Linux is cheap paradigm was Re: [plug] SATA & Debian

[Craig Ringer]

Scott Middleton wrote:
> One of the ideas i continually fight is the idea that Linux is cheap.
> Just because Linux doesn't require the same hardware requirements as
> other OS's doesn't mean you should skint(?) and choose the cheapest.

[ skimp, I think ]. I agree on this. The POST initially deployed our 
core linux server as an LTSP server with a secondary role as an archival 
store. While the clients were very cheap, we cut no corners with the 
server - as a result, it cost us nearly ten grand, but is a powerful, 
stable, flexible box with room to grow. The overall cost of our chosen 
deployment was lower than the alternatives, but that was largely because 
of our client hardware and avoiding the need for Citrix licenses or 
Terminal Server CALs.

The biggest benefits for the POST weren't actually the expected ones. 
Once the server was in place, I found it had plenty of extra capacity. I 
migrated our mail over to it from an overloaded NT box, and that's saved 
us no end of time and trouble ( we no longer randomly lose mail or 
suffer random mailserver crashes, for example ). The fact that the 
mailserver software didn't cost us a cent didn't hurt.

To my mind, that's where linux really comes into it's own. Stability, 
flexibility, and quality low cost or free services and apps that run on 
top. It's not the pricetag for linux that matters, but for:
	OS + database + mailserver + webserver + terminal services (etc).

> While i hate to say it some of the M$ servers i see are more reliable
> than the Linux servers clients get me in to fix.

It doesn't hurt that Win2k server is actually very stable. It's only 
when you connect it to the internet without a good firewall or install 
any (non-MS) programs on it that it gets ... iffy. Depends on the app, 
of course. It seems to get really interesting only when running multiple 
different tasks that like to install different versions of libraries 
into the WINNT directory.

> So please to guys/gals selling Linux; Help Linux. Don't do it cheap do
> it right!

Agreed. Do it right the first time and you are very likely to be happier 
with the results. It'll probably cost you a lot less in the long run, 
too, and may have some pleasant surprises in store. It certainly did for 
us at the POST.

Craig Ringer