I've done a couple of office setups for Linux desktops.  Both we just set 
up a deployment server, and wrote a handful of boot-floppies using RH's 
python install script.  In both cases, we were handling quite disparate 
systems, Dells, Gateways, White-Boxes ...

New computer, just connect the wires, insert floppy, boot, coffee break, 
reboot and start working.  The odd system needed X adjusted.  Piece of 
cake.  Not a lot different from Solaris kick-start rollouts, but easier.  
(and I'll admit that this would have been a LOT more work a year ago, the 
distro's have come a long way in terms of hardware support and ease of 
installation.

>From the various articles I've read over the past couple of years, this is 
a very typical experience.

- tom e.
------------

On Wed, 3 Jul 2002, Gary Nichols wrote:

Well said!

I want to bring up a point that has not been addressed to a full extent - 
deployment.  Any entity that has over 100+ desktops is typically using 
some type of rapid deployment tool.  These tools use images that contain 
the OS, software apps, everything pre-configured and ready to rock and 
roll.  Similar to you buying a $PEE-CEE from $MAJOR-VENDOR and turning it 
on for the first time.

We need to ask the county about their hardware environment.  Are all their 
machines the same?  What's the lifespan of a workstation/server in the 
county?  

If everyone has the same desktop (like at $MY-EMPLOYER), conversion to 
Linux/BSD would be a snap - you make one image pre-configured and working, 
roll it out department by department and BLAM! Bye-bye Windows.

If the county has a mish-mash of deployed machines, this could add to the 
adoption costs - and add headaches.  We need to provide suggested 
solutions in this case.  

Gary



On Wed, 3 Jul 2002, George Toft wrote:
> 
> The goal is to teach users how to point and click a slightly different
> GUI, not how to become admins, or even command line warriors.  The
> largest labor expense will be in defining a workable desktop environment
> that is robust enough to provide what the county needs, yet be secure
> enough to thwart the tinkerers, and power user wannabe's.

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