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Subject: Re: [H-GEN] Linux Workstation - Windows replacement
From: Darrin Mison <staeci at yahoo.com>
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[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
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Bit late I know but...

solution is pretty simple - plain vanilla window-manager (fvwm2 would be
good) with only the apps they use on the menu, probably browser, office
apps (Koffice is best I think), email (evolution not too shabby).
Rox-filer is an excellent file-manager, which non-techies should bearly
have to use anyway.  chmod -w most user config files to prevent
breakage.  Use a journaling filesystem and put aside a couple of days
for training.

Go the next step and have /home/user mounted from a file-server so if
they spit the dummy and hit reset it doesn't matter.

Explain the need to cut costs and point out that either windows goes or
they do.  I'm sure that they will understand.

Something to bear in mind: they are already going to have to learn
quirks of new apps so reduce the number of apps they have to learn. 
This can simply be done by not using a desktop cause this is another
app, or a series of apps for them to learn. Window-Manager - resize,
close, maximise, minimise, restore, move - thats it.

Generally speaking I think the only failed linux deployments are due to
people thinking they can just get a windows-alike and plop it in.  This
denies the major advantage of *nix - the ability to custom build a work
environment.

Galeon is the best browser I have ever used on any OS, but when only IE
works have a minimal requirement machine with nothing but the browser
and network connection limited to the banking site.  They wont have any
reason to fight over it. duh

Oh and as far as employees hating Linux, so what?!?  This is a business
not a playground, you will use the tools we have decided on to do your
work or you're out - pretty simple.  I don't see too many workplaces
moving to linux because their employees hate windows.


> hated it, and productivity went down fast. The IS folks' workload tripled
> overnight as the Linux newbies got stuck trying to figure out why the
> KDE/Gnome desktops were so illogical. We couldn't find a non-IE browser that
> would work with our bank's site, so bookkeeping needed a Windows PC
> regardless (which they tended to fight over, since nobody liked Linux).
> People would hit the reset button when X died or crashed, and the resulting
> fsck would take half their filesystem with it. It was a nightmare.
> 


-- 
Darrin Mison
When your only tool is a hammer, all your problems look like nails.
Homepage/PGPkey : http://members.fortunecity.com/darien/


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