How to avoid a Linux-migration disaster

With the economy uncertain and Microsoft Vista failing to gain overwhelming acceptance, many IT departments are considering a migration to Linux.

But what happens when the average IT department doesn't take its time examining the pros and cons before making the migration?

Although, I find Linux to be far superior to Windows, certain criteria must be considered before making the switch. Otherwise, you may find yourself having to go back to square one. If you're considering a migration to Linux, be sure to answer these 10 questions first.

1. Will that proprietary, mission-critical application run on the new platform?
One of the first things I tell people who are considering a migration is: "Yes, most probably there is a Linux equivalent to the application you use." Photoshop? Use Gimp. Adobe Reader? Use Scribus.

However, there are certain instances where an application has been written specifically for a purpose — or company — and does not have a cross-platform equivalent. In this case, you could try running your application with Wine, or you could run a virtual instance of Windows to get the app running. But this takes time and effort and, in some cases, isn't as stable as one would like — especially in the case of Wine.

If you have mission-critical applications that were created for the Windows environment (and only the Windows environment), your best bet is to avoid migrating those systems that make use of the proprietary software. Of course, if the proprietary software is web-based, you can probably go ahead, because Firefox is on par with Internet Explorer.

2. Which desktop are you planning to use?
This is not a question that most people have to face. With Windows and Mac OS X, you have one desktop metaphor. With Linux, the desktop choices are vast. If you select the wrong desktop, you could wind up with a lot of confused users. However, the decision isn't difficult really.

If your users are accustomed to Mac OS X, the best choice is Gnome. If your users are accustomed to Windows XP, your best choice is KDE 3.5.x. If your users are accustomed to Windows Vista, your best choice is KDE 4.x (although be sure to skip the .0 release and go straight to .1 or better).

The Linux desktop goes well beyond the Windows and Mac OS X metaphors. You could really stretch your imagination, and create a desktop specific to your company.

However, the point is that, when considering a migration, you must take into account your users and which desktop they would be most comfortable with.

3. Is your IT department up to the task?
One of the biggest mistakes made with a Linux-migration decision is assuming that IT staff can make the transition from one operating system to another without any extra training or help.

IT staff may know a great deal about Windows but that doesn't mean they know their way around Linux well enough to administer a system or network of Linux boxes.

If you're planning a migration from one operating system to another, find out the level of knowledge your IT staff has about the new operating system. If they don't have enough knowledge, there will be trouble both during and after the migration.

We always like to think our IT department is well-versed in every technology used today. The reality is that most IT professionals are well-versed in what they need to know to get the job done. If Linux isn't part of getting the job done, they may not have the necessary knowledge.

Of course, many IT administrators use Linux in other instances, such as at home, and will at least have a foundation to build upon.

4. Does your corporate headquarters get a benefit from Microsoft?
Many companies and institutions benefit from using the Windows operating system in ways that are not immediately obvious.

For instance, some universities can offer students large discounts on software, such as Visual Studio and Office, because they deploy hundreds of instances of Windows desktops across the campus. Without these installations, there would be no software discounts. So making the migration in such a case would be disastrous for those who benefit.

Of course, if your institution uses and supports Linux, the software would all be free, negating the need for any discount.

5. Do your employees use a lot of removable media?
Linux has come a long way with removable media, but there are still instances where handling removable media is not as simple as it is in Windows. The automount system doesn't always work as seamlessly as users might be accustomed to.

Consider removable thumb drives. In many of the modern Linux distributions, it's a simple matter of inserting the drive and having…