Internet Cafe Distro Recommendations...

Based on your personal experience having downloaded,
installed and set 
up (if only for a play with) and not just "I read about
it on Google"...

What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend to run a
small internet 
cafe of 4 computers.

Requirements - Suggested...

The user would purchase a ticket (with a number) on it from
the counter.

The user would then punch the number into the web browser
page on the 
computer and then be given either a set time or set amount
of data to 
play with.

That's it...  really simple.

Cheers Don

-- 
Don Gould
www.thinkdesignprint.co.nz - www.tcn.bowenvale.co.nz - 
www.bowenvale.co.nz - www.hearingbooks.co.nz -
www.crra.org.nz - 
www.justhelicopters.co.nz - www.buxtonsquare.co.nz - 
skype:ThinkDesignPrint?add - Good ideas: 
www.solarking.co.nz

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:12, you wrote:
> Based on your personal experience having downloaded,
installed and set
> up (if only for a play with) and not just "I read
about it on Google"...
>
> What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend to run a
small internet
> cafe of 4 computers.
>
> Requirements - Suggested...
>
> The user would purchase a ticket (with a number) on it
from the counter.
>
> The user would then punch the number into the web
browser page on the
> computer and then be given either a set time or set
amount of data to
> play with.
>
> That's it...  really simple.

I have a simpler suggestion.  A piece of paper and a pencil.
 User arrives 
at the counter.  Staff notes time of arrival.  User uses
computer and 
returns to counter.  Staff notes finish time, calculates
cost, takes money, 
makes change, discusses weather etc.

Cost is $3/hr, prorated on a non-linear scale.  Any more and
it's too 
expensive.  Make your money on the coffee.

A

Andrew,

Nature of the location means this wouldn't work.  Location
doesn't sell 
coffee.  Customers would leave without paying.

I did give consideration to this when I was looking over the
place tonight.

If we man the other project I'm working on, then this is
exactly how we 
will do it.

$3/h is also far to high for the client-tel.

Cheers Don

Andrew Errington wrote:
> On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:12, you wrote:
>> Based on your personal experience having
downloaded, installed and set
>> up (if only for a play with) and not just "I
read about it on Google"...
>>
>> What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend to
run a small internet
>> cafe of 4 computers.
>>
>> Requirements - Suggested...
>>
>> The user would purchase a ticket (with a number) on
it from the counter.
>>
>> The user would then punch the number into the web
browser page on the
>> computer and then be given either a set time or set
amount of data to
>> play with.
>>
>> That's it...  really simple.
> 
> I have a simpler suggestion.  A piece of paper and a
pencil.  User arrives 
> at the counter.  Staff notes time of arrival.  User
uses computer and 
> returns to counter.  Staff notes finish time,
calculates cost, takes money, 
> makes change, discusses weather etc.
> 
> Cost is $3/hr, prorated on a non-linear scale.  Any
more and it's too 
> expensive.  Make your money on the coffee.
> 
> A

-- 
Don Gould
www.thinkdesignprint.co.nz - www.tcn.bowenvale.co.nz - 
www.bowenvale.co.nz - www.hearingbooks.co.nz -
www.crra.org.nz - 
www.justhelicopters.co.nz - www.buxtonsquare.co.nz - 
skype:ThinkDesignPrint?add - Good ideas: 
www.solarking.co.nz

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007, Don Gould wrote:
> Andrew,
>
> Nature of the location means this wouldn't work. 
Location doesn't sell
> coffee.  Customers would leave without paying.
Nature of accounting system won't stop that.
For only 4 terminals pencil and paper is the way to go.
Take half an hour up-front. Put manned till beside single
door.

> I did give consideration to this when I was looking
over the place tonight.
>
> If we man the other project I'm working on, then this
is exactly how we
> will do it.
>
> $3/h is also far to high for the client-tel.
Go bust then. I believe $2.50 is the going rate atm. That's
for big rooms with 
many more than only 4 machines. For 4 machines in continuous
use that's only 
$10/hour, which might just pay for a not very bright pimply
youth. You'll 
have to have another quite good source of income as well to
cover the 
overheads.

You might care to look at http://extra
gear.kde.org/apps/kiosktool/
I've not played with it, but it's written by Waldo Bastian,
so it has a good 
pedigree.

