Edubuntu

Edubuntu is an official derivative of the Ubuntu operating system designed for use in classrooms inside schools, homes and communities.

Features

Edubuntu is based largely on the standard GNOME-based Ubuntu distribution. Curated sets of applications (metapackages) and default desktop settings tailored to specific age groups (including preschool, primary, secondary, and tertiary education) can be selected during the installation. Applications are sorted into folders for specific subject areas, and can be hidden system-wide by an administrator.

Previous iterations of Edubuntu were bundled with the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP)—intended to allow a computer running Edubuntu to serve multiple thin clients in a lab environment, classroom management software ITALC, and software for restricting desktop settings and applications.

Project goals

The primary goal of Edubuntu was to enable an educator with limited technical knowledge and skills to set up a computer lab or an online learning environment in an hour or less and then effectively administer that environment.

The principal design goals of Edubuntu were centralized management of configuration, users and processes, together with facilities for working collaboratively in a classroom setting. Equally important was the gathering together of the best available free software and digital materials for education. According to a statement of goals on the official Edubuntu website: "Our aim is to put together a system that contains all the best free software available in education and make it easy to install and maintain."

It also aimed to allow low-income environments to maximize utilisation of their available (older) equipment.

Versions

The first Edubuntu release coincided with the release of Ubuntu 5.10, which was codenamed Breezy Badger on 2005-10-13. On Ubuntu 8.04, Edubuntu was replaced with Ubuntu Education Edition—an add-on CD intended for installing the Edubuntu packages on top of an existing Ubuntu installation. From version 9.10 onwards, Edubuntu returned to being a standalone distribution.

Beginning with 14.04, Edubuntu was to only be released for Ubuntu long-term support (LTS) versions only, after Jonathan Carter and Stéphane Graber stepped down from Edubuntu to focus on other projects. It was eventually announced that there would be no Ubuntu 16.04 release of Edubuntu due to a lack of contributors.

In December 2022, it was announced that Edubuntu would be revived to target the Ubuntu 23.04 cycle, with development headed by Ubuntu Studio head Erich Eickmeyer and his wife Amy, an early childhood educator. The revived project adopted a tightened goal of providing software for different age groups, as well as associated customization options, on top of the current Ubuntu desktop environment.

References

External links

Official website
Walder, Stephen. "Integrating open source into a primary school".