I wonder which colleges and universities support Linux on their campuses.
For example,
1) Does your institution have computers running Linux in labs or classrooms on campus with access for all students -- or only for students in specific programs?
2) Does your institution ensure software and resources support students using non-Windows devices including Linux?
3) Does your institution encourage, discourage or block the use of open-source software by staff or students?
Thanks,
Robert
At SAIT, things are pretty grim for open source:
1) Software development students are introduced to Linux in a virtual machine lab as part of a semester one course. I don't think anyone else even hears of Linux.
2) There is no support for Linux, we Linux users have to take matters into our own hands by either dual booting Windows or using virtual machines in some circumstances, such as test taking on the Lockdown browser.
3) The institution discourages the use of open source alternatives, believing there won't be consistency if not everyone is using the Microsoft office tools. There is some open-source software usage in cases where it is the industry standard, such as git for version control and Linux for containers and virtual machines on Azure deployments.
Calgary is in general not a hub for open source activity, we don't even have any open source community meetups of any kind that I'm aware of, and no Linux Association chapter.
@Terrell
We're working on it. Tip: why don't you team up with other students ands start a chapter? We are more than willing to get in touch with your university to try of we can start working there. Workshops, guest speakers, there are so many options.
Workshops and guest speakers could be a great idea! This is something SAIT might be open to if it has some connection to industry.
As for starting a chapter I'm not sure. Its difficult because most people spend a very short amount of time at SAIT. Since I went on leave the people I knew who use Linux have since moved on from the school. I don't think I have the necessary skills to start such a group, and I have a number of other projects I need to finish first.
Hi Terrell,
Absolutely — and please don’t feel any pressure about starting a chapter. What you’re describing makes perfect sense, especially at a school like SAIT where students move through programs relatively quickly. A chapter really needs a few people who have the time and interest to keep it going, and there’s no point forcing it just for the sake of having one.
The workshop and guest-speaker idea may actually be the better opportunity right now. If SAIT is interested when there’s a clear industry connection, that gives us something concrete to work with. We could look at topics around Linux and open source in industry — cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, DevOps, careers, digital sovereignty, or how open-source technologies are actually being used by Canadian organizations.
And you certainly don’t need to organize all of that yourself. If you can help us understand who at SAIT would be the right person or department to approach, we can take it from there and see what might be possible.
As for a chapter, that door can simply stay open. If at some point a few interested people come together naturally, great. If not, there are still plenty of ways for SAIT students to connect with the Linux and open-source community without having a formal chapter.
Thanks for bringing the idea forward in the first place. I think the workshop/speaker route is definitely worth exploring.
University of Victoria uses Linux for infrastructure. A former co-worker worked there and just retired. I don't know what distro they use.
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