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I have and it isnt pretty.
You dont need an extensive support staff for linux if you know what you are doing. I have a number of Linux boxes I dont have to do anything to. I have totally aoutmated everything on those boxes. from upgrading software compiling/installing of the kernel to updating the config files in /etc. And they run all of the standard Local/SMB programs that my windows boxes do.

Now the windows boxes whether it be 9x,2k,XP are constantly screwing up. IE gets corrupted, Norton AV stops working, etc.

I have the most automated windows infrastructure you can think of. I have deployed Norton corporate for the workstations and Symantec anit-virus filtering for MS Exchange plus Microsoft Software Update Services to keep everything up to date.

In addition to this I have set up group policy to modify permissions on files of known virus files such as msblast.exe I deny everyone even system and there is no way the file can run.

The main problem is My network is made up of 2000+ computers and spans 14 remote sites. To top it all of it is an educational institution which to the best of my efforts refuses to set forth any guidelines or consecuenses.

They let them bring thier personal laptops in and use them on the network. They buy computers that they set up that never comes through my office. So there are quite a few variables that are out of my control.

Before I worked here I thought Windows was tops, but after seeing all of the problems with windows I have changed my tune. I straight up hated linux not even a year ago. But the more I saw in the windows world and all of its problems I thought ?they should be paying us for this crap?.

All of the money MS charges for windows XP Server 2003 SMB CAL Exchange CAL Terminal Services CAL Office, etc can all be had with Linux at absolutely no charge what so ever.

I however do feel the need to support my Distribution so I buy a CD for each workstation at a minimal charge of $15.00 US. That covers tthe OS and all apps. Whether I want a workstation or if I set it up on a poweredge with 4 Processors.

