Linux OS for School Computer Laboratories.....

First of all, this is not an article to debate whether Linux is better than Windows. Although many good reasons exist to run Windows on a personal computer, we as teachers should at least show students that running Windows is not the only solution. I believe in freedom of choice. In fact, the most important element of open-source and GNU/Linux is we are free to access the source code, free to join the community to improve it, free to redistribute and free to develop better software by ourselves.

Public school systems always are underfunded, and because we are using taxpayers' money, we have the responsibility to get the most for our money. By using a Linux terminal server with cheap, "obsolete" thin clients, I have been able to deliver many computer courses that are fully compatible with if not better than what teachers using Microsoft Windows are offering. With the money saved on a Linux terminal server lab, the school can fund other subject areas.

Unlike working on a Microsoft Windows network, the Linux terminal server basically is a central server system where all processes from users' workstations are executed. It's analogous to people who have access to a mainframe or minicomputer in the good old days--having a central server system is like having your own mainframe or minicomputer.

None of the workstations, or thin clients, has a hard drive. Linux and X running on the workstation are downloaded from the server, and all other programs, such as Netscape and OpenOffice.org, are running on the central server. Adding or upgrading a piece of software is done on the server. Once it is done, it is available to every user on the network. For example, when I was teaching Java programming, I had to install the whole Java development it (JDK). But, once it was installed on the server, it was available to everyone on the terminal server network. Using only a terminal session, the teacher can monitor all student activities. By simply running a shell script, the administrator/teacher can terminate the activities of a student and log him/her out from the server immediately, without accessing the specific hardware.

Having no hard drives on the workstations is, in fact, a big bonus in terms of hardware service and maintenance. After setting up my Linux terminal server lab, I no longer need to worry about hard drive failure on any work station, and maintaining students' file system now is done on the server. With a simple command or maybe a simple shell script, I easily can add or delete files on any student's account.

For students who want to further their studies in the computer industry, working in the Linux/UNIX environment gives them a better start. Although many professors (I also teach several courses at local universities) are complaining that many high-school graduates know only how to use a mouse to click and drag, students graduating from my courses are much better prepared for secondary education.

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