Good day folks
Some of you may have noticed the desktops disappearing/appearing on the circular benches around the CMS - these are our testing boxes for the updated Maths Desktop Linux “build” - "Xubuntu 22.04 jammy". The intention of these is to get feedback from yourselves for the suitability of this update for the Maths Linux fleet - in good time before we offer the option for installation, and well before any mandated upgrades.
They are :
B1.00S conch
B2.00 swona
C1.00 rabbit
D1.00 hegemone
E1.00 erinome
F1.00 stroma
G1.00 kore
H1.00 eday
We request that anyone interested please try these out and ensure they have the required functionality of a Maths Linux desktop - we are keen to hear your experiences of using the local screen, via hotdesk/rdp and via ssh. Please note that many packages will now be at newer versions than in the current build - and some packages may have been omitted (intentionally or not). We expect to spend a few weeks receiving feedback and then we may ask for people to have a second try - please do not expect us to modify the test-machines instantly.
Our intention is to offer our Maths Desktop users a choice for when they may upgrade and we expect to run the updated desktops alongside the existing option for around a year. For clarity: we are not likely to mandate this update until March 2024.
Each Maths Desktop option follows the release schedule of Ubuntu - which has an expected lifetime of 3-5 years. Some components only receive updates for 3 years so we would generally advise to update sooner (April 2023).
After an initial testing phase (on those central machines) we will be looking for volunteers early in the new year to "beta-test” the new build from their desks - please let us know if you are interested.
Please send any feedback to help@maths.cam.ac.uk
We intend to keep this page updated with more information and answers to common questions.
You should find a poster next to each of the test machines with a link to this website.
When will the 20.04 focal option disappear?
We expect to continue to offer support for the 20.04 Maths Desktop Linux build until around April 2024
When will the 22.04 jammy option become default?
We expect that all new machines and rebuilds will be deployed with 22.04 starting in April 2023
How long will 22.04 jammy be supported?
Each Maths Desktop Linux option follows the release schedule of Ubuntu - which has an expected lifetime of 3-5 years.
Some components only receive updates for 3 years and we expect to be rolling out a new version every 2 years.
We expect to support 22.04 jammy until April 2026 but advise moving to a putative even newer build from March 2025.
Why are these machines slow?
Please be aware that some of these machines are quite old and are certainly not the fastest in the fleet - please be patient if they seem a tad sluggish.
We believe the experience on most of our desktops should be similar to the 20.04 build.
