[Nottingham] Migration (was Jobs in Open Source?)

[Martin]

I'm surprised noone has jumped in on this one...

David Bean wrote:
> OK, so we have a network of 500 computers (Win2k) and 600 computer
> users. Email and group ware is currently handled by Exchange 2000 but an
> upgrade is due any time now.
[...]
> 
> Knowing my boss, if I were to propose a GNU/Linux solution, he would
> want a demonstration. 

And quite rightly so.


> What do I demo?

Something that _you_ are confident with and know very well.

>  - A Home brew distribution
Only if there is something 'special'.

>  - Some current distribution of Linux
Yes, but load up a 'Windows' theme for KDE to make it look more 
'familiar' to the Windows brethren. The 'look' of linux is frighteningly 
scary to those that know nothing other than Windows. (So scary that they 
'unlearn' even basic skills like point'n'click as though the linux 
interfaces are completely alien.)

The latest Mandrake (10.0.1 "Official") is good. I'm sure others will 
advocate Fedora and Suse also. There is also Debian...?

I would advise against Lindows/Linspire for the 'corporate' environment.


>  - Windows and OpenOffice.org
Yes if you need to be 'political' and keep to a Windows OS.

>  - Windows and StarOffice
>  - Something else

A demo with linux via the 'Thin Client' project... Might be called Linux 
Terminal Server? Should be very easy to demo and might let you keep 
Windows in place for 'fallback reassurance'.

Dual boot and concentrate on a small group of linux advocates to 
gradually move people over...


Further details available over a few free beers! (;-))

Good luck,
Martin


-- 
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Martin Lomas
martin at ml1.co.uk
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