Vassalboro school embraces 'revolutionary' computer system
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
VASSALBORO — David N. Trask, technology director at Vassalboro Community School, calls it a quiet revolution and one that already is saving his school about $5,000 a year.
Vassalboro Community School technology coordinator David Trask works with fourth-grade students Olivia Trask and Dalton Thompson on computers at the school Monday. click to enlarge
But the possibilities ahead excite Trask even more: Linux, a computer operating system that can be downloaded for free, has the potential to save his school alone tens of thousands of dollars, he said.
And those savings, he said, come with little or no sacrifice in function.
"It works," he said. "It just works. And it's free."
Trask on Thursday will demonstrate how he has integrated Linux into the computer network at Vassalboro Community School as part of a day long seminar on the "open source" operating system. (Open source refers to any software or application on the Internet that is free to download).
Technology coordinators and principals from about 40 schools in the region plan to attend, Trask said.
Trask makes no attempt to hide his enthusiasm for Linux. He has connected all 20 terminals in his computer lab to a Linux server, avoiding the annual $5,000 licensing fee to Microsoft as a result.
He also has placed 15 dumb terminals — computers stripped of their hardware — in the classroom that operate through the Linux server.
That means 15 desktop computers Trask no longer has to upgrade, troubleshoot or provide with routine maintenance.
"What Linux has enabled us to do is put a mini lab in each room at virtually no cost," he said.
Trask has not broken completely from the Microsoft universe — one Windows loaded computer is in every classroom — but that is the goal.
"Basically, because this is a relatively new project, it is not something you can just jump into," he said. "My hope is over the next few years is that we can migrate into all Linux, but it is not a quick process."
The Linux revolution, at least in the public school system, began — and continues to grow —in Oregon.
Paul Nelson and Eric Harrison, founders of the K-12 Linux Terminal Server Project, claim they have saved Oregon school districts as much as $1.5 million by using open source software.
Trask is confident that Maine schools also can save a tremendous amount of money by embracing Linux.
The state's university system has an interest in Linux as well.
Mal Carey, computer center director at the University of Maine at Farmington, gives high marks to Linux servers and for good reason.
Carey uses 20 Linux servers for various functions at UMF and currently connects about 27 of his 34 network computers to the open source operating system.
But Carey was quick to add that Linux has its limitations, and that no revolution — quiet or loud — is likely to occur soon in the business or home computer markets.
"You are not going to get out the Windows world or Mac world and land in the Linux nirvana anytime soon," he said.
Carey said that today's business sector has so many of its everyday functions tied to its existing computer system that change, especially one as a dramatic as a shift to Linux, would be difficult to implement.
Many companies would fear the business disruptions that inevitably would occur with such a reconfiguration.
And while Linux is compatible with most applications, whatever the operating system, absolute compatibility is not guaranteed and that, too, is a big concern among those using Microsoft or Apple products.
Trask, however, contends that a distinction should be made between desktop and network computers. Linux servers are becoming more common in the business world, he said, citing Amazon.com as a major example.
In many cases, he said, whether Linux is a good choice depends on what sector the company is in and what applications are needed.
As for the desktop computer market, Carey does not see Linux cutting into the Windows' dominance. Such is the case at UMF.
"We have a mix of PCs and Apples, and it is probably going to stay that way for the foreseeable future," he said. "There is not really a demand for (Linux) by the faculty."
The same could be said of home computers, and the main reason is software choice. Although Linux has applications for most standard functions, it cannot begin to match the wealth of software available for systems that run Windows or Apple.
Trask runs all three operating systems at his home, but argues that as Linux becomes more popular the number of applications available is bound to increase.
"Microsoft has had Windows since the early '80s, whereas Linux essentially has been around since the early '90s, 10 years behind Windows," he said. "Yet look how far it has come, and it has been growing at a rapid rate in just the last two years."
In Maine that growth can be seen in the public schools, he said.
"At least 40 schools have added Linux servers since last September," he said, "and more and more people are gong to start jumping on board."
Colin Hickey — 861-9205
chickey@centralmaine.com