Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2008-07-17T17:18:26Z

Open Source is so much more in line with the library philosophy than Windows. We are still an all-Windows shop, but I have had excellent experiences with open source software like Open Office and Gimp. I get so tired of hearing about the Gates "charity." Gifts of Widows-based equipment is not charity - it's marketing.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2008-04-04T03:39:10Z

Although we still have a plethora of Windows machines running throughout our facility, we too are slowly switching to Linux. We are looking at openSUSE, basically because it integrates easily with our Novell network. Our current hang-up on going all Linux is our Windows dependent ILS -- machines that require a staff client will remain Windows until we migrate to a platform independent ILS (or purchase an expensive license for our ILS Web-client).

I have found that openSUSE is just as easy to work with as Ubuntu. It is also easy to make the switch from Windows to openSUSE. Other staff that have moved from Windows to Linux have not expressed any frustrations with the switch.

I will admit that if you like to tweak things, or install lots of different applications, sometimes Linux can be a little more challenging. This may be a result of coming from the Windows environment that I've used for so many years; nevertheless, in Linux, I have needed to fine tune things in the terminal mode from time to time which I never found myself doing back in the Windows days. This doesn't bother me. However a novice computer user may find working with the command line quite bothersome and antiquated.

Overall though, I would say make the switch to Linux, so long as productivity stays the same or increases, costs are reduced, and staff and customers can navigate the operating system effortlessly.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-12T10:13:43Z

Thanks for this, mwynn. I'll pass it on.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-11T20:46:03Z

I have one "windows" only program that **Wine would not let me install. I purchased a program called Crossover by Codeweavers that is able to create a "windows bubble" or they call it bottle that allows windows only applications to run on linux.

I was able to get education prices and paid $49.95 for the "pro" version. I get support for a year and each year after for an annual fee of $35.00. It is the only thing I have had to purchase because of incompatible windows applications. It was very quick to install.

**Wine: Wine Is Not an Emulator. While the name sometimes appears in the forms "WINE" and "wine", the project developers have agreed to standardize on the form "Wine". Wine is a project which aims to allow a PC with an x86 architecture processor running a Unix-like operating system and the X Window System to execute programs that were originally written for Microsoft Windows.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-11T19:30:07Z

We're thinkin' about it ... the issue has much to do with what Sirsi does (and forces our consortium to do). The new Java client won't run on Linux. So far.

Anyway, I can state with some positive emotion that my 13 year old son installed Ubuntu and is quite happy with it. This is to say that there should be no fear of uber-geekish complexity for us librarian types. ;-)

Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-11T19:21:04Z

We did it!!

Not Vista - E. U.

Linux - Yeah!

Our library is all Linux. Our staff and public access computers are Ubuntu Dapper Drake 6.06 and my web server is Debian Sarge. Our patrons are very happy with the speed and that the blue screen of death is no more. I also saved a ton of money by going with open source. We have Open Office on all machines and the patrons love it because they can open and save documents in so many formats.

I was at a crossroads with purchasing new computers. We were using P1s and P2s with windows 98. Then in July 2006 microsoft stated they would no longer support 98. That meant we were going to have to buy windows xp for 6 computers. Then the vista thing started. How long would xp be supported? My guess would be 3 - 5 years at the most and then abandoned. Then I realized that the computers we currently had were not capable of running xp (not enough memory or processor speed). They would never work with vista. What to do?

I ran across Ubuntu when I was reading my news on digg.com and I was intrigued. So I downloaded the iso and installed it on an abandoned 500 Mhz (slower than P1) machine that I had put together in 1999. It worked. Not just worked but worked better than the 2.3 Ghz windows xp pro computer sitting right beside it.

I was sold.

That was in November 2006. Our library is currently running Linux in March 2007. I was able to get 9 new computers using Linux instead of 3 or 4 using windows vista. Not only that but I don't have to spend additional money on filters, (free - Dansguardian) or Virus protection software, or adware protection or word processor or spreadsheet or .... you get my drift.

I know I made a really good decision to work with Linux instead of microsoft for my library. It is so nice to be free of the choke hold that microsoft had on us. The beauty is also that in a few years, vista will be sucking up more and more resources on your hardware. Their solution will be to release the next generation of windows. It is not going to get better. It will simply become more -- bloated! (My name for microsoft ware is "bloatware")

I don't have to purchase new machines to work with the operating system. The operating system works for me. If I get new computers it will be because I need a new computer not because I have to meet microsoft's expectations.

I encourage anyone here to investigate and research Linux. It is not as scary as you think. Several of the issues that I ran into were because I was thinking in "windowese" where you go around your elbow to get to your thumb to get things done. Linux is very logical and once you know the commands, it is portable to any version or "flavor" of Linux you use. And the same commands that are used now are the same commands that were used years ago. Once you know it you don't have to constantly relearn it.

One other thing. Linux is true multitasking. It really uses the resources of your machine the way it was meant to be. In Ubuntu you can have 4 work spaces. This is like having 4 separate places to have applications doing their thing. A click of the mouse is all it takes to go from one workspace to another.

And another thing. Security issues. I have my public access machines set up with two users. One for staff so we can make changes and add applications, then I have another for patrons that is very limited. If they try to get into something they are not supposed to, Linux won't let them because they don't have the right privilages. Setting these up was so easy.

Anyway, I have to stop here and get some work done. If you have questions post here and let me know.

I recommend Ubuntu for public access and staff computers because it has a desktop that is very easy to navigate. It is installed from a CD just like any other software. If you just can't let go of windos, then you can have a dual boot machine where you decide which operating system to use.

It would be nice if there was a separate section on the discussion board just for Linux. I did a search and found very little here regarding Linux. I hope to hear from others who have made the flying leap to freedom. You are out there. I cannot be the only one. Let me hear from you!!