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22,000 Indiana Students Using Linux Desktops

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the open-school dept.

Anonymous writes "Indiana's Department of Education has moved 22,000 students onto Linux desktops, and it's looking like that's only going to accelerate with SLED 10, Linspire, and other distributions getting better."

14 of 321 comments (clear)

  1. In indiana... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now there is truly more than corn in Indiana!

    1. Re:In indiana... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes, there are kernels! Sorry, but the pun had to be made.

  2. One or two Linux "flavors" are not enough? by RuBLed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When I RTFA, I noticed that yes, they are using one flavor of Linux now but what worries me is that they're "planning" to use more flavors in the future, ranging from Ubuntu to Freespire. I don't have anything against it but if it is under the state grant program, it should try to standarize on one or two flavors of Linux. I think they're getting too excited on this and not thinking of the small consequences when 22000+ students are divided into 10 or more Linux flavors. Although they said those are "future" plans, I really would like to see them standarize. (or it is just me that wants them to use Ubuntu, hehe...)

    1. Re:One or two Linux "flavors" are not enough? by Denial93 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The various flavors aren't that different from each other, especially in the areas that (should) matter to students. As long as they all run OOo and Firefox, are free of spyware and WoW clients, and can talk to each other, little more will be required. A heterogenous Linux environment isn't the end of the world, nor an administration nightmare. This has the same reason as the switch in the first place: the OS matters less and less. (Of course it'd be all different with proprietary business software or groupware, but these aren't needed here.)

      --
      blow your mind already
    2. Re:One or two Linux "flavors" are not enough? by Skrynesaver · · Score: 5, Interesting
      when 22000+ students are divided into 10 or more Linux flavors.

      The article mentions SLED and RedHat. They also mention Ubuntu being used successfully by a different school district, I presume because of the edubuntu project. No sane admin is going to roll out 10 distros, "apt-get emerge rpm, Oh sod it install the bloody thing yourself!". However what's happening here is that different school districts are approving A distro for use on their systems, not some poor support tech trying to work out what distro is being used in a given instance.

      If my experience is anything to go by students who are introduced to linux early find Windows is broken if they are asked to move over. Employers of Indianna, prepare to be swamped with demands for cheaper OS installs in 6 years!!

      --
      "Linux is for noobs"-The new MS fud strategy
    3. Re:One or two Linux "flavors" are not enough? by sbrown123 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A good quote in the article states that they don't bring up Linux or open source with the students but keep the focus on the cirriculum. Thats good, and makes Microsofts job really, really hard when they want to undo this. As for the different distros you will notice that they point out that these are being implemented at a school by school basis. But why should that matter? They are using the OS to just be an OS and thats about all. They probably just want it to run a web browser and Open Office. I live in Indiana, and have several friends who teach in the school system, so I know from talking to them that the hardware is dated and just keeping Microsoft Windows running is a fulltime job on its own (patching, removing kids "tweaks", spyware removal, etc).

    4. Re:One or two Linux "flavors" are not enough? by Chaffar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't have anything against it but if it is under the state grant program, it should try to standarize on one or two flavors of Linux

      Err, no. The "biodiversity" of Linux is one of its strong points, and one that is frequently brought up by supporters of OSS. If we start "standardizing", then all we are doing is replacing Windoze by 2 (or 3) different Linux distros. Better, but not the optimal solution.

      Of all people, students should be the first to learn how to cope with new OSes (or distros) as they arise, to build fundamental computer skills instead of learning through the click here to do this approach.

  3. Stigma by treak007 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Using Linux in colleges provides two benefits. First, colleges can provide very powerful applications such as blender, bluefish, etc to college students without the cost involved. Secondly, if these students, after using Linux in college, begin to realize the stigmas about Linux are wrong, they are more likely to use the distributions on their own, if at least to run the software they are used to using, thus expanding the OSS community.

    --
    Klingon Software is not released, it escapes, inflicting terrible damage onto the enemy as it does
    1. Re:Stigma by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That's not a good argument. Why should every student in the college use Windows, just because some courses require Photoshop/AutoCAD?

      If the students require it, just run it using a terminal service.

      At my University I can just type "windows" at the Linux command prompt, and up pops a connection to a Windows server (Citrix based software I think). Then the colleges can also just pay licences per usage, so that they don't have to have multiple installations just in case someone needs it.

      For heavy use, perhaps VMWare is required, but the terminal experience is very fast for me at least. It can't compare with VNC etc.

  4. Re:Can someone explain to me the Relevance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's a state sponsored switch (in a very conservative state at that).

    Indiana is quietly attempting to become a leader in the Tech Industry in small steps taken by the government (instead of the populace).

    Our telecommunications bill was a step in the right direction.
    Bayh actively supports Net Neutrality (with Dick Lugar seeming to favor it, as well).
    State-sponsored research into improving the conditions for tech companies here in Indiana (and taking necessary steps to accomplish this).
    Governer Daniels voicing his desire for Indiana to move from manufacturing to tech; and expressing his wish to stop the 'brain drain'
    This recent OSS adoption

    Not all of it will pan out, of course. But, I applaud my state knowing that it is trying to move toward these goals. Amazing, considering how 'red' we are.

  5. Common Installer? by NcF · · Score: 5, Funny
    "I think within five years, we'll see a huge market shift," Huffman said. "But the Linux community really has to come together. They do have to have a common API; they've got to have a common installer. If those things don't exist, it will not be a competitive market again. If they do exist, I think it will."


    ./configure && make && make install
  6. fitter, happier, more productive by elmartinos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When I switched to Linux I have noticed an instant productivity gain. Not because it is better, more secure, faster or anything, but because of the lack of Counterstrike et al. This effect should not be underestimated, especially in schools.

    --
    Open Source Alternatives
  7. A common API? by vogon+jeltz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "I think within five years, we'll see a huge market shift," Huffman said. "But the Linux community really has to come together. They do have to have a common API; they've got to have a common installer. If those things don't exist, it will not be a competitive market again. If they do exist, I think it will."

    Like libc? I mean, seriously, I want some of the stuff that guy's smoking. First they go to great length explaining how they diversify on Red Hat, SUSE, Ubuntu and (sigh) Linspire and then he asks for a common API and installer? Like one kid stated when asked which system it preferres, either Linux or Windows the reply was:"Who cares?" Same thing here: who cares for a "common installer" (technically impossible) or a "common API" (it's there: libc, GTK, Qt, etc.). As a user you either see a Gnome or a KDE desktop anyway.
    "Mike Huffman, special assistant for technology at the Indiana Department of Education", gimme a break!

  8. Standard installers == Bullshit! by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I call bullshit on all this fud from people decrying the "need" for standard installers.

    1. Try an installer from any of the major distros. They're ALL easier than Windows.

    2. You only install the installer once, then you image the drive and copy the image to the other N computers in the sale.

    3. The end user will NOT be the one installing any of these.

    So everyone, who gives a shit about a common installer? Let the installers proliferate, and we'll continue to have competition for the BEST installer, which will change from year to year, rather than those lame ones we see with the bitch from Redmond that can barely install an OS, never mind 10 gigs of software in one shot (that 10 gigs figure is what I got from installing the latest opensuse distro, fwiw).