Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Red Hat Funds Open Source Lab in New Gates Center

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/10/09

In an ironic turn, Carnegie Mellon University will be housing a new open source computer lab funded by Red Hat in a new computer center funded by a $20 million lead gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Although Microsoft itself has sponsored open source activities, the two companies have long been considered competitors for operating system mindshare.

The university's School of Computer Science has received a grant from Red Hat to create a state-of-the-art, open source computer laboratory. The laboratory, which will be officially dedicated later this year, will be available to members of the campus community to promote the development and use of free and open source software.

The computer lab will have 60 workstations installed with Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It will be open 24 hours, seven days a week and housed in the School for Computer Science's newly constructed Gates Center for Computer Science.

"We couldn't be happier about our partnership with Red Hat and we are thankful for their generous contribution that will make the computer lab a reality," said Greg Kesden, director of undergraduate laboratories for the School of Computer Science. "We are dedicated to giving students full exposure to the complete spectrum of modern computer science development practices and we wanted to ensure that open source methodologies had a central presence in both our curriculum and in our new facility."

Previously, the School had a small Linux Lab with 15 machines. The demand on the lab had outstripped its capacity. Representatives from the Fedora Project, a Red Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source collaboration project, met with Center faculty and staff and identified the demand for a gathering space dedicated to open source software.

"The School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon is one of the foremost computer science institutions in the world, and Red Hat is proud to partner with them in the creation of an open source computer lab," said Michael Cunningham, executive vice president at Red Hat. "The need for an open source software lab came from an overwhelming demand from students and faculty and Red Hat's involvement is a natural extension of our company's historical involvement in the education arena."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Digital Network of User Profiles and Data Connections

    Microsoft, RSA Make Identity Security Push in the Age of AI

    Two of the bigger authentication announcements to come out of the recent RSA Conference both point in the same direction: Organizations need a more flexible, unified approach to identity security, especially as AI agents start acting alongside human workers.

  • Blue digital wireframe classical building structure

    Before AI, Fix Your Data

    Institutions don't have to solve every data problem before they can begin using AI responsibly. But they do need to treat information as a strategic asset — not a byproduct of operations — and start building toward AI-ready data now.

  • businesspeople in silhouette with colorful network lines

    Report: AI Will Reshape Work More than Replace It, but Global Impact Is Uneven

    Richer countries face greater exposure to AI-driven changes than developing countries, which are less exposed to AI but risk being left behind, according to a joint report from the International Labour Organization and World Bank.

  • illustration of people collaborating around large interlocking gears and data charts

    Why ERP and AI Initiatives Stall at the Execution Layer: A CIO Perspective

    Higher education institutions are investing heavily in ERP modernization, analytics, and AI-driven capabilities. Yet even with these investments, many are running into the same issue: turning insight into coordinated, timely action.