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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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The Finnish Marticulation Examination to move away from Linux-based exam enviroment due to perceived threat of dwindling support on student devices (www.ylioppilastutkinto.fi)

submitted 1 day ago by uint@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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Context: The Finnish Marticulation Examination is a national examination required to qualify for entry into a university in Finland (not strictly required, but the vast majority will have passed the exam before university). These are basically the final exams of Finnish "high school". The current digital system used for the exams is called "Abitti", which is a Debian-based OS. The students boot into the system with provided USB-sticks.

In the linked article, there is the following statement (in Finnish):

Computer technology advances quickly, and the current Abitti works in fewer and fewer computers. The threat is that computers that can run the current Linux-environment won't be available in the near future.

The new system ("Abitti 2"), which is planned to be used by Autumn 2026, uses locked-down Web-apps written for each supported OS. Support is planned for Windows, Mac, and ChromeOS. Linux support "needs further investigation". As I understand it, the current situation is that the old Linux USB-stick method (now called "Abitti 2 student-stick") is still used as a backup for those without Windows, Mac, or ChromeOS.

I think the main premise of Linux-bootable computers not being available in the near future is extremely dystopian. Thoughts?

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[–] Korkki@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

unless the Finnish school system has bought into Chromebooks in a big way

Yeah goverment is now giving laptops students at that level, on a loan basis. Just so that everybody has access to free study materials that are now partly of fully digital. The computers are usually, but not always chromebooks because they are cheap and chromebooks are the "student laptop" anyways.

I wonder if the whole Secure Boot/Microsoft shim key issue is a part of this.

Yeah that's part of it. The boot issues with usb. It's apparently a total lottery of whose computer decides not to boot when the exam starts with the new windows limitations.