Comments on: Ubuntu Server vs. Windows Small Business Server: Looming Showdown?

By: Perspectoff

Perspectoff — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:27:33 +0000

Debian, Ubuntu 8.04 and LinuxMCE (64 bit 0710 RC2) / Kubuntu 8.10 user. Yeah, I also still dual boot XP at tax time and so my kids can play some of their games. Oh, grow up.

I have a nested LAN configuration at home, to keep a business network separate from the LinuxMCE network.

As a hybrid Core/Media Director I use a Walmart $299 W3644 Gateway/eMachine with 64 bit Sempron (at 2.1 GHz, 512KB L2 cache, 1600MHz system bus), 1Gb dual channel DDR RAM, nVidia GeForce 6100 series integrated video with 128 Mb shared video memory, 160 Gb HDD, DVD-CD RW.

Integrated into my LinuxMCE home automation network are Greyfox wired analog cameras, Bluecherry video capture board, X10 automation with CM11A serial port controller, HTD MA-1235 12 channel whole house audio amplifier (set-up for nested 5.1 surround sound), ViewSonic Cine5000 Home Theater 720p Projector, Jandy pool controls.

I use a Buffalo Network Attached Storage, and a RAID 5 Netgear ReadyNAS. These devices are vital to my networking.

I programmed software for multiple military projects, and have networked university and large businesses. I have used VMS, Unix, DOS, Windows, Apple operating systems (including OS X) and Linux. I have networked using Novell, AppleTalk, NFS, Samba (Windows protocols).

I am currently dabbling in Beowulf processing (cloud computing) and am interested in *nix based distributed supercomputing at locations like Lawrence Livermore laboratories.

I prefer NFS networking (Linux), which is much more robust and reliable than other protocols. However, due to Windows and Apple PCs remaining on various networks, I also use Samba (Windows based) and Bonjour/Renedezvous protocols (Apple based).

Recently I have converted several networks to primarily Ubuntu (servers)/ Kubuntu (desktop) networks with groupware and internally managed services.

I had attempted this in the past with Windows servers, but this was cost-prohibitive and caused a significant amount of down-time, angst, and loss of productivity. Previously I ran two businesses (for several years) on Windows XP Pro, and liked this OS. However, a plague of rootkit infections knocked out a series of boxes and Microsoft refused to help (without significant amounts of capital outlay) to repair the systems. Further, hardware failures were difficult to accommodate in the Windows paradigm, whose operating system licensing is tied to hardware components. Furthermore, the purchasing department bought several PCs with Windows Vista, which did not work on the network and was not compatible with networked operations. After 2 months of attempts to accommodate Windows Vista, they were returned and replaced with XP Pro machines. These problems lost my business tens of thousands of dollars.

Because of this I then switched to Linux based systems. Since that time, I have not had a single similar problem on any Linux machine. My business is now approximately 80% Linux-based, with some 20% of legacy machines not yet converted from Windows. Initial lack of acceptance of conversion by Windows users to Ubuntu Linux has been overcome by using Kubuntu as the desktop. Now, acceptance is immediately achieved.

Most of my business PC desktops now run Kubuntu Hardy on them, and my home PCs (and laptops) have Kubuntu Ibex. My servers are all Ubuntu (generic) servers with LAMP installations (although I am trying postGREsql, which isn’t as well integrated into groupware solutions yet).

Richard Stallman is my hero. Linux Torvalds is second.

By: Carlos

Carlos — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:03:58 +0000

I could definitely see this happening. Take a look at the ebox-platform which is specifically tailored for Ubuntu servers. This makes it a SNAP for average to above average techies to install an OpenLDAP Server with Groups & Users, email sever, OpenVPN, Active Directory, Jabber Server, for instant messaging , gateway, firewall, traffic shaping and more from one super easy to use interface and you can spread the servers out on various machines but control them all from one central Ubuntu/ebox server. The platform makes it easy (with some perl knowledge) to implement new services, like ftp server and svn which are some add-ons and best of all they all work using the same Groups & Users server wide.

With great products on the server side like these, free, open and easy to maintain – it should make it a no brainer for smaller businesses. Of course actually marketing it is a different story, but I believe its more about it catching the attention of IT professionals who will be the ones suggesting products & services.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:32:25 +0000

SaaS is certainly catching on and makes financial sense for the SMB.

Also, managed service providers are starting to deliver virtualized desktops so DaaS could very well be the future of desktop computing for SMB

By: keith

keith — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:36:09 +0000

Its going to take a lot to shift Redhat (and CentOS) from the de-facto server top spot, but if I were Novell I’d be worried by Ubuntu & Canonical.
If you like the idea of Ubuntu server checkout ebox (http://ebox-platform.com/) as an admin interface.

By: Daybringer

Daybringer — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:22:10 +0000

Business also have to look into how hard it is to find someone who knows Linux well enough to be an administrator and take into consideration a price difference in IT staffing for that. Free software isn’t the only thing in IT, personally I think that fedora is better for businesses than Ubuntu. M$ will always have some share in the workplace because so many people are familiar with it now.

By: Usr Bin

Usr Bin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:49:36 +0000

I ‘m not sure that Bogan Productions is a good example, if the site you can click through to is any thing to judge by.
8p

By: Rurik Bradbury

Rurik Bradbury — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:35:44 +0000

The people at Canonical have a smart strategy, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they gain traction over time. They paraphrase James Carville — ‘It’s the apps, stupid’ — and are building an ecosystem around Ubuntu (hence Unison’s partnership with them, so Ubuntu will have a ‘killer app’ to go up against Exchange/Outlook). The key is to build a family of OS + essential business apps that offers not just a price advantage over MS but also a compelling productivity option in its own right.

Once the offering is in place (and it’s not far off), the next step is to position Ubuntu + apps in the IT manager’s mind as the obvious choice vs SBS. And articles like yours certainly help with that…

By: Tough_Nuts

Tough_Nuts — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:09:51 +0000

All I can say about Dell is they have NO reason to want to sell servers with Ubuntu. Much I like Ubuntu, where I work we are a ISV for Dell hardware. ALL of our Servers come with RHEL v5 and we love it. I think RHEL is better for the back end server then Ubuntu.

But I am biased since I have to install and support it. As a desktop Ubuntu is GREAT, but again I think Mint has it on Ubuntu. Yes I know Mint is made from Ubuntu, but its the extras in Mint I like.

T_N

By: The VAR GUy

The VAR GUy — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:32:48 +0000

@Hussain and @Vadim P: The VAR Guy will follow up on your suggestions. Thank you.

By: Vadim P.

Vadim P. — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:04:13 +0000

Might want to check out http://www.ubuntustory.com/, that has 19 big pages of responses, and thats just in English. Although it’s more of desktop usage than server.

By: Hussain

Hussain — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:49:59 +0000

I don’t know if this is possible but in my opinion there should be an announcement about this survey in ubuntuforums since thousands of people are visiting the forums every day, so you can have better results.