ubuntu-scientists team mailing list archive

[Tony Travis <tony.travis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 22/06/14 14:12, Svetlana Belkin wrote:
> On 06/22/2014 08:58 AM, Ghislain Vaillant wrote:
>> The answer is a simple script and a set of meta-packages. Much easier
>> than using a dedicated spin IMO.
> 
> Ubuntu once had this but I think it's maintained anymore.

Hi, Svetlana.

Ubuntu still has Debian-Med and Bio-Linux!

  http://debian-med.alioth.debian.org
  http://nebc.nerc.ac.uk/tools/bio-linux

In particular Tim Booth at NEBC has a script to upgrade a standard
desktop Ubuntu 12.04 LTS into a Bio-Linux 7 workstation and he is now
working on a version for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS for Bio-Linux 8.

What concerns me about 'scientific' Fedora, and I have the same concern
about 'Scientific' Linux, is that it does not support biologists very
well: Whilst the Red-Hat derived 'scientific' distros are great if you
work at CERN, or have an interest in the more mathematical aspects of
physics and chemistry, they do not address the needs of biologists.

One particularly worrying aspect is the 'choice' made by University IT
support teams, who like 'enterprise' RHEL-related Linux distros because
they fit the 'corporate' model they wish to impose on us. I think that
Ubuntu and Debian are more biologist-friendly Linux distros because they
reflect the more 'open' attitude of biologists better than the more
'corporate' Linux distributions and Micro$oft operating systems.

That said, I think it's important that we take notice of interesting new
developments going on elsewhere in the FLOSS ecosystem. I'm very mindful
of the HUGE contribution Red Hat have made to development of Linux, but
their target audience is different to ours. The single most important
thing about science is intellectual freedom and 'corporate' thinking is
the polar opposite of that - So is 'Enterprise' Linux.

Bye,

  Tony.

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