Slashdot Mirror
Changing a Windows Network to Linux?
Charli125 asks: "I have been a Windows administrator ever since I got into the tech industry. I have no working experience with any other OS except for those from Apple. I am currently working with a small company that has 1 server and around 15 workstations. I would like to faze out all of the Windows software, in order to avoid having to deal with viruses, save money, and learn how the other half lives. Since I have never so much as installed Linux, I am looking for resources or advice on how to get started, and how to plan the change over. Can anyone help me?"
"My current setup is like this:
Server-Windows Small Business Server 2003, Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition(and for Exchange)
Workstations-Windows XP Pro, Office 2003 or XP, Symantec Antivirus, IE for most of the browsers (Firefox for mine and a few others). The main apps used are like every other office, Word and Excel.
I have OpenOffice installed on my home computer, and it works fine. I do see a problem with non-tech types saving in the default format though, which would result in other users not being able to read the documents/spreadsheets.
Yeah, I know, I'm so MSFT, I'm everything you guys hate about the IT world, but I would really appreciate anything that would help me get started.
Thanks"
Server-Windows Small Business Server 2003, Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition(and for Exchange)
Workstations-Windows XP Pro, Office 2003 or XP, Symantec Antivirus, IE for most of the browsers (Firefox for mine and a few others). The main apps used are like every other office, Word and Excel.
I have OpenOffice installed on my home computer, and it works fine. I do see a problem with non-tech types saving in the default format though, which would result in other users not being able to read the documents/spreadsheets.
Yeah, I know, I'm so MSFT, I'm everything you guys hate about the IT world, but I would really appreciate anything that would help me get started.
Thanks"
I think this whole article must be a troll. If not, the desire to faze [sic] out the current setup is misguided. The setup mentioned above, if properly administered, will work just fine as it is.
One's job as an administrator is not to go with what is 'cool', but what works and keeps the buisness running. Throwing out the existing config in order to "save money" is wrongheaded. The first thing to do would be a total cost study to see if money will be saved. Making such a change to "see how the other half lives" is the sort of thing that is done in your lab, on a test network.
Avoiding viruses, while not as easy, can generally be done via proactive patching and ensuring that antivirus software remains updated via some sort of top-down policy which enforces updating.
So, yes, I'll fall back on my earlier statement that this is either a troll or horribly misguided.