Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS images for cloning

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After several weeks of preparing the images for cloning based on Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS they are now available for download and tests. A big Thank You goes to the MATE developer team and Javier and Thomsen, Labdoo (Germany) for their important contribution to these images.

If you check out the images you will find more "evolution than revolution", so there are new features and improvements, but being close to what users and you are used to from former releases. Users or classes using former and this actual release at a school can use both without problems and use mixed installations.

Linux, Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS, Technology

We use release Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS, the Long Term Support (LTS) of Ubuntu, which is supported until April 2023 https://ubuntu-mate.org/

As Labdoo is using the MATE desktop since 2016, it was was already well accepted and used in the 16.04 LTS and 18.04 LTS releases. In the previous releases we used Lubuntu with LXDE desktop and added MATE as an additional desktop. But with Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS we will drop LXDE and Lubuntu and will only use MATE.

MATE is asking a bit more resources than LXDE, but not as much as other desktops. So it will be also a good choice for older, donated laptops. Read about new features of MATE here https://ubuntu-mate.org/blog/.

The LXDE desktop, you might have used in 18.04 LTS and earlier, is not available anymore in 20.04 LTS images, as we use now Ubuntu MATE instead of Lubuntu as technical platform. Please note that Lubuntu support Lubuntu 18.04 LTS ends in summer 2020. The images for Cloning 18.04 LTS will soon be updated for a last time and then be moved to image archive http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/archive/. Due to capacity of our FTP server we will remove same time the 16.04 LTS images for cloning soon.

Labdoo created the Labdoo images in a way that our student in edoovillages don't have to start from the scratch.

It is recommended to use Core2-CPUs and 2 GB RAM (drop single core CPUs), even it will work with older laptops and less RAM. But performance will be poor.

No 32 Bit MATE available, so no 32 Bit Images available for 20.04 LTS ff.

As MATE stopped to offer its operating system 20.04 LTS in a 32 Bit version, Labdoo is also not able to deliver 32 Bit images. most Linux distributions and software companies already did. E.g. there is no 32 Bit Skype etc. available.
As donated 32 Bit laptops were produced ca. until late 2007 and are now at least more than 14 years old, we should also close the 32 Bit chapter. You will still find 32 Bit images for cloning based on 18.04 LTS in our archive, but they are not maintained anymore.
We are aware that Labdoo will not be able to install and use some of donated 32 Bit laptops, but donated 32 Bit laptops are decreasing. Time is on our side and the capacity of donated IT is becoming better and better ;)
And like other operating system the hardware requirements are increasing from release to release. But being able to re-use ca. up to 13 years old laptops is a great success. Other OS are not able to be run on such old laptops...

New password for User labdoo (Administrator)

IMPORTANT: To log-in as user labdoo you need the new password: labdooadmin
Due to user feed back we dropped the character "_", as all other letters are (more or less) in the same place on a keyboard, but "_" is in different places depending on the language specific keyboard layout.
The new password was also added by user requests to avoid log-in as admin and corrupting the system by mistake. The wikis were updated. We recommend to enclose some additional information, e.g. the printed wikis or an extra note for the teachers.
Below you can download and print labels to be added to deliveries based on 20.04 LTS, if you like.

Desktop Layouts, make desktop look similar to other OS

MATE 20.04 LTS comes with a feature to make the desktop (user interface) look similar to other operating systems. So you can train users how it will look similar to Windows or macOS. For details check out the links below for wiki pages, video tutorials and PDF manuals. As user requested to pre-set the desktop "Redmond" (similar to Windows) as the default desktop design, which is already considered in all 20.04 LTS images uploaded.

Updated wikis, PDFs and tutorial

Our wiki pages were updated to suit for 18.04 LTS and 20.04 LTS needs and to explain the new features and additional software (e.g. GIMP was added to 20.04 LTS images).
EN: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/how-to-start/en_all_wikis.pdf
DE: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/how-to-start/de_all_wikis.pdf
FR: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/how-to-start/fr_all_wikis.pdf
ES: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/how-to-start/es_all_wikis.pdf

The video tutorials were not updated. There is only one new video tutorial explaining a few new features within 20.04 LTS:
EN: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/videos/en_login_intro_20_04_LTS.mp4
DE: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/videos/de_login_intro_20_04_LTS.mp4
ES: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/videos/es_login_intro_20_04_LTS.mp4
Those videos and wikis (PDF) are already part of the images for cloning Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS.

How to find updated wiki pages

We marked wiki pages by [Update 20.04 LTS]. Search on our web-site for this text to find modified wiki pages.

Increasing content

As the size of wikis and content is increasing we had to modify the image fitting on 80 GB disks. Some archives could not be included anymore, but can be added manually (Fantastic Phonics Children, Siyavula Math and Physical Science Textbooks).

