Starting a Company on Linux

A

AnonZor

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Hi everyone.

Straight to the point: would it be possible to start a company using Linux as the only operating system?

What setup would you use in your implimentation? Example: what OS will you use for your client machines? What would you use for your servers, and so on?
 
Yes, as for OS choice - whatever distros you're familiar with. This assumes you're the boss of the company in question and what you say goes.

In the real world though you are going to be dealing with users/employees who only know windows so you'd be crazy not to support a mixed OS network
 
AnonZor said:
Hi everyone.

Straight to the point: would it be possible to start a company using Linux as the only operating system?

What setup would you use in your implimentation? Example: what OS will you use for your client machines? What would you use for your servers, and so on?
Click to expand...

It depends, but mostly yes. I have several companies running on just FOSS.

I setup SME`s in FOSS solutions and normally its a ClearOS server with Ubuntu or Kubuntu desktops. Normally I go Kubuntu cause the old people like a start button.
 
What are you going to use the PC's for? Normal book keeping and/or office work? This will hugely influence the decision for me.

For a server you want something that is rock solid yet flexible, and depending on your Linux skills, the options are vast.

For the client machines I would go with something that can be fixed immediately or reinstalled without hassles should the need arise. In this category I would put *buntu and Linux Mint.
 
No need to worry about company politics and the like, I was just curious to see if this can be done? It would be great if a start-up company can deploy a Linux-only environment, in an attempt to lower start-up/ IT costs. Especially if you consider licencing costs of... Other... Products...
 
The_Librarian said:
ClearOS for email/web (pop/imap/smtp)
Smoothwall for firewall
OpenSuSE/Ubuntu/Mint/whateva for desktops
Click to expand...

Do you prefer Smoothwall over the ClearOS iptables, Squid, DansGuardian implementation, if so, why? I've deployed a few ClearOS's as primary domain controllers with mail, firewall, proxy, DNS, DHCP, basically a all-in-one drop in. Should I reconsider the gateway / firewall components?
 
AnonZor said:
No need to worry about company politics and the like, I was just curious to see if this can be done? It would be great if a start-up company can deploy a Linux-only environment, in an attempt to lower start-up/ IT costs. Especially if you consider licencing costs of... Other... Products...
Click to expand...

I've read about such a start-up in the Entrepreneur magazine a few months back.
 
There are many companies that switched over to FOSS and made it work.

I remember an article about a guitar string company in the US that had a falling out with BSA and MS that switched over to Linux within 6 months:
http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html

This is very old, but even in 2000 Linux was very, very different than what it is today, so yes, it is entirely possible and do-able.
 
Cor Cronje said:
Do you prefer Smoothwall over the ClearOS iptables, Squid, DansGuardian implementation, if so, why? I've deployed a few ClearOS's as primary domain controllers with mail, firewall, proxy, DNS, DHCP, basically a all-in-one drop in. Should I reconsider the gateway / firewall components?
Click to expand...

For me it is easier to add all sorts of homebrew modifications to Smoothwall (temperature graphs, URL Filter/Dansguardian, etc) and leaving the ClearOS box alone.

The ClearOS box can serve out PPTP and openVPN services though. It just is simpler for me, if something borks on the firewall, I can just get a new copy up and running if neccessary without doing a full reinstall of ClearOS.

Keep in mind, if you're satisfied with ClearOS as it is, then there's no need for Smoothwall.

If, however, you need traffic logging, traffic graphs etc, then Smoothwall.

But to each his own :)
 
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