Linux Operating Systems Proposal

To make our company great we should choose to incorporate Linux with all of our desktop and servers. For our desktop hosts I suggest that we should choose Ubuntu Linux. I believe that this Operating system is dependable and should last the test of time. Users whom are familiar with Windows should feel comfortable with Ubuntu and if the change seems too drastic for some users the option to go with Kubuntu may seem a better choice. Kubuntu is made to replicate a more windows look so users whom are more accustomed to windows may prefer the look and feel of kubuntu instead. Both operating systems are identical as far as usability, options and performance.

Ubuntu comes with its own office applications that are very similar to Microsoft office so users whom are used to Microsoft office should have no problem adapting to Ubuntu’s version like Libre Office. A great benefit of this is that Ubuntu already has these office apps installed within the O.S. so there is no cost for installation when compare to the Microsoft office sweet which approximately at the time of the writing is about 75 dollars per machine.

The installation process for Ubuntu is simple and can be done in minutes. Ubuntu does not need as much hardware requirements when compared to windows. Windows 7 requires a minimum of 1000 MHz processor with 1GB of RAM, while Ubuntu requires a minimum of 700 MHz processor with 384MB RAM. In fact, if we install Ubuntu on systems that may have had windows on them before we should see quite the computing performance gain. This leads to faster boot up times and higher performing machines when compared to windows.

Ubuntu’s first came into production in 2004 and has gained much popularity in office environments and even more popular amongst Linux users. Since its first debut Ubuntu has done more to simplify its installation to make it more of a better choice in deployment in an office work environment. For those who have ever installed windows will notice that Ubuntu follows the same easy steps such as just checking boxes of settings that will apply for the end users such as time zones, passwords, domains, internet connectivity, and keyboard configuration. Also, just like windows, during the install one could check the box that will let Ubuntu check for updates automatically which will make servicing end hosts machines easier. Keeping up with the newest updates is a vital role when insuring the usability and performance of your computer.

Ubuntu has been designed to take all other Linux distributions and combine them into one fluid like operating system that emphasizes easy usability. Ubuntu is not designed to give the most maximum control over the system but that is what the command line shell is for. The shell or command line operates under standard Linux language and users whom are familiar with the Linux language should find the shell to be very suitable.

The installation of third part vendors is also easy and very similar when compared to windows operating systems. Just check the boxes which apply and designate the destination for which you would like the application to go and click install after agreeing to the terms. Pretty standard. This feature is very popular and loved amongst Ubuntu users and should be no problem for our end users.

Security for Ubuntu Linux is top notch when compared to a windows environment because there are not many scripts writers out there who create hacks and viruses for Linux machines. This will lead to less costs for antivirus software and firewall software. Any administrator can tell you how quickly antivirus software can add up when deployed onto a network scale and still can be easily infected because there are just so many scripts and viruses designed to punch holes in windows running antivirus. Since Ubuntu is an open source operating system created by the community, the community has done the share on making Ubuntu bulletproof when compared to the security of windows.

The biggest upside when choosing to switch into a Linux based system is cost. Since Ubuntu Linux is created by the community it is, of course, Free. Now on the other hand, Windows 7 usually ranges from $100 to $300 depending on the version of windows and that is per host machine. This will save the company an exponential amount of money when compared to a windows network. When Business’s main goal is to make money I believe this is the point that usually hits home when presented.

As far as an operating system for our server my first choice is CentOS Linux. This is a popular brand that is being used globally by many large scale companies such as Google, PayPal, EBay and Facebook. CentOS stands for Community Enterprise Operating System. Just like Ubuntu and all other Linux distributions CentOS is created by the community has been well tuned over the years through their updates. CentOS is a clone of Red hat which has also been a popular OS in the server market. As of right now CentOS is the second most popular web server OS to date according to Wikipedia. CentOS is easy when upgrading which is important to keep in mind for future compatibility and in the business world we must always keep our eye on the future of the company. SSH gives selected end users the ability to access the server from another location securely considering many times the server area may be far away from a user needing access to it.

Cent OS dominates the industry with its ability for web hosting which many companies to date are largely using for employee, client, and customer use. If we plan on doing in web hosting within our company then CentOS should be a definite choice for us. As a large company our goals for our network hardware should be reliability and productivity and we should follow others whom are leading the industry as far as their computer software in which they are mostly using CentOS. CentOS will give us all the documentation, tools and global resources to ensure that our systems will run effortlessly and in a fluid network manner. Linux in general is known to produce less problem when compared to a windows server environment and CentOS is the best Linux server OS around to date.

Since CentOS uses RPM packages from Red hat this means that the migration should be smooth and easy if we choose to ever go to red hat in the future. Considering most commercial software uses RPMs this should be another deciding factor when choosing to go with CentOS.

When it comes to servers one must always keep in my the sense of stability considering the amount of work servers do and the length of time they are on which for the most part is all the time except during maintenance. CentOS has proved to be very stable because of its timely updates and patches which will fix known problems that may occur in deployment over complex networks. This leads to less down time for our servers and less time with maintenance.

The community with CentOS is very knowledgeable since it’s based on the I.T. community consisting of scripts writers, network administrators, and programmers. So in general it’s an Operating system designed by professionals trying to create the perfect free operating system. The guidance the community can give can be on their own operating system can be vast and full of useful information in creating your own business network. Just Google your question and one could receive a plethora of useful tips and help.

My second choice for our server Operating system is another Linux OS called Fedora Linux. Fedora Linux is designed as a general purpose flavor of Linux. This operating system is based on a six month release cycle under the fedora project. The fedora project is an open source always free to use source that is designed by the community for the community. Fedora, as of now, is the second most used Linux distribution following Ubuntu which is my primary choice for our desktop systems. There are many different versions of the fedora project such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the One Laptop per Child Project which has been a big statement to help educate the children of the world.

Fedora can be installed over a network using NTFS, FTP, or HTTP protocols. Just like other common supported operating systems Fedora Can be installed by simply popping in a cd or jump drive and following the prompts and answering some questions about how you would like to deploy the product. Fedora has a great set of values which has gained in popularity amongst the community. These values are Freedom, Friends, and Features first. The main goal of fedora is to provide the world with free software to help connect us all together under a strong foundation of community based software made to work very reliably. The people whom create the fedora project are people who want to create a great Operating system and not forced to make one which can lead to strong motivation to create and be unique with their own design. For example, instead of building tools to help NVidia drivers, Fedora invested in Nouveau, the free 3d drivers for NVIDIA cards. In my opinion, this is very admirable and shows the determination of the creators designing a product for the greater good of the community which is rare in today’s money driven market.

Another great value of fedora is that fedora only fixes bugs to stable releases rather than releasing new features that have not been tested thoroughly enough. This cannot be said in a windows environment in which we the people are they’re beta testers and fixes are only released after we, the community, have made enough complaints. In general, applications like Firefox and Libre Office get major updates that make them seamless and error free.

In conclusion, I believe these three Operating systems have their Upsides. If we choose at least any of the three whether it is Fedora, Ubuntu, or CentOS our company should see a large benefit as far as network reliability, performance, and cost as well as the free community support. As long as we can leave behind the costly shackles of Microsoft windows and server and start entertaining the idea of using Linux within the company we start seeing immediate growth in our company’s future within our structured networks and web hosting.

Work Cited:

1. Diaz. R (2008) Reduce Costs and Improve Business Performance with Linux. © 2008 Intuit Inc.
http://http-download.intuit.com/http.intuit/CMO/qbes/resources/pdfs/QuickBooks_Enterprise_Solutions_Linux_Advantage.pdf 2. Yegulalp, S. (June 7, 2010) The Leading Enterprise Linux Vendors. Copyright 2014 QuinStreet Inc. http://www.datamation.com/osrc/article.php/3886276/The-Leading-Enterprise-Linux-Vendors.htm