[plug] LINUX IS ONLY FOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS

[Rob Hall]

Pretty close to my experience too.  However, I find that you can set up a
Linux box to be pretty much tamper proof.  If anything does go wrong you can
normally fix it via telnet - a huge bonus for any sysadmin!

I get service call after service call (good for business I guess) for
Windows boxes, and very rarely have to service a linux box.

So I guess in this way Linux is for Sysadmins and that ilk.   But if a
Linux box is set up properly for the end user, and they are given the
training needed (this is sorely needed, whatever the platform), then the
user should actually be MORE efficient in Linux.  No reboots, no GPF's etc.
The worst I have ever come across is to kill X and startX again.

I would like more of my clients to use Linux.



Regards,


Rob Hall


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
Heights Computer Management
"Making computers work for you."

rob at hcm.iinet.net.au
www.hcm.iinet.net.au

08 9342 2664
0414 954 068

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-plug at linux.org.au [mailto:owner-plug at linux.org.au]On Behalf
> Of HILL Walter
> Sent: 10 February 1999 07:55
> To: plug at linux.org.au
> Subject: RE: [plug] LINUX IS ONLY FOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS
>
>
>
> 	Rick wrote:
> 	> LINUX IS ONLY FOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS, AND PEOPLE OF THAT
> ILK.
>
> 	Actually, so is Windows. It's just so unwilling to check for
> problems
> 	that users can run (walk) for months with a problem and never
> know it.
> 	With Windows vs Linux boxes set up by professionals in the shop,
> as
> 	almost every machine is these days, the Linux machines have far
> fewer
> 	service calls, and many of those are from new staff who want to
> install
> 	their favourite virus^H^H^H^H^Hgame on the office system or such
> like.
>
> This statement implies that Windoze & LINUX are equivalent products
> which we all know not to be true. Yes they're both OSs but so is VMS &
> MVS. Despite that fact that LINUX is evolving rapidly, it is going to be
> a long time before it usurps Bill's glitzy package. It stands to reason
> that anybody who specified that their PC be set up with LINUX rather
> than WinXX would already be more clued in to the benefits than the
> average punter.
>
> I worked as a network administrator in an IT section for a number of
> years supporting a community of 420+ users who came from a wide variety
> of backgrounds.  From the complete (computer) ignoramus through to "they
> think they know it all to actually know sod all" (The dangerous type).
> To a very few people who actually were reasonably proficient. I think
> LINUX is a great product but it is not yet ready for the average user to
> install, configure & maintain. The jargon, quirks and presumption of
> prior (computer) knowledge make it too great a leap over the more
> brainless Redmond offerings.
>
> OS/2 was also a superior product & so was the BETA video format (which
> incidentally most TV stations use). While I'm not suggesting LINUX is
> destined to the same future. It is going to require a maturation of the
> product in order to succeed in the wider market place. People don't want
> to know about IRQs, DMA, LBA or whatever. They simply want to print out
> their documents or spreadsheets, whose pages they've manually number
> because they don't' realise the software can do it for them!
>
> Walter...
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> Walter Hill                                   ,-_|\
> w.hill at computer.org                          /     \
> walter.hill at customs.gov.au                   \_,-._/
> + 61 8 9430 1505 (Voice) + 61 8 9430 1391 (Fax).
>