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What is the best Ubuntu distribution for classroom instruction to teach Linux basics?

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More details:

I have been using Linux as a single user for many years and have been pushing my University to make a Linux box available for student use (and classroom instruction).

They are willing to install Ubuntu on a single server hosted on Windows Azure. I will have about 20-25 undergraduate CS students who may access this system concurrently (though it is doubtful they would be doing anything computationally intensive, mostly just simple scripting, perhaps some basic socket/networking programming and gaining familiarity with Linux).

Is there a particular distribution of Ubuntu I should ask to be installed? I've always gone with the desktop version, should I go for the "server" version here? 13.04 or 12.04 LTS? I hope to keep this around somewhat permanently if it works out (i.e., I want persistent file storage/configuration etc over time, not a Live CD approach where everything gets lost/reset between sessions).

I will want to have all the regular development tools (compilers, editors etc) available.

Is there something special that I need to be aware of with this setup involving Azure?

Thanks - my experience is really only one from a single-user perspective, nor am I familiar with Windows Azure

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Azure is just a cloud platform, meaning what you will see is a virtual machine that you can SSH into and do stuff in.

With that in mind, a good starting point for you to get familiar with it is using the Ubuntu cloud images:

http://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/

These will provide a usable, cloud-customized base installation for you to work from.

Whether it's desktop or server is not too important; you will be able to install packages using the standard tools (e.g. sudo apt-get install build-essential should install the basics for you to compile and run programs written in C). You can install editors, other languages, and pretty much anything you need here.

About the only reason why I'd advise against choosing a desktop install is that you don't need it. If people are going to be mainly SSHing in, then a desktop install will just waste resources on a desktop that nobody will ever see.

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  • Thanks, I'll take a look at the link .. what do you think about 13.04 vs 12.04 LTS .. should I push for 12.04 since upgrades/patches will be available longer? (Perhaps this concern will be moot after I look at the link?)
    – Levon
    Aug 6, 2013 at 21:04
  • @Levon AFAIK, all x.04 releases are LTS. So 13.04 is also LTS, since it is 1 yr newer, it will be supported 1 yr longer.
    – suvayu
    Aug 6, 2013 at 22:12
  • @suvayu Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case "Ubuntu 13.04 will be supported for 9 months", whereas "Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS is a long-term support release, with support guaranteed until April 2017" ... see ubuntu.com/download/server
    – Levon
    Aug 6, 2013 at 22:35
  • @Levon I'd go with 12.04, as you say it has better support. Use either 12.04.2 or wait a couple of weeks for 12.04.3 to be released. I assume you will not be responsible or have control over administration and installation of the server, so a release that doesn't need to be touched too much is good for you. If, on the other hand, you have administrative control over the VM and can reinstall it at whim, I'd go for the newest Ubuntu and upgrade it every year. You don't sound like you'll host anything mission-critical here so this should be feasible.
    – roadmr
    Aug 7, 2013 at 14:49
  • @roadmr thanks for the info, I decided to go with 12.04
    – Levon
    Aug 11, 2013 at 17:33

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