Linux
From LIS 460 Summer 2007
Linux is a version of the Unix operating system that is open source and runs on PC platforms. Open source software is free for anyone to use. Linus Torvalds created the Linux operating system in the 1990s and with the idea that the source code is free for anyone to use. Linux has many distributions, all of which run on the Linux Kernel which is the core of all the Linux operating systems.
A wide range of software operates on the Linux operating system including the office software which is similar to the Microsoft Office software called OpenOffice and the Mozilla web browser. The Linux operating system is becoming widely used in both homes and offices.
All Linux software and operating systems are available to anyone, regardless of where they are or what system they are running. Because there are so many options for different types of Linux software, users should look for the software they are downloading that is locating closest to where they will be using the operation.
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Linux in schools
Using Linux software in schools would require many schools to overhaul their entire operating system. It is possible to install both a Windows operating system and Linux operating system on the same computer. Having open source software on computers in schools would allow the school to distribute the operating system to all the staff and students at the school.
Many staff at schools often have to either purchase software that is used in their school. With Linux open source, staff and students can make sure that they have the software that is used in school at their homes.
Knoppix
There is a version of Linux, Knoppix, that runs the entire operating system off of a CD-Rom, allowing a user to access the hard drive even if the hard drive is not bootable. This could be an extreme lifesaver in schools when a system or computer crashes, and the hard drive is not able to boot. The user can transfer any vital files off of the hard drive via the Knoppix operating system on the CD-Rom, through e-mail (Knoppix uses the IceWeasel web browser - a cousin to Mozilla's firefox) or through a USB jump drive. This would be essential for schools to have on hand in case of a computer or entire system crash. Knoppix can be run as long as the hard drive is accessible, even if it is not bootable. It is free to download (as all Linux software is) and can be burned as an ISO image onto a CD-RW. The user can then boot the computer using the CD-Rom and the Knoppix operating system and retrieve any information off the hard drive.
This revolutionizes the way that information can be retrieved when previously, if information was on a hard drive that did not work, it was automatically lost.
One of the benefits of open source code is that it can be improved and constantly updated. This allows users to have the best possible software and operating systems - with the least amount of flaws in the software.
Potential pitfalls of Linux in schools
Because not all companies embrace the Linux operating system, not all software that is designed for Windows or Mac operating systems has available drivers for Linux OS. As Linux becomes more widely accepted, more and more drivers are becoming available. However, until it is as widely accepted as Macintosh or Windows operating systems, it would be challenging for schools to use Linux as their sole operating system.
