Living (and dying) with Linux in the workplace

Transition issues and how to solve them

Whether you're a seasoned admin looking to move other users from Windows to Linux, or a Windows user looking to investigate a Vista alternative, you're likely to encounter some snags. Here are some issues I encountered when trying to make the switch:

Does my hardware work? One of the major frustrations of moving to Linux is getting deep into the transition, only to discover that a favorite device (iPod, PalmPilot) won't connect properly. If you're an admin at a company where nonstandard hardware can be connected to your corporate network, you'll save a lot of headaches if you inventory users about such hardware in advance before trying to move them to Linux. If you're an end user, you might save yourself some aggravation by doing your own inventory, followed by a Web search to see if there are any known issues.

Another possible step before going through a full Linux installation is to download a "live" CD or DVD version of Linux, burn it and then boot up off the disc. You'll have a working Linux system where you can try to connect to your network, printers, handhelds and so on. Both openSUSE and Ubuntu have live CD/DVD versions available for free download.

Will my applications work? Inventory all the applications you have to have, plus all the ones you'd like to have. Will they run on Linux? If the application's vendor/publisher doesn't support Linux but the software supposedly runs using something like CrossOver Linux, definitely test it first before assuming that's an answer.

If your applications won't run on Linux, either natively or jury-rigged, are there similar applications that will satisfy user needs? If so, what's the learning curve? If not, are you willing to consider the licensing and support costs of using dual-boot systems or desktop virtualization?

Where's my stuff? As a Linux/Unix admin or user, you may be so used to directories like bin and lib that you don't give them a second thought. But trust me, most Windows users who've never seen an *x system will blanch at that collection of unfamiliar file names. If you're an admin, make sure to give your users a cheat sheet of what the important folders are, how to navigate to them and how to find equivalents to Windows folders, such as Program Files and My Documents.

If you're a new end user, you may find useful information about this on your distro's Web site or in a book such as SAM's Linux Starter Kit, or online (try FreeOS.com or Red Hat). A Linux Forums post also includes a brief nod to the difference in Windows and Linux paths.

Should users have root access? This one is workplace-specific, since you'd obviously give yourself full access to your own home system. On the job here, my "admin" decided I should test the setup without having root privileges. I wasn't very happy about it. Without being able to access YaST, I was unable to do things like check system status or download and install some security patches. I suspect some of these barriers could be addressed by adding privileges to a nonroot user.

You might get the same level of displeasure restricting admin privileges on a Windows system, but on top of the move to an unfamiliar operating system, reining in power users' abilities is likely to add to general new technology grumpiness. If you're rolling out multiple Linux desktops, investigate whether there are ways to give users added access without compromising security. And if you decide to keep people out of YaST, make sure to tell them why and who they need to talk to when they've got needs requiring root-level access.

Sharon Machlis is Computerworld's online managing editor in the U.S.