and use those credits to get free books. As with all swapping clubs, you will have to pay for shipping. However, shipping multiple books at once will be cost-efficient and, if you are an avid reader, you will save a lot of money by swapping for free books.PaperBackSwap is a very popular site that currently has over 1 million books available. Registration with the site is free and the program has recently branched out to include CDs and DVDs.
  13. Project Gutenberg
    - Project Gutenberg is one of the oldest and largest sources of free ebooks. The site is a wiki, meaning any user can edit it. In fact, Project Gutenberg has grown to greatness due to the hard work of many volunteers. To date, the site has a database of over 20,000 books.
  14. Many of the books on the site are public domain, which means you can print and redistribute them.Public domain ebooks are especially helpful to teachers who wish to print off excerpts for the classroom. Also, those who wish to adapt books or short stories to a stage play will be able to use public domain books without paying a fee. Project Gutenberg has so many texts, you may be wish to start browsing their Top 100 list first.

  15. SF-Books -
    SF-Books is the first and only online paperback swap to specialize in science fiction and fantasy books. If you devour books from these genres, then you will save a lot of money by swapping your books for other used paperbacks. With the books you receive, you can choose to keep them forever or swap them for something new.
  16. SF-Books is free to join and very simple to use. Created in 2001, it is one of the oldest book-swapping clubs online. Currently, there are over 8000 books available to interested readers. With nearly 5000 successful trades under the site’s belt, this is also one of the most trusted swapping clubs.

  17. socialbib
    - If you are a poor college student (is there any other kind?), then you should jump at the chance to get your textbooks for free. socialbib is a wonderful site that is free to join if you are a currently enrolled student. The purpose of the site is to recycle textbooks amongst students. At the end of each semester, you will turn in your books to socialbib and, in turn, can search for free textbooks for your next courses. Why sell $800 worth of books for $30 on campus? It is an insult.
  18. Socialbib will allow you to accomplish several things. You can save your much-needed cash and get some free textbooks, you can connect with other students in a positive way and you can stick it to “the man.” Really, why should a math book cost you $100 anyway? Use your student credit cards on something a little more fun.

  19. SwapThing
    - A free account with this site will allow you to swap anything of yours for an item that belongs to another user. Of course, you and this other user must agree on the swap. It is a revolutionary concept and can apply to more than just books.
  20. If books are all you are after, however, there are plenty to be found. Don’t assume that you have to offer books to get them. For all you know, an old garden rake may be an agreeable swap for some classic literature from another user.For exchanges that may not be an “equal” swap, users can barter an extra amount of cash to make the trade equal.
    Users can also just offer money and not an object for trade, though people who are looking to do that should probably just check out eBay. Remember, when using any kind of swap site, you will still have to cough up a little dough for shipping.

  21. Title Trader
    - Title Trader is another media swapping site, allowing members to trade paperback books, CDs, DVDs and more. Free to join, Title Trader is one of the larger sites to offer such a service. The site works through a point system, as you will earn points for donating items.
    These points can then be redeemed for merchandise that has been donated by other users. So far, the site has facilitate over 145,000 successful trades.
  22. Wikibooks - Wikibooks is an interesting project that started in 2003. Created by the makers of Wikipedia, Wikibooks offers over 27,000 open-content textbooks. A team of volunteers writes these online textbooks, just like Wikipedia. Don’t be too concerned about the validity of the information found here, however, as the site is diligently edited and moderated by a team of experts. From cookbooks to natural sciences, you can find texts on just about any subject.
  23. World Public Library
    - The World Public Library is the largest online source of ebooks. Currently offering over 500,000 PDF books and documents, you can find anything from textbooks to classic literature on this site. Best of all, membership is free. It truly is an online public library and, assuming you are comfortable with the ebook format, this site could very well replace your regular visits to the local library.
  24. Both students and teachers will find the World Public Library very useful, as encyclopedias, dictionaries and other research materials are readily available through the site. The World Public Library has been in operation since 1996 and it has been a global effort to build it out to such magnitude. The site is only going to grow from here, as the world really is going digital.

  25. WOWIO
    - WOWIO is a very hip source of public domain ebooks and contemporary titles, including graphic novels. You must register with the site before downloading the material, but this is also free of charge. Created in 2006, WOWIO is quickly gaining attention as one of the few legal sources of high-quality, copyrighted online books.
  26. Great care is taken with the scanning and digitizing of the material found on WOWIO and the site’s interface is very simple. Students will find much-needed textbooks here and frugal comic book lovers will see some of their favorite titles. By simply browsing the material and adding each book to a queue, users can create their “must read” list. A fairly new site, WOWIO is growing exponentially and adding new titles every day.

  27. Zunafish - Everyone has been talking about Zunafish this year, including TIME magazine and Oprah Winfrey.
    It is a paperback swapping site, yet so much more. Not only will you be able to trade for free books, you can also find video games, audiobooks, CDs, video games, DVDs and more.Zunafish is free to join and there is no limit to how many trades you can make. However, the site only allows “like item trading.” In other words, you can only trade a book for a book and a CD for a CD. Still, this is an exciting concept that may eventually lure eBay addicts over to Zunefish.

Whether you are interested in ebooks or printed books, the above sites are only the tip of the iceberg. Paperback swapping and digitized literature are increasing in popularity each day, spawning even more sources of free books. From comic books to encyclopedias, both frugal book lovers and academic researchers should take advantage of the sites above, as well as any other resources that offer free books.