College - are they usually compatible with Linux or not?

[NintendoTogepi]

I'm still homeschooled, but soon I'll get my GED, go to the community college and hopefully be able to transfer to the State University after 2 years (I'll have to study very hard, if you get the associates from the community one with a 3.8 or higher they'll usually let you into the good one).

Anyway, I'm a bit off topic, so I was just wondering if colleges normally support Linux, or if I'll have to install Windows on my computer as well?

[namegame]

Honestly, it depends on the college. The computer science department at my school REQUIRES you to use/learn Linux. We actually have no choice in the matter.

However, at a private school about 20 miles away, they don't even know what Linux is.

[Pogeymanz]

All the websites that my school uses are 100% compatible with Firefox and most are compatible with Opera. I have never had a problem with any of them checking to see what OS I use.

Of course, if you take a course on programming in Visual Basic, I'm assuming you'll need Windows. Otherwise you'll probably be fine.

[Skripka]

It is VERY dependent on the school IT policy.

During my undergrad degree I owned and used a PowerBookG4. During said undergrad degree, my institution (a noted place on the US East coast)-just put a wireless network in place....I couldn't figure out how to get my wireless card to work-so being young naive and hopeful I went to the IT desk and asked.

They told me "we're sorry we don't support macs or OS X". Yep. You didn't read wrong. This same institution used PowerMacs in all their media labs and iMacs in their regular computer labs...and they told me they "don't support OS X". Turns out they insisted on using an ActiveX security protocol that OSX couldn't deal with.


The moral of the story-it depends on the bureaucracy and the sys admins at each institution as to what gets supported.


The above story is only 3-4 years old BTW.

[phaed]

The best thing to do is contact Computing Services at the prospective college and ASK.

[Rokurosv]

Well my college is not Linux friendly. There's Linux installed in one computer center, but almost all asignments require either Visual Studio or some Windows only application like Access or SQL Server.

[cardinals_fan]

Many engineering apps are Windows-only.

[zakany]

Not to Windows bash, but "...they insisted on using an ActiveX security protocol..." sounds like an oxymoron. Cardinals_Fan is correct that a lot of engineering applications are Windows only, but when I went to school we had to write our own engineering applications in FORTRAN on a mainframe.

[cardinals_fan]

Not to Windows bash, but "...they insisted on using an ActiveX security protocol..." sounds like an oxymoron. Cardinals_Fan is correct that a lot of engineering applications are Windows only, but when I went to school we had to write our own engineering applications in FORTRAN on a mainframe.

Oh yeah? We had to walk 12 miles uphill both directions in the snow with no shoes. Wait, I'm only 15...

Anyway, ActiveX was (in my opinion) a terrible idea.

[Skripka]

Anyway, ActiveX is (in my opinion) a terrible idea.

Fixed it for ya.