[NTLUG:Discuss] Any open source success stories?

Fred James fredjame at concentric.net
Thu Feb 22 22:15:41 CST 2001


My experience is that generally support people who are used to NT will be hard to
nudge even if they happen to profess a liking for Linux - I wish you the best in
your efforts, and I hope you find my experience to not be true for you.

One sobering thought - customer satisfaction:  In the real world (RW) that we all
have to face, including your "entire undergraduate college's faculty, staff and
students" (EUCFSS), we are constantly interfacing with folks who only use
Microsoft Application for their "office automation" (MSA-OA).  If EUCFSS group is
made to face the RW without a viable interface with the MSA-OA they will be
"ham-strung" and unhappy.  If you are successful in converting the EUCFSS group
to Linux, I believe it would be wise to address the RW MSA_OA interface issue.
One good way might be VMWare with Windows on top (oops, more money), or WINE with
specific MS applications installed.  Another way might be something like an NT
terminal server with publish application - the CITRIX idea.  I am sure there are
other options as well.



Lance Simmons wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 22, 2001 at 04:23:48PM +0000, m m wrote:
> >
> > what kind of software are you looking for? for the general use in the
> > office, for CSE student do the programming project, or for servers...
> > you can get them free. some of them you need to use Linux operating system
> > (OS) not Bill Gate's Windows.
>
> Our comp sci students already use linux and solaris, etc. What
> we're deliberating is how to get to the entire undergraduate
> college's faculty, staff and students all the software they
> need. Right now pretty much everyone uses windows. We had a
> multi-year grant from microsoft that has expired (basically free
> site licenses for pretty much all their software), so we're
> deliberating whether to sign up for a total solution that would
> give all faculty staff and students access to microsoft products
> at drastically reduced prices.
>
> Our networks have been becoming more and more NT based over the
> past few years.
>
> >
> > I think you may get a pressure, if you do not sign up for MS deal. and/or if
> > you switch/migrate a new system, you will get a lot complian in the
> > beginning.
>
> I guess the problem is that I don't think the network and
> support people are inclined toward free software. I'm a faculty
> member (philosophy), and would like to nudge them in that
> direciton, and to do that I need good ammunition.
>
> > the best way is you may start try use some free software in the
> > beginning in a small scale.
> > Cann't you have other options and microsoft pagkage in your proposal.?
>
> I hope so.
>
> Thanks to everyone for many helpful comments.
> --
>   .~.
>   /v\   Lance Simmons
>  // \\  lance at lsimmons.net
> /(   )\
> __^_^________________________________________________________________________
> Catholic social teaching does not see unions as reflecting only a "class"'
> structure, and even less as engaged in a "class" struggle. They are indeed
> engaged in the struggle for social justice, but this is a struggle for the
> common good, and not against others. Its aim is social justice and not the
> elimination of opponents.
>                  -- On Human Work
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