Use of Linux in Canadian universities

[Alyssa Knox]

I'm not entirely sure whether you folk are talking about the computers
general students use, or not. Either way, my guess is that most
universities in Canada run Windows (or have Macs) for whatever
computers students need to directly use, and at least some *nix behind
the scenes. I know that's roughly how it works at UVic.

*nix in labs used by average students would be much like hell for the
employees of such locations. I work in UVic's busiest student
computing facility, and some of the users have enough trouble with
'doze and the Mac OS as it is.

Alyssa
(IRC=Touru)

On 9/7/06, ubuntu-ca-request at lists.ubuntu.com
<ubuntu-ca-request at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> I wonder what inspires these Universities to drop NIX and make the change to
> Windows? Is it for compatibility issues? The need to run platform-specific
> commercial software?
>
> There are obviously high end programs that will always require a Windows
> native installation, but I believe the open source alternatives to most
> programs are not being recognized. Maybe if the administrators of these
> Uni's and other facilities were aware of the power to compile needed
> features into their software, obtain bleeding-edge builds, and not have to
> worry about the licensing hell imposed by corporate monopolies such as
> Microsoft, they would re-think their strategies.
>
> On 9/7/06, Don Kelly <karfai at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > On 9/7/06, Timothy Webster <tdwebste2 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > As a Canadian I sure hope Universities in Canada don't drop Unix and
> > switch
> > > to Windows.
> > >
> >
> > Unfortunately, many already have.  My alma mater (St. Francis Xavier,
> > http://www.stfx.ca), converted most student facing systems to
> > Microsoft Windows NT starting as early as 1997.  The in-house designed
> > student information system was replaced soon after.  Today, I'd be
> > surprised if any of the infrastructure is built on anything other than
> > Microsoft Windows *.  There may be a few labs or groups who run a
> > *NIX, but I doubt they receive any support from the university.