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"

Comments

A basic strategy:

[TripMaster Monkey]

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?

Not to sound condescending here, but honestly...if you've never even installed Linux, much less used it long-term, you really have no idea what you're letting yourself in for.

My advice would be to install Linux on your home system in a dual-boot configuration with your existing Windows install. Then, use the Linux system exclusively. If something comes up that you don't know how to do in Linux, don't boot into Windows...figure out how to do it on Linux. Only switch to Windows if you have no other option, and if you do, keep a detailed record of the transgression in a notebook (hereafter referred to as the 'Book of Shame'). Also, remember to try to do things your users at work will be expected to be able to do...after all, you're evaluating the feasibility of Linux in your workplace as well as your home. After you've figured out how to do something you couldn't do previously, check off its entry in the Book of Shame.

After a few weeks (months?) of this, sit down with your Book of Shame and see what you've learned. How many entries do you have? How many were subsequently checked off? At this point, you should have a good idea of whether or not deploying Linux in the workplace is a viable option for you.

One more thing...use the resources available to you. Here's a good link to some online Linux courses...you might want to check them out for starters. Also, the Web and the newsgroups usually have good information about whatever question you might have, if you have the patience to dig deeply enough, and the self-esteem to withstand the few elitist jerks who scoff and call you a n00b. Finally, read those man pages!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you find out...please remember to let us know. ^_^

Troll.

[nuxx]

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.

No offense, but

[Phleg]

Don't convert your shop to Linux. Especially if you've never so much as installed it before. You will run into problems, and you will have no clue how to fix them, pissing off your users and disrupting your company's business. No matter how bad it is running Windows, it will be worse running any platform you aren't familiar with.

Install a system for you home use and use it exclusively for as long as it takes to get comfortable. Set up some services on those machines and tinker around with them. You should have, in my experience, at least a year with the operating system before you even think of deploying it in a business environment. Less, if you're familiar with similar operating systems.

Re:Obviously retarded

[MarkGriz]

I can see it all now....

Boss: WTF?!?! Charlie, get your ass in here!! How come Outlook says it cannot find the email server.

Charli125: We'll, I replaced our Windows server with Linux, because it's free and will save us money.

Boss: Look, if you don't change everything back so I can get my email in the next 30 minutes, the only thing we'll be saving money on is your salary!

Only slightly kidding here...

[evilpenguin]

Hire an experienced Linux administrator.

Seriously.

The first post on this thread has a good suggestion on how to begin getting personal experience with Linux, but seriously, you are talking about pretty big change here, even if you only have a few servers.

Which distro will you choose? Why?
Do you know enough about the system to handle a problem when it occurs?
How much does downtime cost your business?
Would signifcant downtime due to your ignorance of the platform cost more than maintaining and securing the Windows solution you already have?

If you don't have the expertise, it isn't reasonable to ask your employer to pay for you to acquire it in production.

Believe me, I am all for converting businesses, especially small to medium sized businesses, to an open-source infrastructure, but at first glance this seems like you are just begging for trouble.

I'm quite serious when I say if you want to do this, contract out to an expert who does this. I charge $95/hour plus travel/lodging expenses... ;-)

Otherwise, maintain what you have and develop sufficient expertise on your own. Convert when you know the answers to all the questions I asked above (and then some), but not before.

Windows vs Linux

[ka9dgx]

There is a heavy percieved bias against Windows, for various reasons here on /., and this story points out the difference between that perception and the reality of the situation.

While many of us don't like Microsoft, for various reasons, we still use it, many of us exclusively. The network you manage is more important than you realize. You're being paid to reduce uncertainty for the users. It's not fair to your users to increase that uncertainty by orders of magnitude unless there is a massive benefit to the users. Replacement of Office with equivalent functionality is NOT a benefit, as it will only frustrate your users everytime anything unexpected happens. The users will also then have you to personally blame when ANYTHING goes wrong, reguardless of its relevance to the OS switch.

