Bringing your old iMacs back to life with a lightweight oS!
If your school district is anything like mine (or if you work in my school district!), you might have a lot of these old iMac's laying around. These particular iMacs are quickly becoming obsolete because, to make a long story short, Apple moved away from the PowerPC processors and started using Intel. Now, very few Apple programs work with these PowerPC iMacs.
But instead of pushing these to the back of the class or storing them in some obscure closet, we can attempt to bring them back to life through the use of another operating system, one that runs on a PowerPC computer. What this means is that we won't be using Mac's OS (operating system); instead, we will be migrating to the free and open-source operating system known as Lubuntu. Lubuntu is a version of Ubuntu based on the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment (LXDE). Ubuntu is a free, Linux-based operating system that has gained quite a bit of popularity because it is relatively easy to use, as compared to other Linux operating systems. I won't get into all the gory details of Linux, open-source, Ubunutu, operating systems, etc., but, if you are interested, here are some interesting links:
Simply put, we can revitalize these old machines with a new, lightweight operating system, if we don't mind learning a few new tricks. The computers could then be used as a teacher work computer, a student computer, or, if you're like me, a testing computer to learn all things Linux on. In the next few modules, I'm going to walk you through how to get one of these iMacs up and running with Lubuntu. |
How to install lubuntu exclusively
Lesson Goals:
- Download Lubuntu
- Burn to CD
- Install on computer
In order to start running Lubuntu, you're going to need to download it and then use Mac's disk utility to burn it to a DVD. Then you'll put this DVD into the iMac and follow the instructions to install!
How to use the software center
Lesson Goals:
- Identify where the software center is
- Use software center to locate, download and install programs
Installing programs on Lubuntu can be challenging, but the Software Center makes it much easier! Learn how to use it here.
Using abiword
Lesson Goals:
- Create a basic document and save it in Word format
Abiword is Lubuntu's lightweight word processor, with a look and feel of a simplified Microsoft Word. It can do all of the basic tasks that students and teachers will need and can save in multiple formats. Here's a brief overview:
An Introduction to Terminal
Lesson Goals:
- Understand what Terminal is
- Use Terminal to run some basic commands
- Know where to go for more information
One of the most confusing and most fun parts of working with Linux for the first time is using text commands through Terminal to control your computer. Here is an introduction to some basic Terminal commands.
Links to learning more About the linux terminal
- http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Teaching/Unix/unix1.html
- http://www.howtogeek.com/140679/beginner-geek-how-to-start-using-the-linux-terminal/
- http://lifehacker.com/5633909/who-needs-a-mouse-learn-to-use-the-command-line-for-almost-anything
If you're really interested in the terminal, here's a great YouTube playlist from Geek Blog TV that covers a lot of Terminal commands. I've posted one of the videos from the playlist below.
Setting up Thunderbird for first class
Lesson Goals:
- Get Thunderbird
- Set up Thunderbird to receive First Class Mail
My school district uses a First Class mail server for work-based emails. However, there is no desktop client for Linux-based Operating Systems like Lubuntu. Llike most problems, though, there is a work-around! I'll show you how to download Mozilla Thunderbird and set it up to receive your First Class emails.
Running powerschool and other java programs
Lesson Goals:
- Install appropriate java program
- Download Gradebook shortcut
- Run Gradebook
My school district uses a web-based program called PowerSchool to keep track of grades and attendance. The grades are kept track of with a java-based program called PowerTeacher Gradebook. Lubuntu can run Gradebook; however, we're going to have to install another program and a plugin before we can get Gradebook to open up. Here's the tutorial walking you through the process.
Don't Forget to Have Fun!
So hopefully by now your iMac PowerPC is up and running with Lubuntu! I've covered just the basics to make this a workable teacher/student computer, but there's a lot more out there that you can learn, and a lot you can do to modify your operating system if you want. Have fun!
Last Modified: June 11, 2014