Convincing boss to use Linux...

[TheGreatPoo]

Hello all,

I work in a small office (7 people) and we use a Winblows network (well, at least everyone else uses Windows    ).  In March, this company will be taken over by another company and the office will be even smaller (4 people).  I will be one of those four.

My point:  I would like to enlighten my boss (fairly computer (Windows) savvy) on the benefits of switching the network over to Linux.  I need to inform him of the pro's and Con's of windows (specificaly Windows NT, 2000, and XP) and where Linux fills in for those Con's.  I will be typing a very long proposal to him and I want it to be very technical (don't worry, he's a very smart guy).  I already know many many Con's of Windows and how Linux fills in for them but since this will be technical, I was wonderin if some of J00z Guyz could post (when convenient), some articles on this as I don't know a lot of the specific technical issues.

Issues that need addressing:
1) Security - Viruses, hackers, etc.
2) Performance - Our server is old (Pentium I or II running 2000 Pro) and since Windows has very bloated code and poor packet managment, I know that switching to Linux will increase the speed of the network (ethernet) dramaticaly.
3) Ease of use and set up - Since he has never touched Linux before, I will be setting up the network and workstations.  No one in the new office knows how to use Linux but me so I need to reasure him the switching from Windows to linux will not be painful.
4) Functionality
5) Flexability - included Windows substitue apps and Windows compatability (M$ Office = Star Office, Etc).  The server of the company that is taking us over (Citra Tubindo) will be running Windows so I need to assure my boss that connecting to their server will be a piece of cake.
6) Support - Hardware and tech (like this message board    )


Any one who wants to reply to this, please take your time.  No rush, as I have until Febuary.  To those who do reply, I hope this will not be bothersome and thank you in advance.

[psyjax]

1) Security - Viruses, hackers, etc.

Rock solid! Linux and other *NIX's are very hard to hack. This is due to the way the system is structured and to the gigantic grupe of IT programmers who have devoted their time, over the last 60+ years of UNIX's life, to maintaining it's stability. Patches are relased all the time, and a good linux programmer can probably code some himself.

Viru are a moot point. The feesability of a virus on a *NIX system is NIL. It would have to run at root, no one is dumb enugh to run at root.

2) Performance - Our server is old (Pentium I or II running 2000 Pro) and since Windows has very bloated code and poor packet managment, I know that switching to Linux will increase the speed of the network (ethernet) dramaticaly.

You said it. You can install Linux without a GUI and keep the server running from the PII perfectly. Linux can run on machines with 25Mhz and 4MB of RAM when trimed down, a PII is no big deal.

3) Ease of use and set up - Since he has never touched Linux before, I will be setting up the network and workstations.  No one in the new office knows how to use Linux but me so I need to reasure him the switching from Windows to linux will not be painful.

Others could be more technical about this, that is the difficulty of seting up and maintaining Linux servers. As far as the GUI, takes about a week to get used to, after that your home free. Easier than windoze in a lot of respects, even Mac-like!

4) Functionality

Yes, very functional      

5) Flexability - included Windows substitue apps and Windows compatability (M$ Office = Star Office, Etc).  The server of the company that is taking us over (Citra Tubindo) will be running Windows so I need to assure my boss that connecting to their server will be a piece of cake.

Screw star office. OpenOffice is free! As far as I know connecting to windoze is a no-brainer also. Im currently about to try and network my OSX to RedHat, there's a pretty short FAQ on it. Don't look that hard, so I would expect about the same for win.

6) Support - Hardware and tech (like this message board         )

Yes, Linux arguably supports more hardware than Windoze. Hire a good Linux guy, read the message boards, and you got all the tech. you need. At least for me, but I ain't runnin servers just learning to programm on it and    

[ December 18, 2002: Message edited by: psyjax: plain 'ol psyjax ]

[voidmain]

The cool part is you wouldn't have to make a wholesale change all at one time. Linux has pretty good interoperability with Windows thanks to Samba. Probably the biggest problem would be the office apps. That may be where a wholesale change would be better. I would stick OpenOffice on all of your Windows machines. Get your people to try it out and get comfortable with it. Then convert a few people at a time to Linux/OpenOffice and see how it goes.

I can tell you that making this migration certainly might not be the easiest thing in the world to do. But I would be willing to bet you a beer that it would be worth it if you can pull it off. And the farther you get past the cutover the happier you will be as users/admins become more familiar with the new environment. I'm sure the CFO will be happy.

[zooloo]

Money.

What is the compelling reason to spend

[dishawjp]

I don't have a lot to add to this except to say that if you let him see Linux..today's Linux... that may really help you.  I'm continually amazed at how many people, people who are not idiots and not technophobes, who think that Linux is some arcane weird little OS where every command has to be issued from a command prompt and it is at least a mile long.  Get a modern Linux box set up in the office and let the decision makers see what Linux really is.  Especially in a relatively small office like yours, this could be very helpful.

Jim

[choasforages]

hehehe, instint proof. go find some device, like a usb device, that under windows is medicor at best, and needs help. i have a geforce card that wouldn't sync with my moniter after win32 gui started, but XFree86 made the damn thing use the correct freqs, or use a usb device that normally needs oddles of add on software, but works with normal software, like usb cd burners, usb hd's, hell, the damned microsoft mouse. boot a system with knoppix, and plug them in and start working with it without fucking with drivers. jaz drives, to some exent zip drives, maybe the sound card in my computer which sucks under directx