Ask Slashdot: How To Start With Linux In the Workplace?

An anonymous reader writes "Recently my boss has asked me about the advantages of Linux as a desktop operating system and if it would be a good idea to install it instead of upgrading to Windows 7 or 8. About ten boxes here are still running Windows XP and would be too old to upgrade to any newer version of Windows. He knows that i am using Linux at work on quite outdated hardware (would have gotten a new PC but never requested new hardware — Linux Mint x64 runs quite well on it) and i always managed to get my stuff done with it. I explained to him that there are no licensing issues with Linux, there is no anti-virus software to deal with and that Linux is generally a bit more efficient on old hardware than operating systems from Microsoft. The boss seems interested." But that's not quite the end; read on for this reader's question. "Since I am the only guy with Linux experience I would have to support the Linux installations. Now the problem is what works perfectly fine for me may be a horrible experience for some of my coworkers, and even if they would only be using Firefox, Thunderbird and LibreOffice I don't know if I could seriously recommend using Linux as a desktop OS in a business. Instead I want to set up one test machine for users to try it and ask THEM if they like it. The test machine should be as easy and painless to use as possible and not look too different compared to Windows. Which distro and what configuration should I choose for this demo box?"

Comments

Looking like Windows

[Anonymous Coward]

Every new version of Windows doesn't look like the last, so why does it matter?

Re:Looking like Windows

[Entropius]

True story:

I needed to buy a laptop once, and wandered into a Best Buy and started poking at one of the machines. I hadn't seen Win8 before; all of my machines run some linux or other, or Win7 with the classic UI.

I'm curious about the system specs of one machine, so I want to go to Control Panel->System and see. I call over one of the Best Buy reps:

"How do I get out of whatever tonka-toys demo software this is and back to the OS? I want to check the specs."

The guy answers: "Uh, that *is* the OS. Don't like Win8 either, eh?"

PCs aint expensive

[cod3r_]

Not sure why they'd be trying so hard to save themselves from buying new PCs.. Probably the XP machines run like ass as it is. Linux as a general use machine for people that are so bad at computers they still use XP.... just no.. hell no. tell the boss to stop being so cheap and upgrade to this decade

Re:PCs aint expensive

[MindStalker]

Honestly, this is the solution. Unless you and your coworkers are working for free, the man hours you will waste on transitioning and people having issues with the new machines, be it not knowing the file system or the differences between MS Word and LibreOffice. You should run the numbers and find out.
The machines you need, over their projected lives of 4 years cost $X per employee per day. That $X is likely less than 30 minutes. Is it likely that the new systems will cost you more than the same amount of man-hours in conversion and support?

Re:PCs aint expensive

[Anonymous Coward]

Get new Optiplexes for ~$800, with Win7 Pro, and be done with it.
Something like this:
Dell 469-3925 OptiPlex 7010 MT i7-3770 3.4G 4GB 500GB DVDRW W7P 64-Bit
http://www.provantage.com/dell-469-3925~7DELD05L.htm
Dual monitor support, it'll do everything you need for the next 4 years. And if you want to put Linux on there, slap a different drive in and do it. Limping along with crappy old hardware is false economy.

Re:Huh?

[jedidiah]

Yet. There are some basics that can easily be dealt with regardless of what his other requirements are. He even mentions some of them in his post.

Basically, he can start out with installing cross platform apps on Windows and seeing how readily the rest of his office can migrate to those. If the rest of his office is left running what is essentially a Linux desktop without Linux itself, then he can ditch Windows.