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Locking Down Linux Desktops In an Enterprise?

Posted by kdawson on from the just-the-policy-ma'am dept.

supermehra writes "How do you move 300 desktops, locked down with Windows ADS Group Policies (GPO), over to Ubuntu desktop? We have tried Centrify, Likewise, Gnome Gconf, and the like. Of course, we evaluated SuSe Desktop Enterprise and RedHat Desktop. Samba 4.0 promises the server side, however nothing for desktop lockdown. And while gnome gconf does offer promise, no real tools for remotely managing 300 desktops running gnome + gconf exist. All the options listed above are expensive, in fact so expensive that it's cheaper to leave M$ on! So while we've figured out the Office suite, email client, browser, VPN, drawing tools, and pretty much everything else, there seems to be no reasonable, open source alternative to locking down Linux terminals to comply with company policies. We're not looking for kiosk mode — we're looking for IT policy enforcement across the enterprise. Any ideas ladies & gentlemen?"

6 of 904 comments (clear)

  1. Mittens!!! by RecursiveLoop · · Score: 5, Funny

    Issue everyone Mittens!!!! They are relatively cheap and make it oh so hard to type terminal commands when worn.

  2. Re:Mittens!!! I was going to say: Give everyone by davidsyes · · Score: 5, Funny

    Paws... Then they could have Caps Paws...

    But, if Puppet offers tiered services, then you can evaluate the... Puppet Tiers (LOL)... Then controlling the employees simply becomes a matter of ... pulling strings...

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  3. Re:How about: less douchebaggery? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Doesn't work:

    bash-3.2$ less douchebaggery
    douchebaggery: No such file or directory
    bash-3.2$

  4. LSD by russlar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why not use LSTP? That way you only have to worry about whatever image(s) you keep on the server.

    Better yet, use LSD! Then all you have to worry about is why those images are talking to you.

    --
    Anybody want my mod points?
  5. we leave our security to by v1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Locking Down Linux Desktops In an Enterprise?

    We leave our security in the hands of Mr. Worf.

    --
    I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
  6. Re:You don't by gbarules2999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me try and predict this one: "[Problem they've randomly had in the last two years and didn't bother to research or bugfix] is the biggest issue in desktop Linux. The developers have lost touch because, for example, [anecdote that offers no valuable bug-ridding information, or even enough to replicate it], showing that [Problem] is still a big of a problem as it was four years ago. I've seen [however instances they've seen it, plus four] instances of this issue in my computer but also in other's, and it refuses to be fixed because Linux is simply put, not user-friendly or stable in the least bit. It's things like these that make me draw the conclusion that Linux is simply not ready for the desktop."