[ale] Linux SuSe vs Windows 2000 Server

[James P. Kinney III]

Wow! Do you like to ask loaded questions or what?!
As nearly everyone on this group will tell, every molecule of evidence
would point toward using Linux, in ANY form, to act as a file and print
server instead of using Windows 200 Server. 

The short list:
(my apologies for providing the links to the data sources, google and
slashdot can dig them up)
TCO
Security
Stability

Linux is cheaper to use because it is built better by brighter people
who want things to work, not just meet the next marketing deadline.

Linux is more secure because is doesn't share the same disastrous
architecture that Microsoft is still lugging. As Linux is based on Unix
designs, which in turn was designed by some of the brightest people in
the world to do what is needed now (multi-user, multi-tasking, network
centric) it is simply a more robust system. Since the source code is
available for everyone to see, and fix, and improve, the security
problems that do come up are rapidly fixed. More importantly, the
security fixes on Linux systems do not usually case the domino upgrade
problem that Microsoft's fixes cause. Can you say "No Viruses"? Linux
doesn't get all the 40,000+ viruses that Microsoft machines get. Users
are just that, users. They can't break the box by accident the way the
user scheme works under Microsoft.

Many people have gone months and months with out the need to restart
their Linux box. Many Windows servers get rebooted every week "just as a
precaution against memory leaks". A friend had to relocate his Linux box
to a new building. This meant he was going to need to unplug it. His
uptime was over a year at that point. We spent two days trying to rig a
power supply that was hot attachable and portable to keep from having to
reboot. 

Then there is the fourth part. Linux works with out feeding cash into
the coffer of a criminal corporation with the morals of a cross between
Stalin and an alley cat in heat. 

On Thu, 2003-03-06 at 20:59, Laurie Anderson wrote:
> I am researching which operating system to install for a small network
> (4-6 workstations, 2 printers).  I am deciding between Windows 2000
> Server and Linux Suse.  Can anyone give me some suggestions and/or
> somewhere to go to do a comparison between the two?  The
> implementation will be in a small accounting office for file and
> printer serving.  
>  
> Thanks,
> Laurie
-- 
James P. Kinney III          \Changing the mobile computing world/
CEO & Director of Engineering \          one Linux user         /
Local Net Solutions,LLC        \           at a time.          /
770-493-8244                    \.___________________________./
http://www.localnetsolutions.com

GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics) <jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 54FC A3FE BA4D 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7 

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