The Idea

Children are like sponges. They pick things up so fast. You set them up with a computer, and soon after they're teaching the adults. For a parent looking for a job or trying to get free tax info, imagine what a difference having a computer and a computer literate child in the home will make.

In every city you can find:
1. Decommissioned computers waiting to be taken to Goodwill or, worse yet, the dump.
2. Children who don't have a computer at home.
3. An ample supply of Linux enthusiasts who would gladly triage these (mostly windows) machines, install Linux on them and pass them on to those children.

Connecting the dots costs almost nothing.

The Origins of LAP

Back in February 2008, GeekAustin alumnus Michelle Greer asked me how she could obtain computers for the Burmese refugees she was helping (story and story). She didn't have a lot of money to throw at it, and no ready sponsors, so the whole thing would have to be done on the cheap. Quite a few friends offered to donate computers. However, most of the machines ran older versions of Windows, and even though most of the machines probably wouldn't have the CPU and RAM to run the current version, buying Windows licenses to update 50 computers was out of the question. Besides, if you're going to give a free computer to a person, you should give them a free operating system as well -- especially if they have no money.

As a solution, I decided that I would hold a massive Linux install fest. I'd take advantage of the GeekAustin network, take donations for computers, take over a downtown Austin club for the day, get a room full of my Linux-loving buddies, and install Linux on all the machines. No doubt we'd get more than enough machines for the refugees, and everything left over, we'd donate to folks who needed computers. Michelle and I came up with a catchy name for the event -- Linux Against Poverty.

Although we mentioned it to a few friends, both Michelle and I were already committed to other projects. Frankly, there were also a lot of operational details that would have to be worked out. This would be a little more complicated than the typical GeekAustin party. The project was put on the back burner.

Enter The HeliOS Project

Jump forward to December 2008: I heard the kerfuffle about the AISD school teacher who chastised a student for passing out Linux CDs (GeekAustin coverage, Omar Gallaga's coverage). The CDs had come from a local fellow and Linux advocate -- Ken Starks. While discussing the story with him, I learned that Ken founded and leads an organization, The HeliOS Project, which takes old computers, installs Linux on them, and donates them to disadvantaged children in Central Texas. In 2007, they built and placed 228 computers, and in 2008, bumped that number up over 325. Ken also told me that, unfortunately, for every one computer they place, they have requests for three. (Omar's coverage)

This got me thinking about the install fest again. Austin has an abundance of Linux advocates who'd take a day off to install Linux on a stack of machines, and every company I visit seems to have a stack of older Dells, decommissioned and waiting to be hauled off. With a lot of folks pitching in, we could help Ken and the HeliOS Project get these machines to the kids who can use them.

Linux Against Poverty is on!

Linux Against Poverty 1st install fest.
1PM, Saturday, August 1, 2009
Union Park Austin.

For more details, visit the Austin Installfest page

-Lynn Bender
Linux Against Poverty
lynnbender@geekaustin.org