Discussion on:

Sound off: Will Amazon's IT success boost use of Linux?

What about the skill sets required to support it, and the quality of support itself? Linux vendors may bend over backwards to make Amazon a showpiece success, but what about the everyday organization? I think we've always known that it's cheaper than competing solutions in terms of hardware and software (free), but what businesses really want to know is whether the money saved implementing linux just going to be disappear when we have to keep a group of linux programmers on staff permanently who may hold me hostage for their services? I like Linux, but this is the nut it needs to crack to really go mainstream. It doesn't matter whether or not it is technically sound. In my experience, and I would guess many others as well, upper management tends not to be very technically saavy, and very few executives are going to risk their career implementing a solution they have no confidence in. Management just wants up-time and assurances, both mental and legal, that problems will be fixedexpeditiously.

Hey Bullock: And what is a "linux
programmer"? No such thing. Besides, Linux
dosen't require support, and open source
support services compete, they can't "hold
you hostage" unlike your experiances with
proprietary Microsoft: "you can onlyget
support from me, so I'll do whatever I want."
Ever heard of apache.org? You are scared of
Linux, because you don't know it. None of
your arguments hold water.

Actually, one of his comments does hold water, the one about execs not knowing anything about tech. Unfortunately that is key. They are afraid of the unknown and linux is still an unknown.

The managers that do not understand the merits of Linux, are exactly the type of managers that DO HAVE the fastest desktop in the whole Office because they think it will make them browse the internet faster.

In short: they don't understand MS-products either >> what is the difference ??

To this type of managers it is fair and honest to say there will be no added problems. He will maintain a MS desktop connected to a Linux-based network. Everybody else will get the opportunity to be WORKING with linux.
And HE gets to boast about the cost reduction he instigated.

If he still doesn't believe it ask him to calculate the licensing costs for 2003 and beyond . . .

By the way, our Office network was down for a WEEK (one SERVER went down and every other instance did as well) and we did not see any MS-support around here. The administrators saw more strange messages than they care to remember and still we are running MS (Yes we are up again) !!!

On wednesday I suggested toat least convert the network servers to Linux. I mean these guys LOVE the command line . . .

'No can't do'

I guess the Redmond Guys are really Master of Marketing. But that is ALL they are good at. Everything else just plain SUCKS, I mean didyou ever get a document returned by someone who is using the NEWEST version of MS Office (yes >> the manager)and not able to open it anymore because the format was not recognised ??

I rest my case.

Linux' Open Source nature means that anybody can set up shop as an "expert". One doesn't need to get inside knowledge from a single source, and one doesn't need to have a big corporation support contract with the single supplier to get help.

University Computer Science departments use Linux as an educational platform for demonstrating OS internals, so graduates will already have a working familiarity with it at a fairly deep level. (More than "if it breaks, try rebooting it".)

Windows needs ongoing support also. So you hire Linux Pro's instead of MS Pro's. Support well have to be around no matter what OS you use.

Usage of Linux is increasing rapidly. Many companies are switching over to Linux and there by benefit from huge advantages.
Basically, everybody can save huge amounts of money by switching over to Linux OS. Linux is free, very stable and isopen source. You are free to alter it as much as you like and there is no hassle of licence fess etc. And most of all linux systems are not targeted by hackers( as far as i know).
The hardware requirements are also very flexible. I feel successstories like this would surely help others to understand about Linux and the benefit it offers.

Cheers
Antony

The explorer in Corel Linux allows for the operating system to coexist with NT, It performs as all levels of nt servers to include network shares setup by right clicking on the folder and sharing (Like MS).

As users get an understanding of 2000 an XP the linux shock of security will be less of an obstacle, the abvious ability to provide a computer with a $0.00 os and a $39.00 office suite (Star 5.0 see to believe) will provide a soap box for Administrators to invest in the next level of network admin and support.

The advantage of the windows type explorer in corel linux, allows the system intergration into your network to be very simple, remeber if you are not running DNS, add the PDC netbios name and ip address into the /etc/hosts file, if you are running DNS it will not be needed, also in control panel add your dns server and the SAMBA roll (self explanatory and all GUI driven)

Amazon is not the only company moving to Linux, Us Department of Defense says that the open source codes allows for security holes to be found faster but be resolved faster since the support base is endless. Omaha Steaks has compared higher end MSSQL servers, Risc, and Unix servers to wind up with an 8000.00 Dell Linux server using XML and providing more bang for 10% of what it could cost. IBM is riding high on the new intergration of Linux on there AS400 that they provide to Microsoft. :-/ NYSE has replaced some 100+SQL server with a single linux box to run part of the stock market.

Other than the innumerable technical advantages that Linux has over Windows, it's the new licensing policy that MS is stuffing down the corporations throats.
In my opinion it's a lot more costlier to support Windows systems than it is to support Linux.

Mayuresh

no doubt, but the learning curve to Linux seems larger as you do not have the training facilities available for the Linux platform as you do windows.

We changed to a Linux file server about 6 months ago. It took a couple of months to get up to speed on Linux, but the effort was well worth it. Once you get past the "fear of the unknown" stage, you find that it's a very straight-forward and logicalOS, and it is phenomenally stable. Just for peace of mind, we purchased a Red Hat support plan, but have only had to use it once, on a setup issue (which they handled very efficiently). Since then, there have been absolutely NO problems whatsoever. Our Linux file server just sits there and serves up files, period. No hangs, no freezes, no reboots. It's simply amazing. If we could convert all of our windows desktops to Linux, I'd be one happy camper.

Do you mean there are more mcse factories? I am an NT4 mcse and have just recently started using linux at home. The key is forget about the dual boot, just go for it and you have to learn. I have really be supprised at the amout of online help resources.

Lots of factories....... sounds like your on the right track, I maintain an NT network that is tied to our global wan, I keep a telnet "putty.exe" session on my screen to trouble shoot network problems, the TCP/IP tools help me alot.. "man ping"

On simple minded people, Yes. For the most part, people are simply not altered in their point of view just because one large company decides to use a particular OS as its back bone.

As a Linux user myself, I found it to be a very versitile platform but had to make that decision on my own.

Not to mention the training factor that would be involved to train the average WinTel IT professional in an entirely new language and operating system.

More companies will adopt Linux as more trainedprofessionals become available. So long as the media embraces Micro$oft, it may take a while before Linux acheieves the foothold in the marketplace that it deserves.

Amazon's choice to change platforms worked for them, however, it is not alwaysthe economical and practical choice regardless of the money the Amazon.com saved.