And we were asked to add the English language course and English Wikipedia for Schools to the French and Spanish image (which we did).

Our image team is always open to your suggestions. If a specific content is of high interest for you and you want to become it part of an image or to drop it.

Spanish image

As Labdoo helpers in Spain install the Spanish images manly on laptops with Spanish keyboards, the internal keyboard (setting in /etc/default/keyboard) is already pre-set to Spanish. So it is not necessary to modify the keyboard layout file (sudo nano /etc/default/keyboard) for Spanish keyboards and Spanish image. The Spanish image can be installed on a 120 GB disk.

2 great books about Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS

Want to read more about Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS? Larry Bushey and the MATE team can us access to the most actual books about MATE and its software. These books are also part of all 20.04 LTS images:
Ubuntu MATE - A Guide for Computer Users, Upgrading from Windows or macOS
http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/manuals/manuals-ubuntu/EN/Upgradin...

Using Ubuntu MATE and Its Applications - Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS Edition
http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/manuals/manuals-ubuntu/EN/Using%20...

Feedback, issues already noticed

Please send your feedback to Labdoo-D [ät] Labdoo.org (suggestions, wishes, problems found etc). Please keep in mind, that these images for cloning have to fit to the needs of many countries, helpers, projects and pupils world-wide. So if you need a very specific image for your local need it might be better to create an individual image for cloning in some minutes work by yourself...

Known issues, Planned update or patches

Some minor issues are already noted, e.g. missing icon for "volume" in the task bar on MATE desktop. Here we have to wait for fixes of MATE or the additional plug-ins or programs installed.

Login as guest: You will see the error "Could not update ICEauthority file /run/user/998/ICEauthority". Just click on "close / Schliessen",wait a while and you will be get to the desktop of guest user. We are working on this issue.

Kommentare

Bild des Benutzers Rhein-Ruhr-Hub
Gespeichert von Rhein-Ruhr-Hub am Sa, 05/02/2020 - 15:53

[Update] All basic images for cloning are now available for download

Thank you for your feedback. We took your comments into account to improve the images, which fit to most needs for Spanish (ES), English (EN), French (FR) and German (DE) speaking countries world-wide. All images come between 6 GB to 140 GB of educational content (equivalent ca. 1-2 over-sea containers on each laptop). All basic images are now ready for your projects. Try them out, they are worth it. http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/
All changes made in 20.04 LTS images are and will be kept track here http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/change-log-20_04_LTS.txt.

What is coming next?
The 18.04 LTS images will be patched for a last time in the 1st half of May, 2020 and being moved during May to the image archive on our FTP-server http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/archive/18_04_archive/.

Middle of May, 2020 we'll work on our 20.04 LTS images and upload patched and maintained images 20.04 LTS to our web-server. We are quiet happy with the new 20.04 LTS images. 2 years of intensive work done by volunteers for Linux. Ubuntu. MATE, content and more is worth a look. We are impressed :)

Labdoo contributing laptops to schools for home schooling
As you might have noticed, many schools claimed for IT donations at Labdoo (check-out https://www.labdoo.org/content/edoovillages-dashboard and filter in free-text search for COVID19 to see all Corona related edoovillages. The Labdoo images are ready to be used for home schooling :)
The helpers in Spain are using Labtix installation tool and images for a decentralized installation. Thank you, Elena and Javier for your great effort.

As many German schools use Microsoft Teams for Education in home schooling, we added Microsoft Teams to the German image (DE_120). Yes, world is changing, Microsoft offers software for free for Linux ;) Here is a German information about our Teams approach https://www.labdoo.org/de/content/schule-zuhause.
If there is a need to translate this wiki page or to add teams to other images, just let me know.

PS for German hubs:
Für deutsche Hubs möchte ich auf unser Angebot hinweisen, dass wir im Mai neue Installationsmedien (USB-HDDs) versenden können. Bitte sagt über Labdoo-D (ät) Labdoo.org Bescheid, ob Ihr neue Images per Post wünscht. Ideal wäre es, wenn ihr uns vorab oder hinterher die USB-Festplatte mit den alten 18.04 LTS Images nach Mülheim Ruhr schicken könntet (wir haben nur eine begrenzten Bestand von 1 GB-HDDs im Austausch).

Thank you,
Ralf, Labdoo.org (Germany)
Labdoo-D (ät) Labdoo.org

Bild des Benutzers Rhein-Ruhr-Hub
Gespeichert von Rhein-Ruhr-Hub am Mi, 05/06/2020 - 09:03

System requirements to install Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS

Having installed Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS based images on several laptops we want to give you feedback about the system requirements. MATE team recommend these hardware requirements https://ubuntu-mate.org/about/requirements/.

We found a configuration of 2 GB RAM, Core2 CPU and 40 GB disk (if larger disk you can install larger images with more content). But Single Core CPUs and 1 GB RAM is working very slowly with 20.04 LTS. So we recommend to avoid that.

