Training Toolkit
Story: UK charity builds Linux network on a shoestring
Posted by: lee rodgers (Wednesday 30 March 2005, 5:36 AM)
I *AM* the IT department at a small school as well as being the digital media lab teacher (6 courses / 4 curricula, including a very demanding video tech class) & I'm using Linux more and more... I don't have time for hard-to-use Linux distros, so I'm rebuilding our network infrastructure chosing from an array of available, easy-to-use Linux servers: SME Server, Karoshi, Tiny Sofa, CentOS & CD-bootable servers like Nexedi DLS, RedWall....
On the client-side I have an embarrasment of riches to be found at distrowatch.org, but some that come to the top are the CD-bootable Linuces like the Morphices, the Knoppices, Kiosk-CD distros Stallion/VFF Morphix & neat lite-weight distros like Xfld. Linspire offers a very tempting $500/year site license. For server-independent content-filtering I have $300 site license available in FilterGate, a very good adult content & ad blocker.
When Win XP Pro craps the MBR, Linux "System Rescue" comes to the rescue. When I need to clone a machine, Linux lets me clone 10 simultaneously over the network (try doing that w/ Norton Ghost with less than a $2000 license).
I have found easily 2 gigabytes of *FREE* software for Windows, including pro-grade project mgmt tools (Open Workbench), the wonderful Avid video editor, Photomosaique, the GIMP, Open Office, Abiword, Sodipodi (the list goes on...), TuxPaint, TuxTyping & oodles of good utilities that are utterly indespensible for Windows administration, including *AUTOMATED* software deployment tools (WOW!). ALL FREE!!! The list of available good & fully free desktop softwares on Linux is even greater (never mind all the server-side applications).
I will be literally able to ween most of our school off proprietary software where open source is "good enough" and where we need it, we can also enjoy bargains via outfits like techsoup (since we're a non-profit).
The best part is no Microsoft CALs, no server licenses, no MS validation crap. I can run Win98 apps within Linux via Bochs or WINE. This means that my scant & miniscule tech budget (less than $10K) can go a long way in terms of hardware purchases w/out buying software licenses. The students benefit in terms of better QOS, nicer systems, etc. We have the choice of buying the $200 Linux box or the $300 WinXP box from Walmart, and mixing and matching as we see fit.
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