Germany Publishes Windows to Linux Migration Guide

Bombcar writes "This Migration Document is also available. It has details on going from WinNT to Linux/FLOSS/Samba et.al, with less detail on RedHat/Ximian/GNOME and more on SuSE/Mandrake/KDE. See Kurt's post to Samba Technical for more details."

Comments

woot!

[qewl]

Where would I be without this?!

This is great

[Rico_za]

This is exactly the kind of document you can use to convince your boss to migrate to linux. It has migration strategies, and even looks at the economic implications. Great job!

Network effect

[ultrabot]

This all is just wonderful. Public money is invested in migrating systems to Linux, and the findings are give back to the public. Each migration team will learn the lessons of the previous one. What's more, the private sector can learn from the findings and mistakes of the public sector.

This marks the beginning of a new Europe. Now we should just start teaching Python at elementary schools, and we could be kicking some serious US ass as far IT goes :-).

Re:Network effect

[ajs318]

It doesn't work with real money, because money gets diminished by the act of sharing. If I have to share $100 with another person, we only end up with $50 each. On the other hand, if I have a lit candle, and someone else lights another candle from it, that does not make my room any darker, yet we both have lit candles: the light is not diminished by the act of sharing.

I respectfully suggest you keep reading until you understand.

Sounds like a good idea

[ajs318]

This is one massive case study, and it should be inspirational reading to anybody who has ever wondered if there was an alternative to Microsoft.

As the migration progresses in Germany, so it will be copied in many other places - and mostly without the mistakes Germany will inevitably make {though, arguably, none of them will ever come close in magnitude to actually ever letting closed-source software anywhere near their machines in the first place}. Once somebody with some real clout has made a hard commitment to GNU/Linux on the desktop, then we will see real change.

I wish every success to all who choose to wrest back the control of their destiny from the hands of the evil corporations. Theirs will not be an easy journey. I, too, have a little experience of what they must be facing; and yet, my humble effort - to do without Windows at any price, even if that prevented me from using a computer at all - just seems so insignificant compared to Germany's task.

I'm also more than a little humbled at realising I don't know how to say "Good luck!" in German.

Re:Migration = Salvation

[Anonymous Coward]

How about the problem where they can't install that new Quicken version they just bought at wal*mart ?

Re:Migration = Salvation

[Hektor_Troy]

The only problem is that people are used to just switching off their machines, and don't shut down correctly.

How about using APM and make the power button shut the system down properly? It can't be that hard to do, can it?

This paper is long overdue

[BillsPetMonkey]

The core of the problem with Linux is it's PR. There's this gulf of understanding between us tecchies and the people who make "really important" decisions.

The number of times our company (large retail group) has tripped up because of decisions based on convincing salespeople rather than technical merit make for shameful reading.

This document has a stamp of officialdom though. Better still, a government stamp! Written by bureaucrats for bureaucrats! Yippee!

There will be a copy on my Director's desk Monday. Whether I can get him to read it is another matter. But that's a different battle. I imagine there's a few UK government bureaucrats swotting up using this document too. I'm amazed and rather humbled that it's written in English as well!

stop the conversion!

[golgotha007]

i don't understand why all the linux folks want the mainstream public converted over to linux!

i like the fact that because i run linux, i have more capability than the average windows joe.
i like the fact that i am part of a technical movement that helps each other in times of need (newsgroups, forums).
i like the fact that when my rights are threatened or otherwise, that it's this same group of folks that stand together (SCO?).

one of the things that MS doesn't have is the 'comminuty closeness' that *nix users have.
this closeness is why linux innovation is an par with the biggest software company in the world.

i'm afraid that if linux were to ever win the desktop war, this closeness and community won't be as friendly or as helpful.

sure, we embrace IBM now, but for how long? you do realize that the way we feel about MS is similar to the way our fathers felt about IBM in the 70's.

Re:stop the conversion!

[IamTheRealMike]

i don't understand why all the linux folks want the mainstream public converted over to linux!

It's fun, we like Linux and want other people to be able to enjoy it as much as we do, more users == more apps == more users etc

i like the fact that because i run linux, i have more capability than the average windows joe.

