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Linux Desktop Migration Cookbook from IBM
almondjoy writes "I was project leader for publication of this recent IBM Redbook, available for free download here: Linux Client Migration Cookbook: A Practical Planning and Implementation Guide for Migrating to Desktop Linux. At this point, I'm gathering input for what we could improve on, and what additional topics should be covered in a second version of the book. I realize this is a broad topic to cover in a rapidly changing environment. And because these books are developed by IBM there are some content limitations. Nonetheless, in the next version we want to continue making the book as useful as possible for anyone considering a migration to Linux on the desktop."
A quick scan of it shows that it's relativly simple (It had pictures!). And seemed easy to understand. But it seems a bit too much for the average user. I mean it feels a bit like preaching to the choir. The guide will be most popular among people that already have the ability and desire to move to linux, not necesarily the average joe who is dipping his feet in the water to explore.
Just a boy doing unproffesional IT work that's way above his head.
That's funny. Your statement has a hint of to the fact the IBM is a consultant company it will say whatever to take your money.
"I'd like to see IBM endorse the Linux desktop as a solution"
By selling off their desktop business they've dodged the bullet of having to spend their own resources supporting Linux on the desktop. Now they get paid to do so on someone else's hardware.
Step 1: Don't tell SCO.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
And do they mention that migrating must be done in december - show the users xsnow and they'll forget windows in a second...
Slashdot - Mutual Assured Discussion
What utter nonsense. IBM has decided to stop making PC systems (desktops or laptops). It has not decided to abandon the Windows desktop (read, 'software') market.
Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
How about a chapter entiltled "McAfee and Norton: Terminating Enterprise Contracts with no Hard Feelings"?
You want feedback on a book so you ask the folks at a site where they never read the articles they post about.
You're job is in jeopardy, my friend.
-Peter
I notice that you leave out the potentially greatest problem: Very Complex Excel spreadsheets migration to OO.org.
This, for most companies, and especially for financial companies, will be an enormous deal-breaker.
If the book is challenged on that point, then you will lose credibility.
"Piter, too, is dead."
It's nice to see The GIMP given some recognition, in that it is broadcasted as a replacement for Paint Shop Pro, which is IMHO fair to both programs. I'm glad they didn't say the same thing of Photoshop, which would have been altogether a bad move. The other choices (Firefox, OpenOffice) are predictable.
I'm not sure how I feel about seperating "Component Desktop Environment" from "Desktop Environment" from "Window Manager", but the seperation is arguable. (GNUStep! Whoohoo!) It's clear they're recommending exclusively using either KDE or GNOME, if the user environment needs to be tightly controlled. Fine by me.
*is run over by rotten tomatoes*
Because they want you to pay them to MANAGE your infrastructure, not sell Microsoft licenses for boxes they make 2% profit on.
Smart move that Novell, Red Hat and others are starting to figure out...
There exists no way of exchanging information without making judgments. --Bene Gesserit Axiom
The huge impediment for us implementing a Linux or Solaris-based thin client system has been the relatively crappy support for media streaming (primarily ISMA-compliant MPEG-4). Yes, there are lots of MPEG tools, but most of these are libraries, command line tools (essentially for ripping/stealing content), or "players" that lack any sort of polish, instead prefering to have "sci fi" interfaces or such nonsense.
There is already a suitable alternative to the Windows desktop: Mac OS X. They get the whole media concept right.
There exists no way of exchanging information without making judgments. --Bene Gesserit Axiom
I applaud IBM for this Redbook. It is very detailed in terms of providing an IT Administrator the ammunition to begin a pilot project for a Linux migration.
I've never seen a great book for migrating to Linux on the desktop for enterprise users. What really sets this book apart is its discussion on the ability to move Linux to the desktop while maintaining Microsoft products on the server side. While most organizations start by adding Linux servers, and never migrate their clients, this provides a strong start point for desktop migration.
IBM is very committed to Linux. For most of their server products, like WebSphere, Tivoli Access Manager, DB2, etc., Linux is certainly a preferred platform. This book, and the sale of their desktop division, confirms that they're trying to dethrone Microsoft from enterprise dominance and assert their place as a Linux (and AIX) software and services company.
The greatest impediment to migration remains the level of IT knowledge in the prospective user base. My superiors make their decisions based on information (and mis-information) given to them by Microsoft based vendors.
There exists a compelling need to build the Lnux market (and awareness) within the educational community at all levels- if the book can tell not just an IT person, but also a non-IT person why Linux is truly a compelling choice, migration will make more and more sense. Students working on a Linux desktop will become the corporate users.
So, any treatment of the subject would be enhanced by an awareness that the younger users will become the older users.
I've got a cadre of students who have moved from Windows onto OpenBSD for educational purposes, and they are rapidly becoming advocates of open source and alternative desktop choices.
