I've done a couple of office setups for Linux desktops. Both we just set
up a deployment server, and wrote a handful of boot-floppies using RH's
python install script. In both cases, we were handling quite disparate
systems, Dells, Gateways, White-Boxes ...
New computer, just connect the wires, insert floppy, boot, coffee break,
reboot and start working. The odd system needed X adjusted. Piece of
cake. Not a lot different from Solaris kick-start rollouts, but easier.
(and I'll admit that this would have been a LOT more work a year ago, the
distro's have come a long way in terms of hardware support and ease of
installation.
>From the various articles I've read over the past couple of years, this is
a very typical experience.
- tom e.
------------
On Wed, 3 Jul 2002, Gary Nichols wrote:
Well said!
I want to bring up a point that has not been addressed to a full extent -
deployment. Any entity that has over 100+ desktops is typically using
some type of rapid deployment tool. These tools use images that contain
the OS, software apps, everything pre-configured and ready to rock and
roll. Similar to you buying a $PEE-CEE from $MAJOR-VENDOR and turning it
on for the first time.
We need to ask the county about their hardware environment. Are all their
machines the same? What's the lifespan of a workstation/server in the
county?
If everyone has the same desktop (like at $MY-EMPLOYER), conversion to
Linux/BSD would be a snap - you make one image pre-configured and working,
roll it out department by department and BLAM! Bye-bye Windows.
If the county has a mish-mash of deployed machines, this could add to the
adoption costs - and add headaches. We need to provide suggested
solutions in this case.
Gary
On Wed, 3 Jul 2002, George Toft wrote:
>
> The goal is to teach users how to point and click a slightly different
> GUI, not how to become admins, or even command line warriors. The
> largest labor expense will be in defining a workable desktop environment
> that is robust enough to provide what the county needs, yet be secure
> enough to thwart the tinkerers, and power user wannabe's.
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