Google Invests In Linux - Sponsors Linux and FOSS Notebooks for Fijian Schools
Search engine giant Google Inc., is extending its corporate social responsibility to the developing world community through making significant grants for computer hardware equipped with Linux and various other FOSS applications. According to a post on Google’s official coding Blog [here], Google has made a grant that enables notebook computers running Linux and a variety of FOSS to be rolled out at rural schools in Fiji.
Google’s Open Source Program Office has extended the donation via the Imara Project at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The project aims to
expand the use of technology in developing communities and is providing computers based on FOSS for each elementary school in Fiji’s rural Taveuni school district. The hardware is carries Edubuntu Linux and some other FOSS applications not preloaded on Edubuntu. The student desktops granted by Google are running the following FOSS applications:
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GCompris
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TuxMath
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TuxTyping
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TuxPaint
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The GIMP
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KTouch
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OpenOffice
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GeoGebra
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KBruch (math with fractions)
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KPercentage
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KTurtle (turtle logo programing)
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KStars
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Calculator
The project has some follow-up activities planned including deployment of a 20-seat Edubuntu installation in larger schools as well as local capacity development by sponsoring a Fijian teacher’s travel to spend time with the MIT Team. According to the Blog, the project is separate from OLPC.
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