Hollywood29

The Toronto Hollywood29 network has had up to 6 nodes in the network.

The network has also provided a practical illustration of the features and limits of wireless LANs.

• 2 “personal” desktop computers (Windows XP)
• Laptop running (mostly) Ubuntu Desktop
• Laptop (Pentium 166MHz) DSL Linux - used as a Digital Picture Frame (works great!)
• Laptop (spare): dual boot: Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop, Windows XP

My previous (physical) desktop. Two systems:

• my Windows XP screen (left)
• the company laptop next to it running Ubuntu, with dual screens.

These are linked with Synergy so that one mouse/keyboard runs across 3 screens. It's a brilliant system! Synergy does Copy & Paste across the systems (mostly) so the two sides integrate seamlessly.

(Of course…) both systems are colour calibrated with a DTP-94 (Monaco/X-Rite on Windows, Argyll on the Ubuntu desktop.)

Much of the software running locally is Open Source, obtained mostly via SourceForge. Significant modules are:

• 7-zip - excellent file management utility
• Argyll for screen colour calibration
• Ubuntu Linux: Desktop Edition
• DSL (Damn Small Linux) for Digital picture frame on old laptop
• DD-WRT (router software)
  Chosen because I could adjust the transmission power output, and because it had a friendly Dynamic DNS module for the EasyDNS service.
• Gallery: Gallery
• Gimp - GNU Image Manipulation Program
• LAMP stack: Linux / Apache / MySQL /PHP
• Simple Invoices for my billing and for Lottie's billing (to take effect 2009)
• VPN: Hamachi
• OpenVPN to link with MacLaren House and the off-site website.
• Webstats: awstats
• Wiki: DokuWiki
  I chose this wiki product for its power and support, but also because it was very simple to use, including that it did not use MySQL or other database for storage.

At the MacLaren Group, I run an armada of Open Source software - it's both effective, and keeps me within budget of $0. Well, to be fair to da boss, if we needed something that costs (like hardware), then he's willing to pay for it. But if we can get services for a good price, then he's all in favour.

• Moodle - Learning Management System (LMS)

Feel free to email me about these environments.