ZL Download Archives

The ZL Download Archive contains a standard set of pre-configured computer images that can be freely downloaded and transferred to existing computer hardware. These images include the Linux operating system as well as pre-configured, pre-installed software suitable for targeted use cases. Obtaining and using one of these images is a 3-step process. See the "Image FAQs" sections for details.

Use the Image Selection Wizard to help you select an image.

Images Archive

Home and Office Images

La Maison Et Le Bureau (Home and Office)

⬇️ Maison_et_Bureau.260813.1.0_21GB.zip (5.6GB)

Linux Mint 22.2; USB Install Disk: 5.6GB; Space on Target System: 21GB

Universities

Université (University)
General, Stand-Alone Images (for unnetworked installations or networks with no resource server)

⬇️ Universite_General.260813.1.0_44GB.zip (12.3GB)

Linux Mint 22.2; USB Install Disk: 12.3GB; Space on Target System: 44GB

Secondary Schools

👷🏾 🚧 Coming Soon...

Primary Schools

👷🏾 🚧 Coming Soon...

Image FAQs

What Exactly Are These Images?

Image files allow you to clone the software and operating system from one computer to another. ZL images are clones of Linux computer systems pre-configured by ZL for use in Haiti.

Each image or set of images expands to a complete, out-of-the-box working Linux operating system well-equipped with pre-installed software packages. The “Home and Office” images have pre-installed software packages typically used on general purpose computers. The academic images have pre-installed software packages useful for academic institutions.

You can install one of the ZL images on a new computer or you can use it to replace the operating system on an existing computer.

What Are The Advantages of ZL Images?

While it is possible to download and install Linux and the software packages needed to create a functional computer system, using a ZL image has numerous advantages. These include:

pre-configuration: Many of the technical configurations needed to install an o/s are taken care of. These include disk layouts, timezone, compose keys, default language, power policies, etc.
pre-installed software: A rich set of software packages is pre-installed; you do not need to immediately even know what to install to get started. Most likely, you will not need to download many (possibly any) additional packages.
rapid installation/restoration: Once you’ve created a ZL restoration disk, cloning is much faster than the classic o/s + software installation process. In some cases, restoration can be done in about 5 minutes.
no technical skill needed: The ZL installation process requires no in-depth technical skill to perform. And, given the speed at which systems can be restored, it encourages experimentation and learning. You can always return the system to its delivered condition with minimum effort.

Do You Have Any MS Windows Images?

No. All of our downloadable images are Linux-based. If you are receiving computer systems from ZL, you may request either a Linux or Windows systems. But for licensing reasons, it isn't possible to distribute a valid Windows image by download.

Which Image Do I Need?

Broadly, there are 4 groups of images:

General purpose "Home and Office" images
Images that target universities
Images that target secondary academic institutions
Images that target primary academic institutions

The details of these images are outlined below. Use the ZL Selection Wizard to quickly find the best image for you.

The general purpose images are for home and office use. If you are unsure which image you need, this is the best option. Note that non-teaching use of computers at academic institutions should also use one of these images.

For classroom and academic research labs, use one of the academic images. These images are further grouped into two sub-categories: server and serverless (stand-alone) configurations. In a serverless configuration, every computer gets the same image. There is no centralized repository of resources. Each machine functions independently of every other machine. This is the simplest arrangement. It is suitable for most universities.

For a configuration that includes a resource servre, the zip file you download will contain two images: one for the server and one for every other station on your network (you do not need to download two things). This arrangement is ideal for primary and secondary schools with limited or no internet access. In this configuration, one computer in the network is designated as the resource server (aka, instructor station) and every other computer is a student station. Installed on the server are local resources such as Wikipedia, Khan Academy, PhEt, the Gutenberg Library, etc as well as student resources (books, videos, etc.) shared through a local website hosted on the server. The student station images are pre-configured to work with the server and have access to the services on the server.

Note that in terms of hardware, there is no material difference between the server and the student stations. However, the disk storage requirements for the server are significantly greater. In other words, you can designate any computer on your network as the server. Simply install the server image on that machine. Do not install the server image on more than one machine on the network.

How Do I Use These Images?

Download the image you want.
Create an installation disk.
Boot the target system with the installation disk.
Perform post-install configurations.

How Do I Create the Installation Disk?

To use these images, you must first create a USB installation disk.

Download the image of your choice.
Unzip the downloaded zip file and locate the .img file.
Secure a USB drive that you will use to create the installation media. Note that all data on this drive will be wiped out. The minimum size of this drive is specified for each image.
Use a program like Balena Etcher to transfer the .img file to the USB drive. This will create a bootable USB installation disk.

Note that once created, you can use the installation disk to clone any number of systems.

How Do I Boot From the Installation Disk?

In order to install the ZL image on a target machine, you must boot the target system from the installation disk. The process for doing this varies from computer to computer. But generally, you insert the installation disk into the USB port prior to turning on the machine. Immediately after powering on the computer, press the boot menu key to bring up the boot menu. Typical boot menu keys for popular manufacturers are: ACER: Esc, F12 or F9; ASUS: Esc or F8; COMPAQ: Esc or F9; DELL: F12; EMACHINES: F12; HP: Esc or F9; LENOVO: F12, F8, F10 or F11; SONY: F11 or F10; TOSHIBA: F12.

An example sequence is as follows:

Start with the PC off.
Insert the USB key into one of the USB ports.
Turn on the PC and immediately begin tapping on the boot menu key until the boot menu appears.
Select the installation disk from the boot menu.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

How Do I Setup a Network With a Server?

👷🏾 🚧 Coming Soon...

Why Won't My Installation Disk Boot?

If your installation disk does not boot, there are a number of possible reasons.

Check the boot disk on another computer to determine if the problem is with the disk or the target computer. If it boots on another computer, the problem is likely a BIOS setting issue on the problem PC. If it doesn't, the problem may be with the installation disk. Trying using a different disk.
Check that "Secure Boot" is disabled in your BIOS.
Check that your SATA mode is set to "AHCI" in your BIOS.
Verify that your BIOS boot mode is set to EUFI, not Legacy.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse