A contented linux user

[Chong Yu Meng]

Actually, I have to say that in certain cases, it *is* cheaper and even 
more stable to run Microsoft than Linux or Solaris, or any kind of UNIX. 
It's generally easier to find a Sys Admin who is familiar with Windows 
than someone who is familiar with UNIX. You can't swing a dead cat in a 
roomful of technical professionals without hitting a Windows person -- 
in fact, probably everyone in the room is a Windows person, if you live 
in Singapore or any part of Southeast Asia. That person is more likely 
to be able to setup a secure Windows server and apply patches all day 
everyday (in fact, that's probably what he does, besides trying to chat 
up the secretary, making coffee and rebooting and/or re-installing 
software) and accept lower wages. What about the license fees, you ask? 
Well, the copy running on his server probably isn't even legal.

Try installing Red Hat here and you'll find :
1. The people that really know UNIX/Linux don't come cheap. You have to 
hand-hold and educate those that do not have skills in this area, and 
these people are normally reluctant learners.
2. Those that have a little knowledge in this area are the ones you need 
to watch out for, because they normally botch the software or server 
installs, resulting in a non-secure and unstable system. You will get 
lots of excuses from them, and denials -- and an unstable UNIX/Linux server!

For me, I have a few personal guidelines on the choice of going with 
Microsoft or Linux or UNIX :
1. If you have no budget, but you have a lot of time -- go with Linux. 
Because you will likely be going it alone, you need the time, and you 
don't have to ask the boss for a budget. But document everything as you 
go along, because, at some point, you will need to hand over to someone 
else.
2. If you have a small budget and some time -- go with Linux, because 
the small budget is probably for hardware only, and does not include 
software licenses. Use the time to build a system that works well with 
minimal supervision (Linux + great hardware = awesome!)
3. If you have a lot of money but very little time -- go with Microsoft, 
because you can hire a whole herd of ASP programmers and SysAdmins for 
peanuts and get up and running very quickly.
4. If you have a lot of money and a lot of time -- go with Sun or AIX 
(forget SCO!), because you can hire good people to do a good job, once 
and (hopefully) for all.

All this assumes that you know UNIX/Linux very well yourself! If you do 
not, then only option 3 will work, and you'd better be very persuasive.

Regards,
pascal chong


Bill Campbell wrote:

>On Sat, Sep 13, 2003, joel wrote:
>  
>
>>There was a lot of correspondence generated by that essay.
>>It would be nice if all linux advocates bothered to learn to use correct 
>>English grammar and spelling, but, such is life.
>>    
>>
>
>No worse than many teachers in the U.S. Government schools.
>
>  
>
>>Of more interest was the claim by one fellow that their switch to linux 
>>worked great until a couple of guys left who knew linux and then 
>>everything fell apart. He even claimed they got hit by viruses.
>>Now, how can viruses affect linux if you are running the boxes properly?
>>This one fellow sounded like he worked for a company that didn't have 
>>procedure manuals. In my place of work, a hospital, we have procedure 
>>manuals for every conceivable task.
>>    
>>
>
>The vast majority of my small-to-medium business customers running Linux
>don't have any full-time IT staff.  We provide on-line support, and rarely
>have to go on-site.
>
>Bill
>--
>INTERNET:   bill at Celestial.COM  Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC
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>
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