Thanks Kev, I'll add Xandros to my list of options to investigate. The
boss is looking for a 'pay-for' version, actually, so that's not a draw
back. We are only going to be using a free version for some initial
testing and troubleshooting.<br>
<br>
Ari<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 8/5/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Kev</b> <<a href="mailto:kdownes@tpg.com.au">kdownes@tpg.com.au</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Hi Ari<br><br>Ari Finander wrote:<br>> Hi again all,<br>><br>> Hope you are well. Obviously I haven't shuffled off yet and it appears<br>> I've achieved something resembling a remission (for serious lack of a<br>
> better word - motorised wheelchair is now a permanent feature but I<br>> get around a lot on my crutches pretty well for short distances<br>> still). Anyway, I've gone back to uni to do the degree I should have
<br>> done instead of a PhD in the degree I did do and I've also started<br>> back at work, in a field I'm not so qualified in: network and server<br>> administration. Hence, I've come back here to the experts.<br>
><br>> Firstly, the on topic bits. My employer really hates windows, but<br>> feels forced into it. He wants to start using a multi OS compatible<br>> office and productivity software, particularly a new thing coming out
<br>> from IBM (if they'd ever bother replying to his repeated queries by<br>> email and phone!!). He also wants to know if it's worth buying a<br>> commercial distribution such as RedHat or Suse. I suggested we turn
<br>> his old Dell server (running win2000 server) into a Fedora server to<br>> test the waters first. It'll go online alongside the Win2003 SBS<br>> server which will continue to act as the PDC. Are there network
<br>> disasters waiting for me in the near future? I should reiterate that<br>> I'm learning all of this as quickly as I can, as I have never been<br>> exposed to Active Directory or Sharepoint or Exchange and am learning
<br>> as I fix them and turn his windows server into what he wanted in the<br>> first place...<br>><br>> Now this brings me to my off topic bit. His current backup strategy<br>> consists of a rotating set of DDS4 tapes and Tapeware software. I hate
<br>> this software. It is not intuitive and it does not generate logs and,<br>> apparently, if a folder gets moved it just freezes until I get back<br>> into the office and manually stop it - sometimes days later. This
<br>> business really really needs a better backup software. I really like<br>> this place, and they help a lot of people, so I'm really trying to do<br>> the absolute best I can with them. Can any of you recommend a good
<br>> piece of backup software that'll run on Win2003 SBS that will work<br>> with their DDS4 tapes and provide good error messages and logs?<br>> Preferably one that is not too expensive, they've had to pay a lot
<br>> recently already for other things, and that has a user base that I can<br>> turn to for support?<br>><br>> Thanks all, I appreciate your help.<br>><br>> Regards,<br>><br>> Ari<br>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
<br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> PLUG discussion list: <a href="mailto:plug@plug.org.au">plug@plug.org.au</a><br>> <a href="http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug">http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug
</a><br>> Committee e-mail: <a href="mailto:committee@plug.linux.org.au">committee@plug.linux.org.au</a><br>><br><br>At the risk of sounding like a broken record, go and have a look at<br><a href="http://www.xandros.com/">
http://www.xandros.com/</a> They have a full range of Debian based<br>products and their specialty is making it easy for POWs (prisoners of<br>Windows) to move over to Linux. All their OSes are fully DCC<br>(<a href="http://www.dccalliance.org/">
http://www.dccalliance.org/</a>) compliant. I can show you their server<br>version, their business desktop version3 and their latest desktop<br>version4, all running here.<br><br>The server version has BRU Server<br>(<a href="http://www.xandros.com/products/business/server/services/bru.html">
http://www.xandros.com/products/business/server/services/bru.html</a>) plus<br>6 client licences included, off the shelf.<br><br>These is a "pay-for" Linux distro, but it is much cheaper than Windows<br>and is FULL featured off the shelf. Btw, Crossover Office
5.0.3 is<br>also included in all their desktop products.<br><br>Cheers<br>Kev<br><br>--<br>=======================================================================<br>Kev Downes<br><a href="mailto:kdownes@tpg.com.au">kdownes@tpg.com.au
</a> ph 0404 7 0808 2<br>We use and recommend Xandros 3.0.2<br>=======================================================================<br>There are 10 types of people ...<br> ... those who understand binary, and those who don't!
<br>=======================================================================<br>"Jesus Christ is the centre of everything and the object of everything;<br>He who does not know him, knows nothing of the order of the world
<br>and nothing of himself." Blaise Pascal<br>=======================================================================<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>PLUG discussion list: <a href="mailto:plug@plug.org.au">
plug@plug.org.au</a><br><a href="http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug">http://www.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/plug</a><br>Committee e-mail: <a href="mailto:committee@plug.linux.org.au">committee@plug.linux.org.au
</a><br></blockquote></div><br>