Open Source at Universities – What They Do and What You Can Use

Universities have been pioneers of open source for many years. Many computing centres run their own services for files, chat, video lectures and learning platforms – often with open software. That shows how well open source works for many thousands of people at once. And there are a few nice ideas you can take away for yourself.

What universities typically use

Many universities cooperate and share services across state or national borders. On top of that, Matrix servers at different universities can talk to each other – making collaboration across institutions really easy.

Why open source suits universities so well

• Research and teaching: Open code fits well with the idea of sharing knowledge.
• Lots of users: No per-person licence – a big advantage with tens of thousands of students.
• Customisable: Computing centres can adapt the software to their needs.
• Collaboration: Improvements often flow back into the projects and help everyone.

openDesk, the office suite built from open-source building blocks, is also being discussed with interest in the university world.

What you can take away

The same tools are available to you too:

• Students and study groups: A shared Nextcloud for notes, a Matrix room for coordination.
• Families: Photos, documents and calendars in one place, on a server you know.
• Small businesses: The same combination of files, chat and office that works thousands of times over at universities.

A few terms, briefly explained

• University computing centre: A university's central IT department that runs services for students and staff.
• Federation: Different servers or organisations working together, for example for chat via Matrix or for logins across universities.
• Single sign-on: One login for many services.
• Learning platform: Software for providing courses, materials and assignments, such as Moodle or ILIAS.

What works well – and what we can learn from it

Universities show what open source can do at scale:

• Collaboration across boundaries: Many services are shared or developed jointly by several universities. That saves effort and spreads knowledge.
• Lots of users, little licence stress: When thousands of new students arrive at the start of term, no extra licences need to be bought.
• Adapting to their own needs: Computing centres can add features and contribute improvements back to the projects.
• Good documentation: Many universities publish guides that others benefit from too.

An example for a study group

Four students share a small Nextcloud with a European provider. Notes, reading lists and problem sheets live in a shared folder, appointments in the shared calendar. For quick coordination there's a Matrix room. Costs and effort are low, and everyone knows where their data is.

How to get started

1. Pick one building block: For example Nextcloud for files.
2. Try it out: With a European provider or on a small server of your own.
3. Invite friends or your team: It's more fun together.
4. Expand: Add chat, calendar and office bit by bit.

If you'd rather be shown the basics at a relaxed pace, have a look at my workshops. You'll find an overview of more tools under Alternatives.

Conclusion

Universities show every day that open source works reliably at scale. The good news for you: what works for tens of thousands of students works for your family, your study group or your small office too.

If you'd like to give it a try, I'm happy to help – just drop me a line.