Windows to Linux migration - be or not to be

Hello group,

Our company ~50 employees is growing and with it the custom application
requirements. My boss is a "Sun guy" and quite outspoken when it comes to
Windows. He constantly complains about Windows limitations, cowst, and all
the usual.

Our main servers are running Solaris and our business critical applications
(non-gui) are also written and run by most clients. However all
clients/users are running Windows environment (XP Pro/Home/98/95) with
Telnet emulator and Windows apps (Office, browser, etc.). These are
networked PCs mostly Dell desktops. The applications I develop mostly deal
with Intranet (Web server) enabling everything. This frequently requires
coming up with solutions that allow Unix > Windows client desktop
interaction. While severely limited by Windows security measures, I'm
increasingly having to come up with creative (in some cases not very
elegant) ways to achieve the above. This causes an unnecessary overhead on
all, servers, networkl and clients.

I have been toying with an idea to stear my boss towards Windows to
Unix/Linux migration of the clients but I want to do this carefully and in
stages. The most obvious objection from my boss is the necessity to re-train
everyone. Just recently he was complaining that he had to pay $300+ for his
home PC for Excel. When I suggested the OpenOffice suite, he's response was:
"I don't want to learn new app", even though I suggested that the latter is
pretty intuitive and most importantly free. You get the idea what he would
thing aboiut migrating the whole office.

I would like to ask your opinion in following areas:
1. Do you think we should fight the neverending battle to try to make the
two environments work together or bite the bullet and migrate to Linux.

2. How easy it is to remotely interract with Linux client's desktop? i.e. If
client running server app (over Telnet) issues a command, would server be
able to launch client side visible apps such as browser.

3. Would we be able to easily install Linux with GUI on the existing PCs?

4. What strategy have you (or would you) use to convince your boss to at
least give the migration a proper consideration?

5. I also want to convince myself that this is a right path, before I even
try to convince my boss. How?

I would appreciate any input especially business as opposed to emotionally
driven (no offecnce intended - as I myself have to sometimes balance the
two).

Many thanks,

Dave







.

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