Thread: Unix Popularity
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Old 5th July 2008
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phoenix phoenix is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carpetsmoker View Post
In general, UNIX and UNIX-like OS's are more of a server OS, while Windows is more of a desktop OS.

This doesn't mean you can't use Windows as a server, or UNIX as a desktop, but it's not what it's optimized for.
Until you get into educational or enterprise settings, where you can dictate the software that the students/employees get to use; and where the software available on Unix-like systems covers what you need.

Then, the network features of Unix-like systems, and X11 in particular, really come in handy.

For instance, the local school district doesn't run Windows in the elementary schools (with the exception of the odd office computer). And we have 4 secondary school that are Linux everywhere (with a couple of Windows VMs for Simply Accounting). With two more secondary schools going all Linux over the summer.

In total, we have around 5000 desktops in the district, and about 4000 of those are Debian, with the remaining slated to be converted to Debian over the next two years.

We put 1 uber-server (or two for the secondaries) into the school (dual-Opteron 2 GHz CPU, 4-8 GB RAM, 4x 500 GB HDs in RAID5 or RAID10, 2x gigabit NICs bonded together). Then put in $150 diskless workstations (no HD, no floppy, no CD-ROM, onboard graphics/NIC) for the staff and students. These boot off the network, mount all the system partitions read-only via NFS, and mount the /home partition read-write via NFS. Everything loads off the network, but runs locally. We can outfit a complete elementary school for under $20,000, including a computer lab, a library mini-lab, a computer in every classroom, the office computers, an LAT mini-lab, etc. All it requires is 100 Mbps from the client to the switch, gigabit between the switches, and dual-gigabit to the server (the secondaries have multi-gigabit links between switches).

All the software we need is available for Debian (CAD, programming, office apps, web browser, e-mail, educational games, etc), 95% or more with is zero-cost. Administration is all done via the network, to a single server in each school. Upgrades are done on the server, and all the clients pick them up automatically. Wake-on-Lan and SSH access allows us to turn on or off clients automatically. CUPS handles printing. We even have VNC enabled on the clients so that we can monitor their screens during helpdesk calls, or for teachers to monitor student stations (and we're working on broadcast VNC in the labs to replace data projectors).

It's taken 6 years to get to this point, starting with the elementaries, but this coming September will be the third year it's been in the secondaries, and by Sept 2010, there will be fewer than 100 Windows licenses in the district, mostly in virtual machines (and <60 Novell client licenses by the end of this month, with 0 by June 2009).

Unix-like systems may not be ready to take over the consumer/home desktop markets (although they have their uses there as well), but they are definitely ready to take over the educational desktop market. At least here in BC, Canada. We were the pioneers, but several other districts are following in our footsteps.

Just google for "diskless" "thin client" and "school district 73" for more information.
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