Why should we teach students Linux??

[Bob Hemus]

On Tue, 2007-03-06 at 13:34 -0600, Alma J Wetzker wrote:
> Roel Bindels wrote:
> > Vu Pham schreef:
> >> On Tue, 2007-03-06 at 09:14 -0800, Bill Campbell wrote:
> >> [...]
> >>> One of the major differences between folks competent in Linux and Unix and
> >>> Windows ``experts'' is that the *nix people usually start by trying to
> >>> analyse and fix problems while MCSEs only know the Three R's of Windows,
> >>> Reboot, Reboot, Reinstall.
> >> Hmm, I was an MCSE ( expired already ) and I would like to correct you :
> >> those three R's are : Reboot, Register, and Reinstall. You do not have
> >> to reboot twice :)
> >>
> >> Vu
> >>
> >>
> > Ok, but don't you guys have some fact I can build a case with?? I don't
> > think that my college's will take me serious if I come with this store,
> > even it is true ;)
> >
> 
> In spite of the hype, Windows does not dominate the high end server
> space.  Nor the high end workstation application space.  If students are
> going to be exposed to these types of systems, you do them a disservice
> by not preparing them, in some way, to navigate those systems.
> 
> Most large servers run some sort of variant of *nix.  Linux is an
> excellent way to expose student to the concepts and basic commands of
> those systems without the expense (or security exposure) of having
> students get on the big iron boxes.
> 
> In my field, Electrical Engineering, many of the high end applications
> are written for Solaris.  If I ever need to use one of those
> applications, I will be prepared by using linux.  (Applications like
> HSpice, for circuit analysis, or some of the chip design apps.)  Some of
> the IEEE student group members that complained the loudest about using
> linux, instead of Windows, came back to thank me for the exposure after
> working a few months at their first job.  Even though they have a
> windows computer, they spend most of their computer work day logged onto
> a *nix system.
> 
> Windows is NOT the only system on the market or in use.  Pretending that
> it is in an academic setting is dishonest.  As a student I have to
> conform to standards of academic integrity, ignoring a significant and
> ongoing operating system for instructional ease, seems like it is a
> violation of academic integrity standards for instructors, at least, it
> does to me.
> 
>     -- Alma
I know a bunch of you fellas have little or no use for Govment types,
but it was Debian that they chose for the Moon Rovers.  Tying up a gob
of $$$ on winders just wasn't a choice, I suppose.
Bob