The trial will be deemed a success if teachers and staff can see everything working "smoothly," especially office documents opening in Linux and Windows.

Chadwick said another consideration is that the students can figure out how to use the Linux desktop appropriately.

"We are keen to get Novell's fancy new interface working, but will students be able to use it?" he said. "But we see it as a key area to say Windows isn't the only environment out there."

After a virus "took out" all the school's Windows machines a few years ago, Chadwick said the manageability of Linux is likely to be better as viruses and spyware "doesn't exist" on the platform.

Regarding cost, Chadwick said this is not a concern because the department pays for a Windows XP site license anyway.