Leap Not Needed: Move to Linux in Smaller Steps

By James Nickson

April 10, 2003 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Your article "The Leap to Linux" considers the transition to Linux to be a single, massive change in paradigm: Either one does Linux or one does not. The situation may be more complex than that and easier for environments wishing to change or experiment with change.
For example, in the desktop world, one can unhook from Microsoft gradually by switching applications -- IE to Opera or Mozilla, Outlook to Eudora, and Office to OpenOffice.org. An evaluation of each is:

Many people prefer Opera to IE.

Mozilla is better than IE 5 was.

Eudora has arguably always been better than Outlook -- at least more efficient, more reliable, far less insecure and preferred by many.

OpenOffice.org is roughly as good as Office 97, which wasn't too shabby.

If one migrates to any of these, one picks up immediate advantages:

Lower cost

More security

Greater efficiency

More transparency of coding

Superior support (I definitely get better support from open-source cadres than I ever had from Microsoft. Open-source cadres answer questions honestly, promptly and usually accurately.)

All run identically on Linux as well as Windows variants. Identically, well for most purposes.
This means that once an environment has been switched, one can replace the operating system with about as much trauma as going from MS-DOS to Windows 3.1, and perhaps double the effort of going from Windows 98 to Win 2000. But the results are permanent improvement in many attributes of ROI, efficiency and supportability, as well as massive savings in license fees and hardware expenses. One also acquires a smug moral superiority over those still slogging along with Windows.
In the server world, there is a more interesting phenomenon: Many purposes are already far better served by Linux than Windows. The normal triad for sites is Apache, PHP and MySQL. IIS (Microsoft's Internet Information Server) is definitely in the running, but as an also-ran.
Most Windows sysadmins seem not to know that all three run fine on Windows.
Again, a stepwise approach can result in the desired changes. First, run MySQL on Windows. It runs immediately and is reliable, efficient and flexible. It even serves data quite easily to Office, Access, etc. (See the Ronin Software Group site for more on running MySQL on Windows).
Once one has the SQL Server replaced, one can look at changing Web presentations. This requires PHP. PHP unfortunately requires Apache to serve Web pages. Surprise! Both run on Windows.
There also is the classic solution for LAN storage and desktop backups: Take a retired desktop, slap in some large disks, and run Linux/SAMBA on it.

Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Additional Resources

POLL RESULTS

Leading IT Pros Weigh In on Top IT Issues

Accelerate your knowledge of the IT world you inhabit by viewing the results of a series of polls taken by your IT peers. These polls of 100+ IT professionals each are available for full viewing. They cover key topics such as virtualization, processor performance, green IT, cloud computing and many others. Be a part of the buzz.

WHITE PAPER

For Best Results, Think Beyond the Box

Technology is complex. Keeping it running productively shouldn't be. To that end, you want to minimize the number of solutions needed in-house to simplify operations, maintenance, and support. Kodak offers a best-practices model. One company provides support for both scanner and software, for fast problem resolution without vendor finger-pointing. Download now!

WHITE PAPER

Accelerating the Path to Demand Intelligence with a Demand Signal Repository

Utilizing demand intelligence improves the precision of pricing, product assortments, channel/store placement, and promotion, which are all essential for sustainable revenue management performance. Learn more, download this free whitepaper today.

White Papers & Webcasts

Accelerate SSL Encrypted Applications
The amount of SSL traffic is growing in the enterprise. Because it is encrypted, it cannot be properly controlled and accelerated. Blue Coat...

IDC Webcast: Linux Adoption in a Global Recession
Join Al Gillen from IDC and Michael Applebaum from Novell in this on-demand webcast to see how Linux has emerged as an even...

ESG Lab Field Audit
Many companies have successfully implemented Riverbed WAN optimization solutions within their Cisco networks. This ESG Lab Field Audit document explores the success that...

Usability Is Everything
Learn what sets Workday's HR and Payroll solutions apart from the competition....

Shape Your Apps Strategy to Reflect New SaaS Licensing and Pricing Trends
Why are smart companies choosing software-as-a-service? Find out in the complimentary Forrester Research report...

The Value of Real SaaS at Workday
Cost savings, speed to value, and innovation brought to the enterprise by Workday's software-as-a-service solutions for HR and Payroll....

Natural User Interface for Enterprise Applications
Learn how a revolutionary user interface can make a complex enterprise application so intuitive even casual users can jump right in....

SaaS at Flextronics, Inc.
Dave Smoley, CIO of Flextronics, discusses the real value of software-as-a-service and why he chose Workday for his HR solution....

A Truly Global HCM System
Learn about a system built with advanced object-oriented technology that support multi-national requirements and costs less to implement, maintain and upgrade....

Why Compliance Pays
This OnDemand webcast explores the relationship that firms with best compliance records have higher revenue, greater customer retention, lower financial losses from data...

All White Papers | All Webcasts