Write Access
Write Access

© Stefan Habersack, Fotolia
Switching to Linux
I am the network administrator, help desk, and backup operator for a small company with fewer than 100 computers. I think my company would benefit from using Linux instead of M$, however, my road blocks are the end users (some of whom don't even know how to use Windows), my boss, and our mission-critical application. As a personal project, I have implemented CentOS at work running Nagios, and it has been working well so far. Currently we are running M$ servers, and this will likely not change in the near future because we have a server application that is only available for Windows and would not be supported by the software vendors if it were installed on anything else. This application also has a Windows-only client that would be another road block. Is there a product (Windows- or Linux-based) that can stream (virtualize) a windows application to a Linux box?
Jeff Gillivan
LM
We can throw some general answers your way – some of which you might already know – but a more detailed response would require more detailed knowledge of your network. The Linux environment offers several tools for interfacing Linux systems with Windows servers. I'm not sure whether any of them will help in your case. Rdesktop (http://www.rdesktop.org/) is an open source Linux client for Windows terminal servers. Technologies such as Virtual Network Computing (VNC) offer GUI-based screen sharing and remote control.
If your server application is based on a web services model, you might be able to create a Linux client app without too much difficulty, but if it is a hard-coded Windows client-server application, virtualization might be your best option. Several virtualization tools provide varying degrees of support for Windows guest systems running on Linux, including Xen 3.0, VMware, and KVM. A simpler and lower-tech alternative is to set up a dual-boot system, which most Linux installers will do automatically if Windows is present on the hard drive.
IPCop
I am a big fan of Linux Magazine, and I try to get a copy every month. I bought a copy in January (Issue 98, January 2009). Page 98 stated that Issue 99 (February 2009) will feature the IPCop Linux firewall distribution. I bought that issue, but unfortunately, I was very disappointed to find that the IPCop article was missing. I was just wondering if that was an omission, or if there was indeed an article on IPCop that I overlooked. I live in Botswana, where magazines don't come cheap, and it is very frustrating to buy a copy only to find that it does not have what it was supposed to have. I would like to know if you will ever cover anything on IPCop.
Kay Jay
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
-
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Beta Now Available
The final version of the Leap 15 series of openSUSE is available for beta testing and offers only new software versions.
-
Linux Kernel 6.2 Released with New Hardware Support
Find out what's new in the most recent release from Linus Torvalds and the Linux kernel team.