Running Linux should not be a status symbol, period. If you want the respect of your peers, if you want to be seen as "elite" then learn to hack code - THAT is the right way to demonstrate technical capability, not simply knowing how to use the command line.

i like the fact that i am part of a technical movement that helps each other in times of need (newsgroups, forums). i like the fact that when my rights are threatened or otherwise, that it's this same group of folks that stand together (SCO?).

Those things won't disappear, even if one day everybody in the world uses Linux. The free software developer community is strong because of the shared experiences of building things together. It doesn't matter how many users you have, that shared experience is still there.

Of course the distinction between user and developer will become greater, but this is a natural progression.

one of the things that MS doesn't have is the 'comminuty closeness' that *nix users have.

*nix (god I hate that stupid term) users have no community. Sorry, that's just bollocks. There are all kinds of Solaris, AIX, Tru64 users all over the world who couldn't give a rats ass about what's happening beyond their office door as long as the paycheque comes in on time.

There is a free software community, and it centers around Linux - don't confuse the fact that Linux is roughly based on UNIX with the community aspects. The word "community" comes from Latin, "cum munere." "Munere" is "to give," and "cum" is "among each other," so, community means "to give among each other."

As long as people share what they make, there will be a community. It has nothing to do with what command shell you run, never forget that. It has nothing to do with how many people use what is built - the community will always be made up of the subset that share with each other.

i'm afraid that if linux were to ever win the desktop war, this closeness and community won't be as friendly or as helpful.

There are friendly and helpful communities of Windows users. They are called friends and family. Of course there are organized groups too, such as Protonic which is similar to our LinuxQuestions.org site.

Basically I think you worry too much. As long as there are people who care about sharing with each other, the community will remain strong, regardless of how much it grows.

For the love of God

[p3d0]

Please stop using the acronym FLOSS. That's the dumbest acronym I have ever heard, and I am including "GNU" so you know I'm serious.

If we learn anything from the likes of Microsoft, I hope we learn a little about self-promotion.

No Exchange Killer Yet.

[LazloToth]

From an administrator's point of view, it is refreshing to see an analysis of OSS alternatives that does not gloss over the difficulties of migrating away from the Outlook/Exchange groupware architecture. Too many "analyses" by OSS advocates seem to say, 'Oh, go ahead and give this cobbled-together approach a shot - - you'll work things out one way or another.' If it is your responsibility to guide executive decision making where your company's groupware product is concerned, you know that this is one place where a misstep could easily cost you your job. As much as I would like to look at something like Kroupware or OpenExchange, this report bears out my own investigations - - there's nothing in the Open Source world yet that can take the place of a well-managed Outlook/Exchange infrastructure. This is the crown jewel of the Microsoft monopoly, and they guard it well. When OSS can provide a confidence-inspiring mailbox mass-migration tool and a back end that fully supports Outlook, that's the day you can sell your Microsoft stock.

Re:No Exchange Killer Yet.

[pe1chl]

With every migration, there is always the issue of "does the new product implement all 25000 features of the old product".
When you start your migration with the assumption "the new product must do everything the old product did plus possibly more" you will not only limit your options, but you will also migrate to more and more complex systems.

Instead, you should look at the requirements of the organisation, and define the properties of the system that will be implemented. Maybe Outlook/Exchange implements them, but that does not mean that it is the only solution to the problem.

Don't try to implement an Outlook/Exchange replacement, but define what your company needs and implement that. Possibly it does not need all the features of Outlook/Exchange and thus they do not need to be present in the "replacement".

We run an IMAP mailserver on Linux, with LDAP address book, and a separate web-based calendaring system. All are accessed from Mozilla on the (Windows) desktops. It works fine.
The only thing I would want to be improved is the maintenance of the LDAP address book by nontechnical users.

Re:Hurray for inherent disability

[hanssprudel]

But, seriously, that is so sad. Does anyone realize that we've already lost the war against viruses and are now to the point where we are trying to overthrow firmly entrenched tyranny?

(Likewise with spam and Microsoft)

And DRM (I knew it was coming, never thought it would be Apple...) And ISPs limiting what you can do with an account. And proprietary file formats. And software patents.

Re:my guide

[JamesOfTheDesert]

4) read, read, read

4a) Have spouse tell you the kids have started grade school

5) install the penguin
6) read, read, read

6a) Have spouse tell you the kids have started High School

7) tinker, tinker,tinker

7a) Have college-bound kids tell you that your spouse has left you.