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Desktop Linux Sliding in Under the Radar?

Posted by Cliff on from the stealth-penguinistas dept.

Paul Johnson asks: "This article at ComputerWorld describes a sysadmin's discovery that many people in his company are installing Linux on their desktops without consulting IT. The writer is concerned with the security implications, but there is a wider issue. At present the 'official' penetration of Linux into the desktop market is something around 1%. The writer of this article doesn't give figures, but it sounds like he may have stumbled on several times that percentage of desktop Linux installations. If so then this is an important trend. Linux got its foot in the datacentre door in exactly the same way a few years ago, with unofficial installations doing odd server jobs. If you are a sysadmin, in an organization that runs Windows on the desktop, have you stumbled on many unofficial Linux installations?"

6 of 742 comments (clear)

  1. Not exactly ... by BabyDave · · Score: 5, Funny
    If you are a sysadmin, in an organization that runs Windows on the desktop, have you stumbled on many unofficial Linux installations?"

    I tripped over my mail server last week. Does that count?

  2. I only wish! by pjack76 · · Score: 5, Funny
    I have this fantasy where I walk into work and everyone's installed Linux on their own and I don't have to image another NT workstation ever again, and I realize I've died and gone to heaven where the bad men can no longer hurt me.

    Is the sysadmin sure he wasn't dreaming?

    --

    Wow, a lucrative publishing contract! I don't have to be evil anymore. --Meteor

  3. Re:This is unexpected? by Noumena · · Score: 5, Funny

    not only that, but my unoffical linux install is a good way for me to know that the corp doesn't have any spyware on my boxen. That and I stopped hitting my monitor so much after I installed linux.

  4. I work for M$ by civilengineer · · Score: 5, Funny

    and all our systems have rouge linux installs. Its true! ;)

    --

    New year Resolution: Don't change sig this year
  5. Re:Now that's one of those Ask Slashdots even I ca by innosent · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, it's redundant because it's not a troll, it's not flamebait, and it's not offtopic. I suppose it could be overrated instead, but the point of the article was to hear experiences from people who have found desktop installations at work, not hear 600,000 "No" answers from people who haven't. If there was a "-1 Pointless Comment" mod, you'd have gotten that, but there isn't.

    --
    --That's the point of being root, you can do anything you want, even if it's stupid.
  6. Extreme prejudice 101 by T3kno · · Score: 5, Funny


    localhost / # format c:
    -bash: format: command not found
    localhost / # fdisk c:

    Unable to open c:
    localhost / # deltree *.*
    -bash: deltree: command not found
    localhost / # del *.*
    -bash: del: command not found
    localhost / # sys c:
    -bash: sys: command not found
    localhost / # help
    GNU bash, version 2.05b.0(1)-release (i686-pc-linux-gnu)
    <snip>
    </snip>
    { COMMANDS ; }
    localhost / # fsda;lkjafdjl;kwfoied
    -bash: fsda: command not found
    -bash: lkjasdjl: command not found
    -bash: kwfoied: command not found
    localhost / # <insert_vcr_led>

    Sobbing....I HATE LINUX....

    Somewhere a penguin smiles.

    --
    (B) + (D) + (B) + (D) = (K) + (&)