If you want to learn some Linux, get an older machine, put two newer NICs in it, and set up an IPcop firewall. You can use a web browser to configure it once it's installed, and peek around inside it via the console. This gives you the benefit of helping to protect the users, while giving you a linux box to manage.

Don't subject your users to your whim. It may suck for you, but Windows is what the users expect, and can cope with, slashdot bias be damned.

Feel free to ignore my advice, but you might want to update your resume if you do so.

--Mike--

SuSE Pro

[MrResistor]

Since nobody else seems interested in posting anything actually helpful, I guess I will.

Buy SuSE Profesional, the full boxed set. For roughly $100, that will get you most of what you need in order to install, run, and learn to use Linux. My personal observation has been that people who start with SuSE stick with Linux. If you really want to be an expert on Linux, there are other distros that you should consider switching to after you're comfortable on SuSE, but I wouldn't start a new user out on anything else.

Before you switch ANY workstations, you'll want to switch the server. Before you do that you need to do 2 things: learn to use *nix (I highly recomend taking at least "Intro to Unix" at your local JC), and verify that you won't be losing any functionality your users care about in the switch (maybe you don't use any of the unique features of Exchange, maybe you do; only you know).

IFF you can switch the server, only then should you even consider switching the workstations. The right way to do this is to start with the apps. Firefox is probably the easiest first step, then maybe email (Thunderbird or Evolution, probably), then OpenOffice (honestly, if everyone inside your company is using OOo, you're better off in the long run having them save stuff in the default format, and just teaching them how to convert stuff if they need to send it to the outside world for any reason), and finally any job specific apps your employees use. ONLY after all apps required for people to do their jobs have been replaced, and proven to be functional, should you even consider switching the workstations to Linux On the bright side, though, at this point no one will care what OS they're running, and some of them might not even notice.

In short, starting from the point you're currently at, expect it to be AT LEAST a year before you're ready to start considering the server swap, and if all goes well AT LEAST another year before the workstations are switched over. YMMV, mostly depending on how much you apply yourself to learning to use and administer Linux. It isn't easy, but it is worth the effort.

Good advice

[benjamindees]

I'd add:

Of course start with your home machine. If you can't use Linux, you can't support it. Try at least two distros.

Also, since you're completely green, you'll have to switch in stages. Take small steps. It'll take longer, but you'll be better off for it.

Buy and read at least three Linux books. Start with a general one to give you an overview and some basics. Maybe get one on Samba, perhaps another on whatever e-mail or groupware server you decide on.

Stop upgrading your Windows software. Standardize on what you have now, and don't buy a new Dell with Office 2005 whenever it comes out. It will only cause more hassle. Standardize on Firefox immediately. Decide if you need to use Office and Crossover on Linux or if you can switch some or all users to OpenOffice.org. If you can switch, start now.

Once you're completely comfortable using and configuring Linux for yourself (this will take you six months), start by replacing the Windows server. If you do it correctly, your users won't even notice. That's the goal.

From there, switch your worst user to a Linux desktop. Explain to him how Linux works, that it's open source, and that any problems he encounters should be reported and fixed. Make sure this user tears Linux apart. Make it clear this is only a test, and that you want to find problems. Use this time to get acquainted with the bug reporting tools.

Switching to Linux, even in a small network, is a long term project. Problems will crop up along the way. You may need to modify your intended path. Linux comes with lots of options. That's okay. Don't be afraid to try different options as long as you end up with the best configuration for your application. The benefits are definitely worth it.

Bad advice

[Intron]

First off, recent Linux distros have become big, bloated and hard to learn. Save yourself a lot of trouble and go with Redhat 5.1.

Second, many studies have shown that command line is more productive than GUI, so don't install X.

You'll find that your users will love having a choice of software, instead of being locked into a single application.

email: mail, elm or pine

word processor: troff or LaTex

web browsing: Lynx or wget

The list goes on and on.
Enjoy!