Comments are welcome on the support strategy outlined below.

We support Scientific Linux, which is an RHEL derivative similar to CentOS.

• Scientific Linux 6
  • this is our mainstream version for desktop workstations
  • we only install the x64 version of SL6, not the 32-bit version.
  • Support runs until 11/2020

• Scientific Linux 5
  • this currently is our mainstream version for compute servers
  • i386 and X86_64
  • Some libraries and desktop applications may not be available on 64-bit (X86_64) installs
  • Some features (for example, xfs file systems) are not available on 32-bit installs
  • Support runs until 03/2017

• Scientific Linux 4
  • no longer supported as of February 2012

• Tru64 5.1B-6
  • This is now not supported for most end-user applications which are available on linux. Eg Mathematica, LaTeX, email, text-editing, etc.
    • To be more specific, we no longer support any custom software installations on these systems. We do have a collection of prebuilt software available from www.thewrittenword.com, and if a package is available from them, we will install it.
  • Provided for legacy code (for example, applications based on alpha fortran code) only.
  • If you have code which runs on Tru64, you should be planning to port it to linux.
  • Support expected to end sometime in 2012

• FreeBSD 8.x, X86_64 64-bit only
  • Some departmental infrastructure runs on FreeBSD.
  • Not normally accessible for login to non IT staff.
  • This is only listed so you can be aware some other types of system exist. For example, some department web servers run on linux and some on FreeBSD. Depending on the site, you may have code which is running on a BSD system rather than linux, and it may be worth keeping this in mind.