Other operating systems need 4 or 8 GB RAM and more to work properly. So 2 GB for Linux is not too much. We are aware that some of your donated laptops do not fulfill these hardware requirements. But in the next years Linux, desktop environment, applications and educational content will increase. Fortunately the IT donations Labdoo receives are also becoming better equipped.

Actually, when you start Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS, about 6-800 MB of RAM are used. Starting Firefox takes another 3-400 MB RAM. Not talking about video conferencing or Microsoft teams for schools. So you are already close to 1 GB RAM used in the beginning. And each application started in addition will need more RAM. If your laptop has only 1 GB RAM built-in, the system will start to swap now, storing parts to disk, ẃhich will make it more slowly. So 2 GB RAM makes sense.

We discussed some options (switching to a leaner Linux distro e.g. Xubuntu; using a leaner web browser etc.). But this will have only a small effect and after some time also these approaches will as well need more RAM and CPU power. And we should offer the children and schools the best possible platform to learn on.

So it seems we found kind of our own Labdoo specific "Moore's law" - Labdoo can use max. 11 to 12 years old laptops. This period seems to be static over the past years. If the IT donations are older, they are not powerful enough for actual Ubuntu releases. So year by year passing, we will "loose" older laptops, but we'll win better, newer ones.

We can think about e.g. helping sending DDR2 or DDR3 RAM from hubs, having enough of it, to needy hubs. Any idea is welcome.

Some time ago we stopped (in Germany) using laptops needing DDR1 RAM (max. 1 GB RAM possible due to 2 slots a 512 MB), 32 Bit CPUs and IDE disk drives. Those were produced ca. until 2006/2007. How about dropping them in general not to frustrate users? And 32 bit CPU support for Linux is coming to end any-way, if not already ended.

Since some years we check here in advance, if a laptop offered to be donated fulfills our requirements, to avoid time waste and costs for donors and Labdoo helpers. May-be it is time now in other places to establish such a filter process, too?

We are fully aware that in some countries the donated hardware is older than in others. But you cannot fight "physics" and technical development. And for some time you are able to use the 18.04 LTS images.

In case of any question please contact me.

Ralf, Labdoo.org (Germany)

Bild des Benutzers eparpal
Gespeichert von eparpal am Do, 07/23/2020 - 12:20

Microsoft Teams
Do you know how can we help some schools here who do need microsoft Teams along with our labdoo image?
Thanks

Bild des Benutzers Rhein-Ruhr-Hub
Gespeichert von Rhein-Ruhr-Hub am Do, 07/23/2020 - 13:13

Hi Elena,

in the Spanish image for cloning (ES_120), provided by Labdoo team Germany, Microsoft teams is already enclosed since several weeks. Do you use "my" image ES_120? Then this shouldn't be a problem, as already solved and integrated.

If you use any other image, I cannot contribute directly, but I can tell you how to solve it by yourself. There is a German wiki page https://www.labdoo.org/content/schule-zuhause explaining how to install Microsoft Teams for Linux or other tools for home schooling. I also offered to translate these information into English, see https://www.labdoo.org/de/content/ubuntu-mate-2004-lts-images-cloning?se..., I wrote:

As many German schools use Microsoft Teams for Education in home schooling, we added Microsoft Teams to the German image (DE_120). Yes, world is changing, Microsoft offers software for free for Linux ;) Here is a German information about our Teams approach https://www.labdoo.org/de/content/schule-zuhause.
If there is a need to translate this wiki page or to add teams to other images, just let me know.

But as nobody asked for a translation there is not a translation. Sometimes life can be so easy :) Let me know, if this wiki page should be translated.

So you have three options:

    1. Either the school installs Microsoft teams for Linux by itself (just a few minutes).
      Or you use the Spanish image ES_120, already coming with Teams for Linux.
      Or you add Teams for Linux to those Spanish images, which some Spanish helpers are maintaining.
  • Let me know, if you need any assistance.
    CU
    Ralf
    Labdoo (Germany)

    Bild des Benutzers eparpal
    Gespeichert von eparpal am Mo, 07/27/2020 - 18:56

    Dear Ralf,

    Thanks a lot for your ellaborated response. A few months ago we did not ask for the wiki translation because we did not know if we needed it. Only one school has asked for it, so for the moment we can keep asking them to intall Teams in just a few minutes by themselves (i actually did it myself, it was really easy), just had to add the comand "sudo" first and then just thos two lines of comands, so we have superusers privileges.
    I would propose to translate the wiki into English if possible.
    I have not used the Spanish image (ES120) yet, only the catalan one, but thanks, it's great to have it.
    We can modify the Catalan (CAT_60) image as Javier taught us and add Teams if we have more demand.

    Thanks a lot!