Don't forget that education is an enterprise as well, often deploying thousands of desktops.
befuddled (noun) 1. Unable to create a pithy sig
IBM selling its PC Division isn't about its position as a PC vendor in the USA. Its about their position as a PC vendor in China. A market with over 1.6 Billion people, that has recently signed a Free Trade Zone agreement with some neighbouring countries that comes into effect in 2010. Its about IBM positioning itself to sell to 50% of the world population whereas Dell is just USA. You ever read The Economist?
Why? In my case, OpenOffice was comming along, but wasn't there yet, GIMP's development had kinda stagnated. Didn't notice any difference much from 1998-2002. I never got everything working under linux the way it should and my time to play with such things was getting less and less. For server side things I was switching more and more to FreeBSD and OpenBSD for stuff. When OSX 10.1 came along, it was exactly what I wanted especially on a laptop. All the hardware worked, no having to custom compile or write drivers. Plus, I had access to commonly used software such as Microsoft Office for Mac, Adobe, etc. and I had a Unix core that I could develop in PERL, PHP, MySQL/PosgreSQL, and use some cool mac only stuff like Final Cut Pro along with the iLife stuff. Hell I could even run Windows in a window if I needed too. I needed a jack of all trades that worked so I could spend my time making money by fixing everyone else's systems.
With that said, there are places in businesses where Linux would make a lot of sense and cents. Retail stores with several checkout systems would make a lot of sense to use thin linux systems with good point of sale software could really add up in savings very quickly because the cheapest computers these days have more than enough horse power to do this.
Others doing specific data-entry work in a billing department also could use such systems. Eddie Ball, the gutiar string maker, switched over to linux several years ago and things have worked out well. One thing he toughted back in the day was the fact that if an employee didn't need a web browser, they didn't get one. Helps keep workers from goofing off and productive.
For mass Linux deployement Linux still lacks support from many major software vendor, some hardware vendors, and still lacks a true universial and standard desktop interface.
"The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money" - Thatcher.
Sorry, directed comment:
This is all nice and well, IBM, but what's really a sticking point for my workplace is the fact that there's no native Lotus Notes client for Linux. So far, IBM's solution for Notes is to run it under WINE.
I actually *despise* Notes. As a Notes developer I met said "It's great for lots of stuff, but email isn't one of them." Unfortunately, that's how most corporations I know of use it.
So, until I can convince the powers that be that Notes royally stinks, I'm afraid, we're stuck using it. Which means that we're stuck with Windows, 'cause they won't go for WINE either.
So, IBM, if you're listening, it sure would be nice to have a native Notes client.
Why is this modded at 0?
Applications outside the norm (but inside what is standard for some Enterprise businesses) is exactly what this book should be covering.
Most people can install linux. It's when you run into a corrupted video driver, or firewire not working, or WiFi not working that an inexperienced linux user will get throw their hands up. Add to that a big wig breathing down your neck to determine migration feasability and it gets pretty easy to answer 'Nope, not yet.'
For example. I installed fedora core 3 a little while back. And my video was completely messed up, it wasn't refreshing properly. Now here I am an IT professional, but not a Linux geek. So I try to google, but couldn't find a match. It was an old machine I had converted over to Linux, so I didn't know that it was an Intel(97?) on-board video, which happened to have a corrupted driver in fedora core 3. But without the knowledge of the hardware, I had no chance of finding the problem.
Linux can be great for an enterprise, but when you have many different configurations of machines, different user levels, it has to be easy to get your techies up-to-speed and trained to know what to look for, before they can even begin to handle the monstrocities that the users will throw at them.
I think the real answer is "because these books are developed by IBM there are some content limitations." IBM does a pretty good job of not participating in the distribution wars. In the section titled "1.6 Linux overview and distribution choices" the only mention of distributions by name is this sentance: "Some of the most well-known distributions include Red Hat, SuSE, Debian, Mandrake, etc." IBM has technology aliances with both Red Hat and SuSE so they cannot publicly endorse one in favor of the other. A quick search of the pdf showed that Red Hat was mentioned 110 times and SuSE was only mentioned 15 times. Debian and Mandrake were mentioned six and seven times respectivly. I doubt that really proves anything.
Insert Generic Sig Here:
Most of your Win apps-only stuff can be handled through Crossover Office. Does wmv videos, IExplorer, Notes/Sametime. Yes, it's basically Wine, but Crossover is optimized for precisely these things.
Page 27: using smbmount to map network resources. You could mention you can do this via a gui very similar to the network neighborhood thing if they are in Gnome or KDE.
You might want to add Mac software to the list of *nix equivalents.
Add a section on locking down the workstation. It won't take people long to figure out they can ssh to anyones box and start messing with people. Any users familiar with setting up windows shares can only share certain folders (barring administrator access to c$, etc), but they probably won't know that if they use a crappy password, someone can gain access to every folder they have. Which reminds me, mention password rulesets and how to implement on the authentication server solutions listed.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one the bus load of girls just went down.
How about a Lotus Notes client for Linux? You cannot completely migrate to Linux even if you work for IBM.
WINE is not the answer. I say this from experience. NUL (Notes under Linux) is complete crap. IBM does not even offer the web based solutions internally.
