Edubuntu - Linux Goes To School

School administrators and school IT specialists face a daunting task: how to balance limited technology funds with ever-increasing demands for more technology in the classroom. One option is the use of open source software, such as Linux, to reduce licensing and maintenance costs. Once that decision is made, the question then becomes, which Linux to use?

Linux users already know that unlike proprietary operating systems, Linux comes in literally hundreds of "flavors." These versions of Linux are known as distributions, or "distros," and they range from no-nonsense, command-line only server OS's to full-blown consumer oriented desktops with impressive graphics and user-friendly interfaces for most computer functions. There are Linux distros specifically geared for gamers, audio/video users, old/slow computers, new/fast computers, and everything in between.

Arguably the most successful Linux distro is Ubuntu. Produced and supported by Canonical, Ubuntu is considered by many to be the most viable alternative to Windows or MacOS. For most systems, Ubuntu is easy to install, recognizes most hardware, and is similar enough to both Windows and MacOS for users of either platform to make the transition with a minimum of effort.

Ubuntu itself comes in several versions. The most common of these are Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Edubuntu. (Linux developers seem to have a real thing for naming themes.) Essentially all four major distros have the same basic feature set. Three of the four differ primarily in the type of desktop manager they use: Ubuntu uses Gnome, which has been described as the most "Mac-like;" Kubuntu uses KDE, which has more of a Windows look and feel. Xubuntu uses xfce, a streamlined desktop manager designed for computers with limited graphics capabilities.

While Edubuntu shares almost all the features of the other three, there is more "under the hood" than simply another window manager. Edubuntu is a Linux distro tailored specifically to the needs of education, particularly K-12 schools. In addition to the Ubuntu feature set, Edubuntu comes bundled with dozens of open source applications geared toward teachers and students. Edubuntu also comes with K12LTSP, a thin-client server which can be used to recycle a roomful of outdated old Pentium III's into lightning-fast thin clients, often at little to no cost. Using K12LTSP, a school can add years to the life cycle of existing hardware, avoiding

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