CERN is moving on Debian, why not also to ISAR?

[Roberto A. Foglietta]

Hi,

2026-09-02 -- Debian 13 Is Taking Over 2,200+ Control Systems Across
CERN. They are moving its industrial computers and embedded systems to
Debian 13, with over 2,200 devices targeted by year’s end.

https://lnkd.in/p/ewDEHEeV

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They finally won "their life's single best opportunity" because
running the CERN infrastructure isn't for the faint of heart. Up to
now, it was Red Hat Enterprise Linux until they moved to CentOS. There
were few other alternatives out-there and the commercials are not the
most privileged when hard science comes into the picture. So, it is
time for Debian to be put under the test and by that test depends on
their future, both of them, CERN and Debian, as well.

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For an environment like CERN—which manages hundreds of heterogeneous
hardware targets ranging from custom radiation-hardened FPGA
micro-controllers to rack-mounted timing nodes—ISAR is the more
scalable, modular choice for managing high structural variance.

While ELBE is exceptional for strict reproducibility and isolated,
monolithic builds (which is why CERN uses it for specific core Debian
images), ISAR is inherently designed to handle massive hardware and
variant churn.

CERN uses Siemens PLCs extensively, alongside standard industrial
hardware from other major automation vendors like Schneider Electric.

PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) manage crucial industrial
sub-systems across CERN, including cryogenic cooling, vacuum systems,
gas distribution, access safety interlocks, and power converters.

Best regards,
--
Roberto A. Foglietta
+49.176.274.75.661
+39.349.33.30.697