I find this astonishing, especially since Codeweavers product provides excellent compatibility for MS Office and other Windows applications. Maybe this is what the author was referring to when he said "...there are some content limitations"?
Offer to buy 10,000 thinkpads w/Linux (and show that you are serious and have the means) and see the doors open.
Company X isn't going to build a custom configuration of anything more complex than a hamburger in order to sell a single unit.
180 user Law firm with:
.NET-based web time-entry interface that absolutely, positively requires IE.
Large vertical-market accounting system (Elite) with
Word using Interwoven Desksite Content Management System. Call me when an Open Source CMS can intercept OpenOffice File-Save and File-Open to present a metadata profile dialog or folder structure that assigns metadata based on the folder in which the document is stored. No frickin uploads.
Anything else could probably run in Wine.
There is an effort to put together a Law firm Distribution (LAWnix) but right now it's just picking the best pieces.
I would suspect more than a few companies are in this situation.
If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
when you are trying to rollout a new desktop, give them a hundred dollars and some slack. Say "yes, we know you might have to learn as few new things, but give it an honest try for a little while, and here's a bonus to help pay for your personal training".
Cash talks, market speak BS boss orders walk.
People are at YOUR work because they want to MAKE MONEY, not because it's a hobby for them, you are asking them to keep doing their jobs they are doing now PLUS learn an all new system to them (most likely), so pay them for it, at least something. A little extra, a bonus. What cash you now don't ship to Redmond, shoot them a little bone for their efforts. Cash really perks people up and gives them a little enthusiasm, because humans are stubborn and they don't like to change. Grease the wheels of inertia a little. You pay your sales weasels bonuses for a "good job" above and beyond, same with all the other PHBs,so do it with the rank and file grunts, too.
Recognize that humans are humans and you are putting them out-even if it's for their own good and the companys own good in the medium and long term. they don't really understand that, they understand "this much work daily and NOW I have to relearn all this crap and..." You get the picture. Pay them for new things they have to do.
And technically, I don't think you can beat a live CD distro with a stick for a transition period, even if it's just setting up a few generic boxes with it running in the break room in advance of the switch, let them play with it before they are under pressure to produce on it. Give them free CD install disks they can take home and put on their own machines if they want to, the same stuff you will be running at work. That can't hurt either and is certainly cheap enough to do.
I'm all for Linux but I'm interested in knowing what sort of things other companies are finding that are preventing them from switching.
What makes this question such a stinker is that it usually isn't the big, common things that are the show stoppers, it's myriad little things.
In my case, I can think of a couple off the top of my head. For one, the availability of a Nortel VPN client. Now, I know there's actually a Nortel client available, but my shop is already paying a flat fee for the Windows client. If they want the Linux client as well, they have to pay extra. Therefore, their position is that Linux is unsupported. Then there's the fact that there are a number of Access databases that we use, and nobody's in a big hurry to migrate them to something else. And of course, there's all the specialized, obscure little applications that create data in various proprietary formats, with no Linux version available from the vendor, and not of sufficiently large an audience that anyone in the open source community is going to be bothered to write an equivalent.
I'd say that the big things, office suites, etc., Linux already has. But it's the little, obscure, PITA applications that have evolved within the Windows ecosystem throughout the years that can't be easily replaced.
Others have noted that this point is addressed. The author conservatively steers clear of such dissasters.
"Very Complex Excel" migration is a failure, even if you stick to M$. OLE and calls to other functions are each invitations to something not being on the next version of Winblows. Worse, M$ changes their scripting so you can be sure you will have work to do no matter what. I know a guy who was doing Nuclear Power Plant thermal balance calculations with a big nasty sheet. It even called the local high school to get weather information that was then used for regulatory purposes! The thing was a tremendous pain in his ass that needed constant upkeep and had all sorts of quirks that could give you wrong answers. He was using the wrong tool for the job and needed to replace it with proper and stable tools.
For normal sheets, OO, gnumeric and even kspread are doing a very good job with opening complex sheets. I've been very pleased lately when trying to open old cross section calculation sheets. I've seen my old graphs. They are doing about as well as M$ junk itself did with my older sheets. In the worst case, I've got the nasty old things on an http server, so I can go get them on a Winblows box and see them. A company could easily keep a few Winblows boxes or just use Xandros with it's excellent Crossover Office setup.
If the book is challenged on that point, then you will lose credibility.
I don't think so. The author said it would not work. He was being conservative but surely knows as well as I do how things are going.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Ubuntu !
Now, if only IBM would actually give us a useful Desktop, like.. oh.. PORT THE WORKPLACE SHELL TO RUN ON X11.. please? Give me the code, I'll do it, if you don't want to spare the resources.
"Champagne for my real friends - and real pain for my sham friends!" http://ericblade.postalboard.com/
IBM is a company that develops software. Independents, putting together a similar guide, could say things like 'Postgre SQL is a stable, enterprise ready database that is available for free', but if IBM said that, it could hurt DB2 sales.