On Fri, Jun 04, 2021 at 04:20:08PM -0700, Denis Heidtmann wrote: > One would think that a group of smart individuals capable of keeping the > LHC, LIGO, and ISS functional could take on the SL project. I am curious > why this has happened.
When I started using Scientific Linux, the team supporting it at Fermilabs was led by Connie Sieh, with 4 full time equivalents working for her. They started with the CentOS distro, added many scientific/mathematical/data tools, and tested all that against a vast suite of science software built atop CentOS - such as the control code for the giant particle accelerators, and LIGO, and other big and small computer-managed instruments. Kept them pretty busy. Connie retired a few years ago, and we lost a great leader. Next, science and international collaboration and funding was damaged by two-party political insanity in the US. While it is still a very good idea to collaborate on Linux for science nationally and internationally, Fermilabs must focus on their own short term survival. The Bosses made the cost-cutting decision to pull the plug on Scientific Linux before the 2020/21 Regime Change. Coincident to that decision, IBM abruptly removed long term support for CentOS, destroying the underlying stability that Scientific Linux (and many multiyear experiments) depended on. A vital rule of experimental science is don't change the apparatus in the middle of an experiment. It is too early to tell whether Fermilabs funding will improve or get even worse After Regime Change. So, while I am hurt by their decision to terminate support for Scientific Linux, I understand why they made it, and why they probably can't reverse it. Sigh. Science will suffer. So will my tiny corner of it. Keith -- Keith Lofstrom [email protected]
