[WEB4LIB] RE: Advice on Linux

[Darryl Friesen]

> > When using Apache with Samba and mod_frontpage I can't think of
> > any other "infrastructure" that would cause me to use IIS.
>
> I can:
>
> 1) Vendor Support
>
> Now, to the best of my knowledge, our Public Library Vendor
> (Epixtech) supports Internet access to our library's catelogue only
> on two different Operating Systems: Solaris and Windows.

Ahhh, but the Catalogue isn't necessarily the Library's Web Site/Server, and
a single machine need not (and may not be able to) host both services.

We have two separate machines, one for the Catalogue -- INNOPAC, using a
hardware platform recommended/supported by them (Digital Unix on Alpha) --
and one for the Library web server (a Solaris box running Apache).  I don't
know about other systems, but INNOPAC is a fairly closed "black box" type
system.  That machine is the Catalogue, and that's it.  I suppose we _could_
use it for our Library web server, but I don't like the access methods nor
the tools available (no interactive logins allowed, no "real" FTP, poor text
editor, can't install Perl, PHP, MySQL etc etc etc).

Our choice of Solaris over Linux for that machine had to do more with cost
(we got a 2 year old dual-CPU Ultra Enterprise 2 for free!) than with
technology.

> 2) Familiarity
>
> Although I'd like to use Solaris, I don't know anything about it. As
> it currently stands, it would be a waste to drop our existing
> investment into Windows to make the switchover.

Well, I can't argue too much with that.  My impression from being on this
list for the last couple of years is that many (most?) Libraries do not have
their own IT staff.  They rely on either centralized departmental support,
or have local staff whose primary training is other than IT (Librarian etc)
manage the servers.  In the later case, where staff are (probably) running a
version of Windows on their desktop, NT with IIS is still very familiar (so
Thomas Dowling's stats don't really surprise me).

We seem to be a little different than most Libraries. Our Library ITS
Department has several full time staff with strong IT backgrounds (i.e. Comp
Sci degrees) that do most of the geek work.  Our computer room has roughly
10 servers in it, a mix of NT (2) and Unix (Solaris, Digital Unix and
Linux).


- Darryl

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  Darryl Friesen, B.Sc., Programmer/Analyst    Darryl.Friesen at usask.ca
  Education & Research Technology Services,     http://gollum.usask.ca/
  Information Technology Services Division,
  University of Saskatchewan
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  "Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes"