Migrating to Linux in a business or large user environment

Every once in a while we see discussions on the method and manner of migrating from one Operating System to Linux.

It's fun and enthusiastic to suggest going wholesale change across the board. If nothing else, just saying it, entertaining the notion, is an emotional vent, especially if you've been frustrated with issues.

However, there comes a time when practicality must dictate the terms of our actions, along with responsibility and rationality.

If one wants to implement a new OS, it's most practical to seed it in. Unless your company or group was planning a a rollout of new machines across the board, then there's no reason to go in changing everything just for the sake of wanting a change.

Instead, plan the implementation. Make sure you have tested and investigated all the distros and applications you will need or want to make it work in your environment. Taking your time up front will minimize your headaches afterwards.

As you plan to replace machines in the natural course of turnover, implement the new Distro on the incoming machines. Seed them in among the existing older machines. This will allow users to at least become familiar with the appearance and discussion of the new OS with the people who will be using it.

This also gives your IT staff the opportunity to observe the interaction of the new distro "live" It's one thing to plan in a lab or shop, it's something else to roll it out live.

Linux can be a tremendous addition to a work environment. With the 'right" distro and set of tools, it can fill in without a hitch. One of the reasons for that is the ability to modify almost every aspect of the interaction between the user and the desktop environment.

Let the geeks and nerds fight out what they think a Linux desktop "should" look like. When you need to make it productive, work toward your user base. Modify the menus and desktop so it looks like what they will be comfortable with it. Regardless if it "looks" like Windows or OS X or any other OS interface out there. How it looks isn't as important as productivity. Will users sit down and be 'comfortable' with it enough to use it?

If you try to force your own idea down their throats, ( "You're going to use default Gnome and like it!") All that will happen is your users will rebel and feel uncomfortable with what they are using.

In the end, if you want to experience the full effect of using Linux and other open source software in your business, you have to be willing to be flexible.

The Linux "community" is infamous for it's little heated exchanges over which desktop environment is "better" or which distro is least like MS.

This has no place in a business setting.

Your business is cars or widgets or real estate or health insurance or whatever. Let the techs worry about what goes on "underneath" and let your data entry and sales reps and receptionists, etc worry about actually "using" the system.