This website has information about the Reptilian operating system distribution. Sorry, no New World Order here, just us ordinary ape-types. :)

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Reptilian is a custom OS distribution built by the pairing of the Android and Ubuntu user space environments on top of the Linux kernel. Reptilian is intended for use in computer science degree programs, especially systems-level coursework (such as operating systems courses). It is provided in the form of Open Virtual Appliance (OVA) images.

There are a lot of great educationally-oriented OS distributions out there! Sometimes it is difficult for students to connect coursework to the personal lives and disciplinary goals, and Reptilian aims to fill that gap. Specifically, with Reptilian, we hope to…

• provide an authentic experience by anchoring coursework and assignments in a kernel (Linux) used widely in industry
• Connect systems level coursework to daily life experiences through the incorporation of mobile OS (Android) experience
• Provide a single, simple, predictable, robust target platform for student learning (via VM images)

Linux is a fantastic target for students. However, typical Linux distributions are built for production environments, not education.

• Traditional desktop Linux distributions are large, complex, and difficult for unfamiliar students to navigate
• Android is lightweight, but lacks on-system development tools and requires cross-compilation for development
• Kernel configuration is complicated, and compilation times are long

By combining the light-weight Android base with Ubuntu's userspace and tools, Reptilian provides a reasonably lightweight virtual appliance with all of the tools necessary to build and install system software (including the kernel itself).

• Distributed as an import-and-use open virtual appliance file (OVA)
• Complete, configured suite of tools to compile & install Linux kernel
• Kernel configuration tailored for faster compilation within VM
• Network-ready out-of-the-box (SSH / remote debugging)