As part of my consultancy service, I also provide Windows to Linux Migration Service. For past many years, I have been promoting the use of Open Source Software’s among my clients and contacts. Windows to Linux Migration project in a School IT Lab with around 35 computers was a challenging one. And it has been one of the major projects (in terms of volume) that I have undertaken as an IT consultant and that too at a short notice.
About the client
Sreepuram English Medium School and Jr. College is located at Kannur, Kerala and is affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi. It is owned and run by the Arch Diocese of Kottayam. And under the direct supervision of His Excellency Mar Joseph Pandarassseril, Auxiliary Bishop of the Arch Diocese of Kottayam. It is a coeducational School with a student population of above 3000.
During December 2015, the School was about to make a major investments. It was to upgrade their IT Lab with the latest Windows Operating system, Office Packages and other software’s used in School curriculum. Considering the huge investment on propitiatory software’s, the School Leadership approached me to get my opinion. This is when I suggested and gave them confidence to migrating to Ubuntu Linux, specially for their IT Lab.
Motivating Factor
It was during one of my previous meetings where I had given an introduction about Open Source Software to His Excellency Mar Joseph Pandarassseril. This actually encouraged him to look for an alternative solution for the IT Lab. He was very much keen to give this a try as this would mean a lot for the School. I was pretty sure that this is the right solution for a School. If this solution could work for a commercial organization then this has to work easily for a School.
The actual migration
Within a period 5 days, we managed to complete our task. Migrated all computers in the Lab to Ubuntu Linux. We also installed software’s such as Libre Office, Blue J, Samba (for sharing computers over network), and other open source audio video software’s that would be necessary for the academic functioning of the IT Lab.
Acceptance by the CBSE Board
Fortunately the CBSE board also have IT Syllabus using Linux. And its a fact that many schools today, specially the Government run Schools are using Linux instead of Windows in their IT Education Curriculum. Therefore Screepuram School also decided to subscribe for Ubuntu based text books for the next academic year.
Add-on Service
As part of our solution, we also Trained Two Support Staff from the School to install all of the above software’s on to new computer. This would help them to implement the same solution for all their other campuses by themselves. The IT teachers were also very much eager to start using Ubuntu. However they also had their doubts and fears. The teachers would need to take some additional effort to actually pass the new knowledge to the students. As expected it all turned out to be a good experience. The teacher did make use of the resource materials that we provided. And that was more than sufficient for them to get going on their usual academic duties. And with regards to the students… they are new generation kids and so they would easily adapt to it.
I am glad that our suggestion for migrating to Linux was taken up in the right spirit. The School could save lakhs of rupees which could now be put into better use. With the money that the School has saved they could probably build an additional lab for their students.