[HacDC:Byzantium] Future paths?

[Sky- AA6AX]

I agree with making it really clear and in plain language.

I think that having a desktop option and labeling it as the "normal" bootup is going to be critical in most emergency operations. Otherwise some folks might even think the computer did not boot up because it just "doesn't look right." So this has to be the default option.

In terms of naming, I'd call the other option "Boot to shell" or "Boot to command line" or some phrase that every one of us geeks will recognize, plus 5% of muggles will recognize, and everyone else will go for the "normal" or "desktop" boot up process without even asking what that other one means.

I'm certain that in the next San Francisco earthquake we will use the Byzantium nodes not only for setting up mesh connectivity, but also as communications terminals themselves, pounding on the node keyboards just as much as on other computers. So I would still urge "boot to desktop" as the topmost and default option even if I thought there was only a 10% chance that I'd need the screen and keyboard in order to participate in chat with network users. It's worth the overhead to not have to reboot the computer if I run out of stations to type at.

I pay homage to those of you who helped out in NYC and I see an important lesson there -- which is that mesh communication even if not needed by first-responders may be needed by citizens, which I think might still be a similar configuration scenario.

In my tests I had to use my local Byzantium node to participate in chat because I didn't have enough machines with enough battery power to keep them all powered up all the time. In our central EOC, of course, we have standby AC power, but out in the field it's going to be iffy.

I'd guess that we would set up mesh at in-the-field command posts to connect a number of machines. If first-responder channels were down, we would use amateur radio for the longer distances if we couldn't hop to some Internet connection that has survived. The standard FEMA NIMS model is well-understood here and routinely drilled. And I'd think that I'd want to have several Byzantium nodes in a command center or staging location or field command center to increase reliability and probably stretch range as well since one center might be spread out over a city block or more. Our NERT (neighborhood) assembly and staging areas are usually playgrounds or other large sites.

Maybe someone can briefly point out to me whether having "more Byzantium nodes than you think you'll need" is the best way to go or not. (I suspect it is.) And I wonder what your experience is with link distance and robustness. Here in my neighborhood my computers can see lots of Wi-fi systems that are maybe 200 to 300 feet away, and a few that (astoundingly) purport to be a couple of miles away, but without involving high-gain antennas I don't know that I can link them together. Will test that out next time.

-Sky




On Dec 31, 2012, at 11:26 AM, Ben Mendis <ben.mendis at gmail.com> wrote:

> * PGP Signed by an unknown key
> 
> 
> On 12/30/2012 11:33 PM, haxwithaxe wrote:
>>> I've copied the contents of one of the USB keys we had in Red Hook
>>> into a subdirectory on Windbringer, and I'm working on turning it into
>>> something that is recognizable as v0.3a (because we've made enough
>>> changes to the system that it pretty much warrants a new release).
>>> I'm working on the boot splash right now (which is, strangely, the
>>> hardest part to get right).  We should probably write a new set of
>>> release notes on ByzantiumPad that explains the changes we made
>>> (namely, tearing out the control panel and the network apps, and
>>> describing both the autoconfiguration daemon and how interoperability
>>> with the Commotion Wireless firmware works).  What I'm not so sure
>>> about is whether or not we should have v0.3a boot to the desktop or
>>> not.  This release is fully self-configuring, so once it's up, it's
>>> up.  There isn't a whole lot of user interaction in this release
>>> because we got rid of that during the Red Hook relief operation, but
>>> that also confused people ("What?  That's IT?!")
>> i suggest we boot to the desktop as a normal porteus live distro does
>> and have firefox popup with "you're up!" or "there was a problem :("
>> 
>>> We could set the desktop up in v0.3a to open Firefox and display a
>>> page to the effect of "Your Byzantium node is now fully operational.
>>> No, seriously - it's automatically configured itself.", but the
>>> question is then whether or not it's worth the use of memory and
>>> compute cycles on a running X server that isn't doing anything
>>> helpful.
>> they will likely want to use their laptop once it's running :P
>> we can always rebrand a copy of the "text mode" boot item as "powersave" :P
>> 
> I don't know about that renaming. I think it needs to be clear that
> choosing one will result in a shell-prompt that won't be useful to most
> people, but the other option results in a familiar desktop with a web
> browser which could be essential to many people.
> 
> 
> * Unknown Key
> * 0x3233ED30
> 


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