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Fermilab releases a new version of Scientific Linux

This story first appeared in Fermilab Today on March 3.

The Linux operating system produced at Fermilab enabled the laboratory, and other high-energy physics institutions to build large physics data analysis clusters using affordable, commercially available computers. The photo shows computer clusters in the laboratory's Grid Computing Center.

The Linux operating system produced at Fermilab enabled the laboratory, and other high-energy physics institutions to build large physics data analysis clusters using affordable, commercially available computers. The photo shows computer clusters in the laboratory's Grid Computing Center.

For more than 12 years, Fermilab has supplied thousands of individuals in the scientific community with the operating system that forms the foundation for their exploration of the universe’s secrets. The Linux operating system produced at Fermilab enabled the laboratory, and other high-energy physics institutions to build large physics data analysis clusters using affordable, commercially available computers.

The newest version of the Scientific Linux is now available.

Fermilab began packaging and distributing Scientific Linux in 2004 to the broad high-energy physics community. At that time, it was used on only 1,500 machines. Today, Scientific Linux is run on tens of thousands of machines and is the operating system that powers some of the world’s largest physics experiments, including some experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. The newest version, Scientific Linux 6, is put together by the Fermilab Computing Division, specifically the Fermilab Experiments Facilities Department, and by DESY, CERN and other laboratories and universities across the world.

“This version of Scientific Linux continues a tradition of technical excellence,” said Jason Allen, head of Fermilab Experiments Facilities Department in the laboratory’s Computing Division. “This product is the result of users worldwide who have contributed, tested and provided feedback for this release.”

Fermilab modifies Scientific Linux, the base product, to include security measures and other laboratory-specific elements to create Scientific Linux Fermi. The newest version of Scientific Linux Fermi 6 will be released at Fermilab later this year.