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Moving from Linux to Windows Desktop?
slyall asks: "I work in the Network/System Admin team for an ISP. Our firm was recently bought by another company that has mandated that my team's desktops be switched over from Linux to Windows XP in the next few weeks. Some of us are have used Linux almost exclusively and going to Windows is a big change. Can people suggest any tips, books or websites to help Linux people shoved into the Windows world (especially those running lots of Linux and Cisco boxes)? We've all got years of experience on Linux but running Windows day to day is a big challenge. We don't yet know if the company will provide us with tools such as Cygwin or Windows Services for UNIX but we won't be allowed to install
random programs and may not have admin access. We're not happy with the change but we're unable to stop it. What we are hoping to do is reduce the performance hit that the changeover is going to cause." This is probably one of those situations where a LiveCD-based distribution, for use in an emergency, might help.
I recommend this excellent title.
Think of it as a "howto" for your specific needs.
It actually contains some excellent humor, espescially considering the subject matter.
*posted anonymously for obvious reasons*
...is this book.
But don't worry, I shall be praying for you as well!
You can find what you need at monster.com.
Lobotomy. Yeah, you don't need one to move from Linux to Windows... but it helps.
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
...is to start drinking heavily.
You should listen to me, I was pre-med!
I thought I was pre-law.
Pre-med, pre-law, what's the difference?
Don't listen to him. He just wants your job before it's shipped overseas. :D BTW, when you quit, where can I send my resume?
No, really. If they're obligating you to change it's because they're morons and don't deserve having you as an employee...
I couldn't have said it better myself. In this economy there's plenty of opportunities for programmers who tell management to fuck off over important issues like which OS you can use.
Oh wait...
All together now:
You're new around here aren't you?
=)
Paul Lenhart writes words!
We've all got years of experience on Linux but running Windows day to day is a big challenge
I got a sweet deal for you. My 68 year old grandma has been using Windows XP for a while and she is pretty good at it. She might give you many useful tips and tricks because when she started a year ago on computers, it took her a long 1 week to get comfortable on Windows XP. Anyway, if you want to find out how she did it, just call her (303-607-7527). She loves to talk to people. She is home all day bored. Caveat: She is in Denver and her number might be long distance for you and once she gets started talking, there is no stopping her!
Well I'm glad that I'll be competing with people who will quit their jobs over forced usage of a particular OS in a short while :).
You could start to acclimatise your coworkers by walking around pulling out they're power cords at random intervals while they're trying to do important work. That way when windows is rolled out, they'll appreciate the helpful blue message that tells them they're fscked, rather than just a blank screen.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
The worse thing you will discover while switching to Windows is the default browser called Internet Explorer. If you are allowed to install only one random application, install another browser as soon as possible.
First, by using Internet Explorer you will discover another side of web sites you are usually browsing. With flashing stuff everywhere, with pages that forces you to wait while watching ads, and with dozens of popups everywhere.
Navigation with keyboard is impossible, so get a good optical mouse and a large screen if you want to preserve your nerves.
Also there is no tabbed browsing, so you have to lose habits like opening every new link in a new tab or you will quickly end up with tons of windows everywhere.
But the main problem is that if you don't browse only very trusted sites, strange things will happen. I never go to w4r3z web sites, but everytime I've used Internet Explorer, my system became a mess. Random windows (things about online Casinos, or odd search engines) appeared even while browsing Slashdot. My DNS settings were changed and things appeared in the service tray. I was never able to figure out what it was and how to remove this sort of annoyance, but it also happens all the time to other people I know who are using Windows, so this is probably normal.
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