[QCLUG] Linux VS MS

[David D. Bergert]

This thread and the topic relating to City Governments running linux reminds
me of this funny story regarding CentOS and City Manager of Tuttle,
Oklahoma:

http://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=127  &&
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/24/tuttle_centos/

Pretty funny stuff.

Also, I think it really comes down to the "main software application" that
an organization or municipality runs really drives the environment, and what
the vendor of that software provides, when I was last at the city downtown I
remember noting an windows system with a custom VB6 based application that
was used for online forms and printing and such. I've seen colleges and
universities run RH, Oracle, apache and java, because that is what
BlackBoard system requirements where, at some banks I see a few Unisys
Clearpath, AIX, AS/400-iSeries and a few windows systems. I've seen a savy
IT admin run a linux box with some linux based monitoring tools, nagios,
mrtg, etc.  Where I do see linux, is mostly in appliances, such as security
appliances, some soho routers/firewalls printers, with a new custom gui
wrapper and the organization knows it as a box and product, pays a pretty
penny for it, and doesn’t know (or care) about the underlying O/S.

I don't know if there is a "SugerCRM" product for the city market....

With many application webized, and lacking a fat pripority client, I see a
linux based desktop and OpenOffice a lot more viable solution, I think that
it will, and think we have seen more international governments take the lead
with linux and open source.

Would be interesting if something could be put together that shows the
community the benefits of linux and open source and how it can impact their
business, community, etc...


Cheers,

DB  

***Sent from MS Vista, because I can't current;y get by Atheros based wi-fi
card, wpa_suppliant, and Madwifi drivers working on etch, gibbon or edgy :)




From: qclug-bounces@qclug.org [mailto:qclug-bounces@qclug.org] On Behalf Of
Jim Hall
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 5:11 PM
To: qclug@qclug.org
Subject: Re: [QCLUG] Linux VS MS

On 9/13/07, John Brun <j.brun@mchsi.com> wrote:
I am not sure if there is a stigma associated with government software,
as much as there is an empire in the government that needs to be dealt
with.   Software is decided nationally.  Somebody is some office makes
the decision that "Word 2003 is now the only accepted format" and that
is that.  The govt. spends the money and gets the software.  Same goes
with operating systems.

Since the decision is based on the opinion of a handful of people then 
forced down the throats of the rest of the government entity, the
software choices are usually limed to whatever Dell, or Gateway sells.
In my experience, the software "people" who make the decision aren't 
really that knowledgeable.  They rely on the rest of us (employees at
the local offices) to do all the tech support and "fix" their problems.
The fact that Ubuntu, or SuSE, or even Windows 2000 would be better 
choices at certain offices doesn't ever come into play.  Just that we
are told how we're to be set up.  (this is exactly why we don't want
government deciding health care issues, but I'll leave that to the other 
forums)

One other thing. There are big national systems that are running on
RHEL.  I use one every day.  I am not sure what the exact reasons for
setting that system up was, ( i could guess security) but the system is 
virtually flawless.


John

Jim Hall wrote:
> Mike Robinson wrote:
>> What I've found is it always comes down to price.  People are =
always
>> surprised (and excited) when I recommend open office - free sells! 
>>
>> Once the user base is built (and large enough) you can demand
>> compatibility, which is still the short fall for open office.
>>
>> Government acceptance would help to.  I work for the DoD and =
there is 
>> still a stigma associated with open source software that would be =
nice
>> to break, as its my tax dollars being spent as well.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> On Fri, 2007-09-07 at 17:15 -0700, RK wrote: 
>>
>>>
>>> ******How can we make the non-technical users understand the
>>> ******importance of the decision?
>>>
>>> Ron
>>>
>>> --- "McKnight, Lee" < LMcKnight@bandag.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>
>
>
> The two questions above suggest: local tax payer groups? 
>
> Also, with the number of different municipalities, other
> jurisdictions, quasi-governmental organizations, and other non
> governmental organizations that interact with government in and around =

> the QC we (and I do mean "WE" -- the members of QCLUG) can surely find
> one who will give something like OOo a try, IF some of us are willing
> to hold their hands while they go through the teething process. That 
> means some on-site and some phone support availability, folks. I know
> the LUG was never intended to be a general help desk (and still
> shouldn't), BUT, if you want to change the world, you have to get your =

> hands in the dirt. I'm doing my part where I am. How many of you are
> willing to do the same, even a little bit??
>
> "Many hands make light work."
> Jim
>
> _______________________________________________ 
> 


Two observations.
1)  I'm not so sure that what the City of Davenport runs is determined in
D.C. BTW, part of their system was/is UNIX.
2)  RHEL is, if I'm not mistaken, a "support by customer pay" version of Red
Hat. There are the expected contracts and "pick up the phone and someone
comes". The reason governments and almost all businesses except "Mom & Pops"
love this system is because (as you said), they are not knowledgeable. And,
far more importantly, they are not culpable if and when it breaks; but will
take the credit if it works. So it's much the safer thing for their careers.

At any rate, we are really only able to deal with the greater QC area. I
hope that's an easier nut to crack.

Jim

-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and 
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is 
believed to be clean.