Lets put it this way how much extra bandwidth do you think the average DLS ISP needs to buy because of infected windows computers? Windows is just a big wast of money unless you have a nice little protected LAN, which is pretty rare.
Posted by: Suicida|   Posted on: 12/14/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Because the hardware can't handle the bloat  Aphelion | 12/12/03
True, my old 386 won't run Win95 either.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
Funny..  Patrick Jones | 12/12/03
See, I KNEW Linux...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
Of course  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/12/03
Yes...  Patrick Jones | 12/13/03
Go to bed.  beafeater | 02/03/04
point is ~ it will run a thin client just fine.  Aphelion | 12/12/03
True, if you want to drive a model 'T'  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
Minor bone to pick...  Michael Kelly | 12/12/03
Exactly  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/12/03
I am not sure what you consider as serious computing needs?  B.O.F.H. | 12/12/03
I know.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 12/12/03
Thin clients are not the whole answer  ddave_z | 12/15/03
Model T?  markp1950 | 12/20/03
God you annoy me.  beafeater | 02/03/04
Re: thin clients  frankblank | 12/15/03
what's the source of th eproblem?  ryusen | 12/15/03
I had a 386 running Windows 2000 Pro  voska | 12/12/03
Slick?  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 12/12/03
Old O/S  CodeBubba | 12/12/03
No, actually, you're wrong  zd-spam | 12/14/03
Re: No, actually, you're wrong  sonicmaze | 12/15/03
Huh?  CAJonesIT | 12/15/03
Yes, there is "apoint"  Beatrix Kiddo | 12/13/03
Makes for a Dull Ax[e]  CAJonesIT | 12/15/03
How about this?  Mark Gist | 12/15/03
No intelligence from the 12 year old.  beafeater | 02/03/04
It's ALL about WPAggravation...  moiety | 12/13/03
Time for those machines to go.  Suicida| | 12/13/03
Time for those machines to go?  jelindley | 12/15/03
Microsot's biggest competator  MarcB_z | 12/12/03
MS OS's are a joke  Suicida| | 12/13/03
I'd go MS in a second  John Zern | 12/13/03
I have and it isnt pretty.  Suicida| | 12/14/03
Productivity in the NON-M$ Environment  CAJonesIT | 12/15/03
Nothing to do with Java...  prime21 | 12/12/03
5 year old support  Ardian Daka | 12/12/03
if you pay, they will support it...  ryusen | 12/15/03
Re: Old Solaris vs Old Windows  Rabid Conservative | 12/16/03
Re: Nothing to do with Java...  Suicida| | 12/13/03
DOS is boss...  moiety | 12/12/03
Probably not....  Bob/Paul | 12/12/03
yeah, uh huh...  moiety | 12/13/03
Who cares.  Suicida| | 12/13/03
DOS is best  in-DUH-vidual | 12/12/03
Microsoft screwing customers, forcing upgrades.  DonnieBoy | 12/12/03
Where is the gun?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
What if you need a security fix?  DonnieBoy | 12/12/03
I see, they WANT the benefits of...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
Benifits, no, compatibility, yes, support, yes, security, yes  DonnieBoy | 12/12/03
Those ARE benefits.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/15/03
Great strategy, don't do anything nice for customers!!  DonnieBoy | 12/15/03
Then they're screwed  Bob/Paul | 12/12/03
RE: Then they're screwed  JakAttak | 12/12/03
screwed? how about braindead  lotta_anger | 12/13/03
Amen, brother...  IT_Firefighter | 12/15/03
Correction  IT_Firefighter | 12/15/03
exactly  cdt657 | 12/12/03
The "gun" is discontinued support  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/12/03
The Gun is at the head of the OEM's  Aphelion | 12/12/03
Name the OEM.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
RE: Name the OEM.  JakAttak | 12/12/03
I see, you confused cheap with available.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/12/03
Forced sale  boulder | 12/13/03
Of course not  voska | 12/12/03
Not really  Suicida| | 12/14/03
Windowless PC  copygod74 | 12/15/03
Read the article.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 12/12/03
not the Vulnerability but the Severity  Suicida| | 12/14/03
"the gun"  ryusen | 12/15/03
Security issues?  Mopsey | 12/12/03
Most secure windoze serving...  moiety | 12/12/03
Re: Security issues?  rthorat@... | 12/12/03
I question the aquracy  dg mh | 12/12/03
XP  Ardian Daka | 12/12/03
That's what we did  voska | 12/12/03
What can't it be right?  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/12/03
Don't tell me...  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 12/12/03
Xp isn't looking like...  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/12/03
done?  Ardian Daka | 12/12/03
Who's fooling who?  Aphelion | 12/12/03
Exactly  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/12/03
fool  Bob/Paul | 12/12/03
And you are  John Zern | 12/13/03
Your post shows it doing better then ever  John Zern | 12/13/03
Linux access to Google  Dwight Hebert | 12/15/03
serilously.  ryusen | 12/15/03
Windows 98 is not the real story here...  BitTwiddler | 12/12/03
Seriously...  Patrick Jones | 12/12/03
A format Office 2000 will not read  CAJonesIT | 12/15/03
I'm afraid you're right.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 12/12/03
