[Nottingham] Using Linux in the Church Office, part two

[Godfrey Nix]

On Sat, 2007-05-19 at 09:46 +0100, Jonathan wrote:

> Unfortunately the use of Linux on the general access computing
> facilities at NU is nonexistent. Don't let that deter you though, no
> doubt Microsoft have had them 'under the thumb' (read: financial
> stranglehold) going back years. I'm an undergraduate in the
> Mathematics department and I'm not aware of any Linux facilities
> available to students. It's a terrible shame. Let's get lobbying!
> 

I am willing to be corrected, but I understand that it was part of the
deal between the University and Diamond Cable (as it then was) for
cabling up the whole campus through to the halls of residence. It was
mandated that only Windows machines be allowed because it was assumed
that those using Linux had greater technical skills and would be more
technically demanding users - read 'would make more work for the support
staff'. There was also concern raised about machines being used as
servers - a situation explicitly prohibited in the deal. Anyone setting
up a server is still, I understand, liable to have the machine
confiscated.

I admit that it is a number of years since I last worked there but  I
believe that the situation has not changed in the intervening time. I
think that the attitudes towards computing of all the academic
departments are "co-ordinated" by the Cripps Computer Centre.

-- 
Godfrey Nix <godfrey at gnnix.co.uk>