Uknow4kids
UKnow4Kids is a Linux Live DVD compiling educational software for children 2- to 10-years-old (some applications may appeal to children in their teens). This educational Linux distribution is intended for broad usage by a non-technical audience (regular parents). Because UKnow4Kids runs as a live DVD, no installation or configuration is required, it is essentially indestructible for children's use, and it is impossible for the hard drive of the host PC to be affected when the live DVD is running. UKnow4Kids also runs well on old Intel hardware, so it should run fine on a Pentium II with 256 MB RAM or better. UKnow4Kids provides a familiar Windows-like/Mac-like user experience, requiring only minimal computer experience to run.
UKnow4Kids includes such educational packages as TuxPaint, GCompris, and Tuxmath.
UKnow4Kids can be used by a child alone or in partnership with the caregiver.
UKnow4Kids is based on the distribution Arch Linux.
History and Design Goals
The first UKnow4Kids beta was released around May 2009, and its first stable release was February 17, 2010. UKnow4Kids releases approximately quarterly (every 3-4 months).
UKnow4Kids was founded because the prominent educational distributions, like Edubuntu, emphasize a school-based server environment, which is too cumbersome an environment for simple, at-home use. Other educational distributions run slow on older hardware platforms, which raises an economic barrier to usage. Lastly, although there are numerous educational Linux distributions available, many have not had a stable release in quite some time, which misses the cumulative benefits from technical and user-interface developments at both the OS and application level.
To fill this niche, the design requirements for the distribution are:
- Lite, Very Lite
- Maximize potential useage across social, economic, and national BOUNDARIES (but English only)
- Low system hardware requirements (Pentium II and up)
- Fast startup
- Responsive user experience
- Minimize complications and bulk from non-essential software
- Live DVD
- Suitable for use in a straightforward desktop configuration at home
- Dedicated PC unnecessary
- Safe to use on family's only PC
- Leaves no software traces
- Portability: use on any PC at home or while traveling
- Only needs reboot to start
- Indestructability: cannot be corrupted, misconfigured
- Supplied as an ISO image (a bootable USB image (IMG) is planned for Spring 2010)
- Educational Software
- Focus on educational software
- Exclusion of most productivity software
- Exclusion of most gaming software (minimize distractions)
- Focus on prominent and well-supported open-source software applications
- ACTIVE maintenance and release schedule
- Mature state of development and reliable
- Arch Linux Distribution as Foundation
- Arch Linux is actively developed with energetic community
- Straightforward path for building a custom distribution and remastering
- Rolling release for easy maintenance and regular updates
See also
- Arch linux
- Gcompris
- KDE Education
- List of educational software
- LXDE
- OpenBox