Thanx and Linux

[Mike Tibor]

On Sat, 19 Dec 1998 Jeff Papier wrote:

> Now an informal survey:  don't want to start the next holy war here,
> but...I'm a Linux user at home.  Our library uses NT 4.0 Server, with
> glances towards the impending 5.0.  How many libraries out there are
> using Linux, or some other Unix flavor, to network their PC's, provide
> Internet connectivity, firewalls, etc?  Who's using Unix plus NT?  How
> about NT alone?

We use Linux for web, dns, ftp, email lists and proxy services right
now, and I'm extremely happy with it.  We're using Netware 4.11 for file
and print services, but if/when the need arises to migrate away from
that I'll recommend we move to Linux.

> A glance at the newsgroups will tell you that humans at large have
> _very_ strong feelings about which OS will prevail, if any.  Do
> members of this esteemed list have such feelings?  Preferences?

I think people need to look at their NOS requirements from a needs/cost
perspective more than anything else.  "Standardization" is overrated as
a reason for going with one NOS over another--the most difficult network
I've ever had to administer was a 5 server NT network.

I've got slightly over 5 years of NT server experience on both Intel and
DEC Alpha architectures, and after working with Linux I will never go
back to NT, given a choice.  The deplorable support from Microsoft
coupled with NT's instability, insatiable hardware requirements, and
difficulty of administration shaped my opinion of it.

I can't put into words the joy I feel at being able to make any change
to the server I want to from home (except swap out hardware obviously)
when it's below zero and whiteout conditions outside. :-)

Mike
-- 
Mike Tibor         Univ. of Alaska Anchorage    (907) 786-1001 voice
LAN Technician     Consortium Library             (907) 786-6050 fax
tibor at lib.uaa.alaska.edu       http://www.lib.uaa.alaska.edu/~tibor/
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