My Alma Mater Started Offering Linux Support

[aysiu]

Doesn't directly affect me, since I don't attend the university any more (graduated a long time ago), but I noticed they added support for Linux only recently:

Linux Support

The helpdesk has just begun to work on supporting Linux at Wesleyan. This program is in its infancy and will be expanded as more and more helpdesk consultants are trained in Linux. Our goal is to offer technical support for Linux through the helpdesk. Support for the following is currently provided by the helpdesk and this will hopefully be expanded as time goes on.
What we support

* OS Install (Redhat Linux)
* Dual Booting (Windows/Redhat Linux)
* Backups
* Networking (Setup and troubleshooting)
* User Accounts setup and management
* Security Updates/Patches
* Application installations
* Devices installation and troubleshooting (Hardware such as ethernet cards, etc)
* Basic X problems

Support Procedure

Beginning this semester, helpdesk will begin to accept calls (x4000) for Linux help. A helpdesk consultant will inform you as to whether or not your problem is supported by helpdesk. The consultant will then try to help solve this problem over the phone and if this is unsuccessful, the consultant will take your information and you will be put into a Linux support queue. A consultant will then contact you within 24 to 48 hours and setup a time to meet with you in to try and resolve your problem. You may also email questions or problems to linux@wesleyan.edu and they will be responded to within 24 hours by a helpdesk Linux consultant. Do a lot of universities do this now? That's pretty cool. Wonder why they're using Red Hat and not Fedora...

[napsilan]

The engineering department at my school has linux (or solaris 8 ) installed on half its computers. It's a version or two old redhat, however. They also have dedicated remote machines for SSH and whatnot (x forwarded matlab is great), and a mirror on campus for ubuntu, debian, knoppix, suse, and gentoo. I'm not sure to what extent (if any) they offer help for linux for personal computers.

[kevinf311]

I know Georgia Tech has an Ubuntu mirror (downloading Live CD images is a dream on campus :) )

OIT (um, Office of Information Technologies I think) has general HowTo instructions on setting up the various GT related things. Webmail with Thunderbird for example. There is an anti-virus for Linux in the Software distribution section.

There may be more now, I'm not actually at the Institution anymore.

[tehhaxorr]

My school has linux specific classes (one of which i have been sleeping through all year, nothing i can learn from it), every server has Novell Netware and some have Novell open Enterprise server or Debian Etch running. The help desk doesn't offer support as far as i know but there are 3+ tutors experienced in linux that will answer any questions, not supprisingly i haven't asked for help...

[aysiu]

I don't know how much demand there is for it, but what was amazing to me about it is the support appearing to be targeted at end users, not computer science majors who want to run servers.

[boredandblogging.com]

That's pretty cool. Wonder why they're using Red Hat and not Fedora...

Probably because its easier to buy support contracts for Red Hat than Fedora.

I think I'm slowly seeing more help for Linux users on campus for all students (not just computer science or engineering students), but a lot of it is in the evaluation phase.

[boredandblogging.com]

There is an anti-virus for Linux in the Software distribution section.


Its a small step, but its good to see the dorm network have some instructions for linux: http://www.resnet.gatech.edu/linux.cfm

[racoq]

i study on the Department of engineer for informatics (DEI-FCTUC), at the city of Portugal. And they largely support linux distros see the link:

https://helpdesk.dei.uc.pt/


The distros are listed in the following ftp mirror (included all the variants of ubuntu ;) )

ftp://ftp.dei.uc.pt/pub/linux

[shane.reid]

My college had linux desktops in the CS lab when I was there (99-03)

They never supported it in the helpdesk for students, but we had a couple of us that worked there that supported it for free to students who wanted to get involved in it.

My alma mater, Haverford, like Wesleyan, is a very liberal school and I wouldn't be suprised to see them eventually have more students running it.

The Linux/OSS things seems to jive well with that atmosphere.

[kevinf311]

Its a small step, but its good to see the dorm network have some instructions for linux: http://www.resnet.gatech.edu/linux.cfm

You wouldn't happen to go to Tech would you? I did, but my GPA didn't agree with the administration :p

[boredandblogging.com]

Went there a few years ago. Good to see fellow Atlantans here. You should join some of use Georgia folks in IRC.

[Hendrixski]

lol, we had UNIX support at my alma matter... though, a few of us used Linux