4 ms·

Linux for schools: why use Ubuntu for education

16 points by jlpcsl 3y ago

johncoltrane 3y ago
Teaching kids how to use computers with programs and operating systems they will never come across again in their whole life. That is a really good idea.
- bomewish 3y ago
  Harsh? Wouldn’t it be good to socialise kids into FOSS?
  - johncoltrane 3y ago
    I would rather prepare them for real life.
    - waynesonfire 3y ago
      Oh, just hand them your shovel?
- bitlax 3y ago
  Why read Shakespeare when you can read Twitter?
  - johncoltrane 3y ago
    Why go for extremes when there are more sensible options?
    - bitlax 3y ago
      I prefer the option which is most optimal, and I've used an analogy to show why yours is not.
- z3t4 3y ago
  All operating systems are pretty much the same. I switched from Windows to Ubuntu on my parents computer and they didn't notice any difference.
- randomlurking 3y ago
  Probably most of the OS or program-specific stuff they’re learning in school will be out of date when they’d profit from using it anyways. Children need to learn more general concepts, otherwise they end up like my mom suffering every time windows decides to change the UI. For that matter, mixing windows and Linux might be even better since they’ll need to adapt and transfer knowledge (although this would probably be painful and exhausting for everyone involved)
- supertrope 3y ago
  Microsoft changes the GUI in each version of Windows with no rhyme or reason. If you’re teaching kids to memorize the exact GUI layouts instead of vendor neutral computing principles or the actual lesson content the school is doing it wrong.
- web3-is-a-scam 3y ago
  We should be teaching kids how to teach themselves how to use new programs - not rote memorization of the UI for the current versions of windows, adobe, etc….the last thing we need is generations of tech illiterates that are slaves to “industry standard” proprietary software
- cyberbanjo 3y ago
  Should schools use a mobile OS like Android or iPhone since that's most popular especially for school age?
  - johncoltrane 3y ago
    Whatever they have reasonable chances to use as grownups. Ubuntu is not it.
    - cyberbanjo 3y ago
      Most adults also use mobile OS which are needlessly restrictive in terms of productivity software, even compared to Ubuntu, so it can't be just that or we would put the kids on Android and iPhone, don't all/99% adults use them? EDIT: also how do you not think that Ubuntu using kids won't go on to use this free tooling in the future? MS spends a ton to target the education market because they know that you can get kids hooked early you get easier wins.
- tester457 3y ago
  Having a familiarity with linux isn't a bad idea, it introduces them to the command line. This may be an essential skill to have in this era of automation with LLMs. People who have never programmed before are writing cli scripts to save time and enhance their work. Ubuntu is easier for beginners to program with, and Windows has WSL so the skills can transfer over.
lithos 3y ago
Anything but Ubuntu. They willingly have way too many "open source politics shenanigans" to be considered viable for the first taste of Linux. (Have been burned a few too many times by trying to do even simple things like installing Steam, not even having an image with restricted extras already installed, and how happy the team is to kill user apps like Wine over and over). Compared to other distros like Manjaro or Mint, I consider Ubuntu as "Given Up".
- cyberbanjo 3y ago
  Active Directory is allegedly supported in Ubuntu so that makes it seems most ready for fleet deployment for existing edu IT teams.
  - sekh60 3y ago
    Active directory is supported by most distros. Either via winbind or the more modern sssd.
    - cyberbanjo 3y ago
      Supported in what sense? I meant that you could pay Ubuntu for support beyond it being pre-baked into the distro, which seems rare if not exclusive to Ubuntu.
- nightowl_games 3y ago
  I use mint but for an educational institution Ubuntu makes a ton of sense due to the premium support options
- morjom 3y ago
  After using Manjaro for a good 2 months I'd pick Mint over Manjaro any day of the week. I'm moving back to plain Arch or maybe i'll try out Garuda since I'm gonna do btrfs and wayland. for education Fedora would be my pick. /ramble over

16 points by jlpcsl 3y ago

Teaching kids how to use computers with programs and operating systems they will never come across again in their whole life. That is a really good idea.

bomewish 3y ago
Harsh? Wouldn’t it be good to socialise kids into FOSS?
- johncoltrane 3y ago
  I would rather prepare them for real life.
  - waynesonfire 3y ago
    Oh, just hand them your shovel?
bitlax 3y ago
Why read Shakespeare when you can read Twitter?
- johncoltrane 3y ago
  Why go for extremes when there are more sensible options?
  - bitlax 3y ago
    I prefer the option which is most optimal, and I've used an analogy to show why yours is not.
z3t4 3y ago
All operating systems are pretty much the same. I switched from Windows to Ubuntu on my parents computer and they didn't notice any difference.
randomlurking 3y ago
Probably most of the OS or program-specific stuff they’re learning in school will be out of date when they’d profit from using it anyways. Children need to learn more general concepts, otherwise they end up like my mom suffering every time windows decides to change the UI. For that matter, mixing windows and Linux might be even better since they’ll need to adapt and transfer knowledge (although this would probably be painful and exhausting for everyone involved)
supertrope 3y ago
Microsoft changes the GUI in each version of Windows with no rhyme or reason. If you’re teaching kids to memorize the exact GUI layouts instead of vendor neutral computing principles or the actual lesson content the school is doing it wrong.
web3-is-a-scam 3y ago
We should be teaching kids how to teach themselves how to use new programs - not rote memorization of the UI for the current versions of windows, adobe, etc….the last thing we need is generations of tech illiterates that are slaves to “industry standard” proprietary software
cyberbanjo 3y ago
Should schools use a mobile OS like Android or iPhone since that's most popular especially for school age?
- johncoltrane 3y ago
  Whatever they have reasonable chances to use as grownups. Ubuntu is not it.
  - cyberbanjo 3y ago
    Most adults also use mobile OS which are needlessly restrictive in terms of productivity software, even compared to Ubuntu, so it can't be just that or we would put the kids on Android and iPhone, don't all/99% adults use them? EDIT: also how do you not think that Ubuntu using kids won't go on to use this free tooling in the future? MS spends a ton to target the education market because they know that you can get kids hooked early you get easier wins.
tester457 3y ago
Having a familiarity with linux isn't a bad idea, it introduces them to the command line. This may be an essential skill to have in this era of automation with LLMs. People who have never programmed before are writing cli scripts to save time and enhance their work. Ubuntu is easier for beginners to program with, and Windows has WSL so the skills can transfer over.

lithos 3y ago

Anything but Ubuntu. They willingly have way too many "open source politics shenanigans" to be considered viable for the first taste of Linux. (Have been burned a few too many times by trying to do even simple things like installing Steam, not even having an image with restricted extras already installed, and how happy the team is to kill user apps like Wine over and over). Compared to other distros like Manjaro or Mint, I consider Ubuntu as "Given Up".

cyberbanjo 3y ago
Active Directory is allegedly supported in Ubuntu so that makes it seems most ready for fleet deployment for existing edu IT teams.
- sekh60 3y ago
  Active directory is supported by most distros. Either via winbind or the more modern sssd.
  - cyberbanjo 3y ago
    Supported in what sense? I meant that you could pay Ubuntu for support beyond it being pre-baked into the distro, which seems rare if not exclusive to Ubuntu.
nightowl_games 3y ago
I use mint but for an educational institution Ubuntu makes a ton of sense due to the premium support options
morjom 3y ago
After using Manjaro for a good 2 months I'd pick Mint over Manjaro any day of the week. I'm moving back to plain Arch or maybe i'll try out Garuda since I'm gonna do btrfs and wayland. for education Fedora would be my pick. /ramble over