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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.
That was exactly going to be my recommendation. At a previous employment, I was faced with a very similar situation. It took me a few days but I came to the decision that I would not continue to work in such an environment. The next day I told my manager that if I was forced to use an OS which limits my abilities as an employee, I would no longer continue my position. He was surprised and amazed, but took it seriously -- my coworkers and I were allowed to keep our environments.
I eventually left for other reasons. Quitting is always an option. It probably won't net you the same outcome, but I would never stay at such a blinded company.
- SSH for Windows - works great for terminal access and secure file transfers.
- Teraterm - network device access via either telnet or serial port. There is an SSH add-on, but I prefer the "real" SSH client above.
- TightVNC - for your Windows boxes
- Superscan - great port scanner and all around TCP/IP utility
- Cygwin - for all your real *nix shell and utility needs
Those are the ones I use most of the time. I have them on my main computer at work, my home computer, and the laptop I keep in my work van.Jason
"FORMAT C:" - Kills bugs dead!
No, don't quit. Do what any other good capitalist would do in a situation where you believe there's going to be a lot of loss do to disefficiencies, try to bleed money out of the company. No need to quit when you can just drag it out for months or years. Maybe they'll realize what a huge mistake a sudden switch is.
PS: I haven't a clue what the company all does, so maybe several of the desktop machines could be converted over without much retraining. I doubt there's any reason to switch though unless there's problems (or if this were Windows, an upgrade cycle). Any sort of switchover is bound to have problems and breed resentment with "loyalists". And maybe in the end, the company will be better off with Windows (anything's possible).
Eurohacker European paranoia, gun rights, and h
Install Blackbox as the WM instead of Explorer! :) www.bb4win.org
Marxist evolution is just N generations away!
There's a huge differance between taking a new job that is differant from what you are used to and being forced to change by new managment. Not only that, but they aren't sure they are going to have admin privileges on thier own boxes and they are supposed to be Net/Sys Admins? I'd leave, I'm not even sure I'd give em two weeks with that kinda of brain dead mentality.
Based on the submitter's resume, the ISP he's working for is ihug. And based on a Google search, the buying company is iiNet (confirmed in iiNet's own press release).
Are there any Linux / Unix-based New Zealand ISPs that feel like offering Simon a new job? (Assuming that posting his situation on Slashdot doesn't get him fired first?)
Keep in mind that there's a good chance that there's a reason behind what they're doing. The ISP who bought them may have an existing suite of software they want in place to run the ISP, and it may be Windows-based. We don't know both sides of the story here.
It may also be a labor issue. Point-and-click Windows admins are a dime a dozen. Unix folks are more expensive. Granted, the average Unix admin can run rings around the average Windows admin productivity-wise, but that's only guaranteed if managed by someone who understands Unix as well. The new management may be Windows-only.
Just run Linux when nobody from the other company
is around. When they show up, run a program that crashes
your computer (you have to write yourself) then
boot into Windows. They'll definately believe you're running
windows because of the crash.
After doing this a few times, find out how clueful
the people at the other company are. There's a chance
you might get away with running Linux as long as your
screen only looks like the WinXP screen. They
might not notice the difference afterall.
Note, I claim no responsibility on how this information
is used. If someone gets fired as a result of following
this advice, I'm not at fault among other things.
Admin access is easy to get in most places. I work in Desktop Support at a large company, so I have admin access to most systems. Just do this: 1. Call the help desk because you want to make some small system change that requires admin rights. 2. When the desktop support guy comes over mention how easy it would be for you to make the change yourself, if you just had admin rights. 3. Repeat as necessary. If you aren't a jerk, and the desktop support guy thinks you have a clue about what you're doing, that person will likely just give you admin rights.
All these people that tell you to quit or try to convince the bosses otherwise aren't giving you sound advice.
I think you've overlooked a some key points. The dude is, according to the post, system administrator at an ISP. There are few positions that require a deeper knowledge of installing and maintaining operating systems and software. Yet, he's not even been given admin access to his own desktop.
The "screw your boss" advice you've seen is not (only) founded on the standard linux fanaticism. It is, at so many levels that I can't even begin to count them all, increddibly stupid to NOT give that kind of person control over his work environment. This is not about operating systems, it's about letting a man do his job, and trusting him to use the skills required to do the job in the first place.
Now, as for learning Windows, take the good advice of some of the other posts and install, learn, rinse, repeat until you have a better understading of Windows.
Something he's forbidden to do. See above.
May we live long and die out
Not only that, but they aren't sure they are going to have admin privileges on thier own boxes and they are supposed to be Net/Sys Admins?
There are good reasons for giving people vanilla-flavored, locked-down Windows boxes because support techs are easier/cheaper to find and the support costs are as lower than a Windows plus something else environment.
And that works fine if your corporation's needs are largely met by beancounters, managers and secretaries.
But any company that relies on code developers and IT literate people for any part of its bread and butter should know to
- keep those developers happy,
- give them whatever they want as long as they produce and the cost is reasonable.
Nothing worse than some heavy-handed policy run amok.I run on Linux, am familiar with it, like it and am happy with it. My experiences trying to develop on Windows have been, uh, mixed. I don't like it. That's just me, though.
OTOH, if I were managing a group of developers and one of them wanted to develop on Windows (a guy in our group learned his craft in a Windows IDE), I'd let them. (Of course, I'd insist on things like ISO compliant C++ instead of Windows-compliant C++, etc., but those issues of standards would be imposed across the board, on people who want to use MacOS X or OpenBSD. The OS, the editor, the compiler should be irrelevant.
Let your people use what works for them and they'll work for you.
"Provided by the management for your protection."