Amy Linux distro would do well for an Internet Cafe. For
only 4 machines I'd 
be very tempted to do a LTSP system with a server machine
and as many P2 / P3 
el cheapos as needed for the terminals. Yes I have done
that!

ftp://ftp.skolelinux.no/skolelinux/knoppixes/bestix
http://www.bes
tix.org/html/bestix.html


> Andrew Errington wrote:
> > On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 21:12, you wrote:
> >> Based on your personal experience having
downloaded, installed and set
> >> up (if only for a play with) and not just
"I read about it on Google"...
> >>
> >> What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend
to run a small internet
> >> cafe of 4 computers.
> >>
> >> Requirements - Suggested...
> >>
> >> The user would purchase a ticket (with a
number) on it from the counter.
> >>
> >> The user would then punch the number into the
web browser page on the
> >> computer and then be given either a set time
or set amount of data to
> >> play with.
> >>
> >> That's it...  really simple.
> >
> > I have a simpler suggestion.  A piece of paper and
a pencil.  User
> > arrives at the counter.  Staff notes time of
arrival.  User uses computer
> > and returns to counter.  Staff notes finish time,
calculates cost, takes
> > money, makes change, discusses weather etc.
> >
> > Cost is $3/hr, prorated on a non-linear scale. 
Any more and it's too
> > expensive.  Make your money on the coffee.
> >
> > A

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:34, you wrote:
> Andrew,
>
> Nature of the location means this wouldn't work. 
Location doesn't sell
> coffee.  Customers would leave without paying.

Hmm.  It's not an Internet Cafe then.

Is this open to the general public, or local people, or a
specific group of 
people?

> I did give consideration to this when I was looking
over the place
> tonight.
>
> If we man the other project I'm working on, then this
is exactly how we
> will do it.
>
> $3/h is also far to high for the client-tel.

If $3/hr is too high, and the clientele are apt to walk out
without paying 
then you might as well a) not bother or b) give it away for
free.  At least 
with option b) you can use Linux to completely lock-down
what the machines 
are capable of.  For example, to provide internet browsing,
but no games 
(and no possibility of games being installed).  Makes the
machines useful, 
but will not attract the wrong sort of attention.

A

Don Gould wrote:

> What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend to run a
small internet 
> cafe of 4 computers.
> 
> The user would purchase a ticket (with a number) on it
from the counter.

Windows.

Ask Paul S how.

That way clients do not have to deal with the 'Linux
Community' - a fate 
worse than death.

hth
-- 
Rik

Rik Tindall wrote:
> Windows.

Can I borrow your MS Windows 98SE CD again?

> 
> Ask Paul S how.

Who is Paul S?

> That way clients do not have to deal with the 'Linux
Community' - a fate 
> worse than death.

Personally I've never been dead, that I recall.  Can you
tell me where 
they find all the virgians that many religions promise I
will get?

Cheers Don
-- 
Don Gould
www.thinkdesignprint.co.nz - www.tcn.bowenvale.co.nz - 
www.bowenvale.co.nz - www.hearingbooks.co.nz -
www.crra.org.nz - 
www.justhelicopters.co.nz - www.buxtonsquare.co.nz - 
skype:ThinkDesignPrint?add - Good ideas: 
www.solarking.co.nz

Don Gould wrote:
> 
> Can I borrow your MS Windows 98SE CD again?

You can have it for what it cost me - c$190.00.

Oh, that's right. Cheap is our prime qualification here.

> Can you tell me where 
> they find all the virgians that many religions promise
I will get?

Virgianing on the ridiculous?

-- 
Rik

Don Gould wrote:
> 
> Personally I've never been dead, that I recall. Can you
tell me where 
> they find all the virgians that many religions promise
I will get?

Having been infected with this line of superstitious
non-reasoning, you 
are left without understanding of:

a) religion; and

b) not-unix.

i.e. culturally, you become a joke.

hth
-- 
Rik

I think that I didn't explain my self well at all.

If the project goes ahead, I will be setting the 4 machines
up with 
Debian Sarge running X and Opera.  These will be recycled
machines. 
Specs along the same lines of those I got from Craig last
month.

The issue that I am asking for guidance with is the
'ticket/billing system'.

I am not looking for recommendations of a different way to
run the 
business.  I specifically want an Open Source GPL distro
solution that 
will accept ticket numbers that relate to a specific
data/time allocation.

As a bunch of mad keen hobbyists, which we are, and mad keen
to see 
Linux grow and push aside the dominance of that other
operating system...

I'm calling on your ferreting abilities to hunt down a FOSS
solution 
within the scope I've presented so that we can create
another example in 
my local community of just how Linux can empower a small
business.


Cheers Don



Don Gould wrote:
> Based on your personal experience having downloaded,
installed and set 
> up (if only for a play with) and not just "I read
about it on Google"...
> 
> What Out Of The Box distro do people recommend to run a
small internet 
> cafe of 4 computers.
> 
> Requirements - Suggested...
> 
> The user would purchase a ticket (with a number) on it
from the counter.
> 
> The user would then punch the number into the web
browser page on the 
> computer and then be given either a set time or set
amount of data to 
> play with.
> 
> That's it...  really simple.
> 
> Cheers Don
> 

-- 
Don Gould
www.thinkdesignprint.co.nz - www.tcn.bowenvale.co.nz - 
www.bowenvale.co.nz - www.hearingbooks.co.nz -
www.crra.org.nz - 
www.justhelicopters.co.nz - www.buxtonsquare.co.nz - 
skype:ThinkDesignPrint?add - Good ideas: 
www.solarking.co.nz