MS Financed FUD!!  Eggs Ackley_z | 12/12/03
Why is everyone always so wrong?  Bob/Paul | 12/12/03
You're wrong too...  boulder | 12/13/03
I Talked to MS and they said  John Zern | 12/13/03
who did you speak too?  JWatson77 | 12/14/03
I think you better talk again.  zd-spam | 12/14/03
Lesson here is inertia  Anton Philidor | 12/12/03
Absolutely right - it's planned obsolescence...  IT_User | 12/12/03
You're kidding, right?!  Anton Philidor | 12/13/03
If it's not broke don't fix it  voska | 12/15/03
Can some lawyers please confirm this?  toomuchgreeatea@... | 12/12/03
Don't think so...  Bob/Paul | 12/12/03
WinXP a mediocrity  michael-t | 12/12/03
Oh yeah sure.  DO_z | 12/12/03
Oh, really  boulder | 12/13/03
You seem a little smarter than the other two.  DO_z | 12/15/03
It's OK; you will survive.  michael-t | 12/13/03
Yet another clueless one.  DO_z | 12/15/03
Just because you're a moron  zd-spam | 12/14/03
Can you read?  DO_z | 12/15/03
No Unix World, No Windows World  bobmepp@... | 12/13/03
Only a Matrix world  kray_z | 12/13/03
That IS the problem  michael-t | 12/13/03
Another wishfull thinker?  John Zern | 12/13/03
patching  michael-t | 12/14/03
Not Until Linux/Unix Is Supported  terry@... | 12/15/03
90% of the Apps I use I've found are on Linux too  voska | 12/15/03
Your Circle of Friends  JimSatterfieldW | 12/15/03
I'd say 3 year but for a differnt reason  voska | 12/15/03
Whatever  M1A1A8MG | 12/12/03
Are You Serious?  Don Bradley | 12/12/03
Serious as a heart attack  Aphelion | 12/12/03
So Much, Yet So Little  Don Bradley | 12/12/03
DRM really IS a threat to your computing experience !!!  boulder | 12/13/03
Boulder, Boulder!  Don Bradley | 12/13/03
You don't know what you 're talking about  boulder | 12/14/03
Have you had you head in the sand?  Rick_K | 12/14/03
IMAGINE THE HASSLE  JWatson77 | 12/14/03
Seems he knows....  Rick_K | 12/14/03
Only 1 Problem  voska | 12/15/03
I agree with M1  Chad_z | 12/13/03
That's Your Prerogative  Don Bradley | 12/13/03
Product activation limits your rights  boulder | 12/14/03
Actually  Don Bradley | 12/14/03
I just figured it out  Chad_z | 12/13/03
Hmmm..  MajikMyst | 12/14/03
Have you been smoking crack?  Rick_K | 12/14/03
There was no Microsoft Java VM  FirstNLastN | 12/12/03
Licesenced from Sun  Bob/Paul | 12/12/03
what?  JWatson77 | 12/14/03
They are scrambling to get off MS Java perhaps because .NET is superior?  balsover | 12/15/03
Those pushing for newer or alternative  FilledOut | 12/12/03
again 2nd party apps  Arrg | 12/12/03
Out with the old in with the new  enterprises7@... | 12/12/03
Recycling  CAJonesIT | 12/15/03
Users stick with Win 98 because they don't want Activation or DRM  Plain Logic | 12/12/03
Better off with 2000 Pro  DarthRidiculous | 12/12/03
RE: Better off with 2000 Pro  Iain_Peters | 12/13/03
too late  JWatson77 | 12/14/03
DRM aint so bad...  voska | 12/15/03
Win98 is better suported  nite_w0lf | 12/13/03
users cling to old microsoft operating systems  gradyoliver | 12/13/03
Not saying you're wrong, but...  Anton Philidor | 12/13/03
We have the same problem  Arrg | 12/15/03
Why not use VMWARE or Virtual PC  boulder | 12/13/03
My customers are mad this time  Chad_z | 12/13/03
Free choice  boulder | 12/13/03
Us Win3x Users Can Get By  cmh510@... | 12/13/03
I'm Trying  Don Bradley | 12/13/03
One word "macintosh"  DarthRidiculous | 12/14/03
This Is Pure BS and FUD  Wizard57M | 12/13/03
Why do Linux users think they speak for the masses?  John Zern | 12/13/03
Regarding Comparing Automobiles and Computers  Wizard57M | 12/14/03
The diffence with the car industry and puter industry is  voska | 12/15/03
Can't really compare MS, Apple, Sun, and others to cars  FilledOut | 12/15/03
a few points  voska | 12/15/03
who's speaking?  ryusen | 12/16/03
Avoid buggy .net stuff!  George Mitchell | 12/14/03
Are you even a programmer?  sdk_z | 12/14/03
Is this the equivilant of a blue screen in Windows?  George Mitchell | 12/14/03
What makes you think that Apache web servers do not crash?  balsover | 12/15/03
No, it's not.  sdk_z | 12/15/03
Windows98 R.I.P  ghandalf | 12/14/03
RE: security risk...  caktus | 12/15/03
more to the point  JWatson77 | 12/14/03
Why is it that..  supercharlie | 12/14/03
Fertile Ground for Linux  km4hr@... | 12/15/03
I agree, except ...  bobpcomputer | 12/15/03
Warranties are a sometime thing  peterdee_z | 12/15/03
don't need an IT specialist  McWoman | 12/15/03
XP Device Drivers not available  Old Timer_z | 12/15/03
Device drivers are the responsibility of the hardware vendor  balsover | 12/15/03
Using Old OS's  bobpcomputer | 12/15/03
That's not the law  voska | 12/15/03
RE: That's not the law...Seem I read  caktus | 12/15/03
3rd party distribution of WIN98  bobpcomputer | 12/16/03
Where is the problem? Don't upgrade; stop whining  balsover | 12/15/03
Microsoft ends support for Windows 98 Response  donald.coe@... | 12/15/03
Old OSs  Jeff_RL | 12/15/03
Windows 98 sucks  JoeMama_z | 12/15/03
reply to: Windows 98 sucks  bobpcomputer | 12/16/03
How many proprietary software makers  FilledOut | 12/17/03
XP may be the end of the line.  kiddpeat | 12/22/03

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