Enabling bioinformatics training in a Windows based computer lab with Docker+Dugong
While Linux remains the OS for developers, data scientists and bioinformaticians, uni classrooms remain stubbornly dependent on windows based applications. Yes, on individual PCs you can install Ubuntu command line apps but ask any IT dept about doing this for an entire classroom and you will undoubtedly receive an emphatic "NO".
So how does one do bioinformatics training when students cannot even access the simplest foundation, the OS?
Good question, and none of the potential answers are optimal to be honest. But it's what we need to deal with until Unis realize that open source software is actually good enough to run entire enterprises.
My first thought was to get students to use Putty to log in to a bioinformatics server with SSH. This would be OK, but would be a bit of a headache to manage all the accounts on the server. Also my feeling is that much of the skills learned by the students would be forgotten again as soon as access to the server is revoked.
Therefore, I…
So how does one do bioinformatics training when students cannot even access the simplest foundation, the OS?
Good question, and none of the potential answers are optimal to be honest. But it's what we need to deal with until Unis realize that open source software is actually good enough to run entire enterprises.
My first thought was to get students to use Putty to log in to a bioinformatics server with SSH. This would be OK, but would be a bit of a headache to manage all the accounts on the server. Also my feeling is that much of the skills learned by the students would be forgotten again as soon as access to the server is revoked.
Therefore, I…