I get it now...

Story: Report: Good-Bye Ubuntu, Hello PCLinuxOSTotal Replies: 28
Author Content
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
10:19 AM EDT
I guess only published authors are allowed to rant and bitch about the inadequacies of a linux distro. Yep I sure did deserve that bitch slap the other day for my small rant about Ubuntu Studio, too many distro and the lack of industrial strength software for linux, etc...

Well I just got the word, my outfit is going open source, and it'll do it without your help.

I've learned my lesson. I'll keep my mouth shut and give this place a wide berth when I need to find thing out about linux and migration.



Sander_Marechal

Jun 17, 2009
10:30 AM EDT
This site?

Please remember that LXer publishes all kinds of news. Good and bad. Dissenting or not. The article in question is not an LXer article but a LinuxPlanet article.

FWIW: I personally don't agree with Carla on her choice. That doesn't have so much to do with her opinion of Ubuntu as it has to do with the community around PCLinuxOS.
Sander_Marechal

Jun 17, 2009
10:43 AM EDT
As for your other remark, I am guessing you are referring to this thread (http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/29145/)? I just reviewed that thread again but I don't see anything too damning about it. Most people in there agree with you that certain vertical applications are missing from Linux. They seem to disagree with you that corporations always need these applications or that the large amount of distros is the cause of the lack of these applications.
nikkels

Jun 17, 2009
11:20 AM EDT
>>>>as it has to do with the community around PCLinuxOS.

I am one of that community [ on strike , for now :-) ], but I would like to hear what it is that p..you of. Honestly, I really want. More than fair chance I even agree with you
jdixon

Jun 17, 2009
11:49 AM EDT
> I guess only published authors are allowed to rant and bitch about the inadequacies of a linux distro.

I'm sure it helps, but I've written up a couple of things for LXer and they've put them up, so it's not necessary.

> Well I just got the word, my outfit is going open source,...

That's good news.]

> and it'll do it without your help.

I'm sorry you didn't like the feedback you got, but I doubt you could that much help with such a migration here anyway. It sounds like your needs are rather specialized, and as such unlikely to be duplicated by anyone here.
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
12:02 PM EDT
I’m not going to do much research on what exactly I said but…

It started off with my comment about CAD packages story and my saying that “works almost as good as” Autocad/Nicrostation or about some sofware being “almost there” wasn’t good enough. As a city government we have hundreds of thousands of drawing in those 2 formats and that we were not about to spend money converting to the also ran sw. Our Microstation is also integrated heavily into our GIS systems.

Then somebody piped up saying that linux needed some industrial strength apps to compete and I agreed to that and also noted that there appeared to be very few ENTERPRISE strength linux workstation/desktop/laptop distros.

It all degenerated to my comenting that there were to many to choose from and that makes CIO’s very nervous as to which to pick. At that point somebody piped up saying that there was nothing to see here just another person complaining about too many distros. At which point I got very upset but I believe terminated my participation in the discussion.

During the course of the above I ranted about linux and some of the dificulties I’d had with it. Althougth I don't remember if I mentioned it at that point my upgrade to the new Ubuntu studio from the old version made a mess of my PC and I was unable to upgrade the new studio past a certain point and it froze my PC solid.

That in a nutshell is what transpired. There may be more but like I said I didn’t reread every word that was written.

I just remember being very angry at how my concerns where dismissed as “nothing to see here” and telling people to “move along”. Yet here she is bitching about some of the very things I’m vexed about with LINUX.

I've asked to be deregistered from this community but I will reply if needed as long as I can log in.
Sander_Marechal

Jun 17, 2009
12:29 PM EDT
Quoting:I would like to hear what it is


Just the stuff that I heard of before here in the forums and on several articles on PCLinuxOS that appeared here back when several developers quit. The short story being that it's a closely knit community that is very friendly as long as you're not critical of anything. If you are, well... it's not so friendly anymore...

Quoting:At that point somebody piped up saying that there was nothing to see here just another person complaining about too many distros. At which point I got very upset


Re-eading the thread, I think Carla didn't aim that at you. I think she wrote a reply to someone, thought the better of it and edited her post to remove the contents of it. LXer doesn't have a "delete your reply" feature.
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
12:43 PM EDT
Sanders,

please edit your reply and correct some spelling.

I lost respect for TC but would never call her that. I know you just made a typo but someone may take it differently.

BTW tc did not delete the contents, it's still there.
bigg

Jun 17, 2009
12:48 PM EDT
@Sander

Do you have funny keyboards in Europe? I'm not sure how you can get that word as a 'typo'. Maybe you spend too much time with the wrong things on your mind.
Sander_Marechal

Jun 17, 2009
1:04 PM EDT
Oops... now that was a bad typo.... :-/

No idea how I did that. It kinda reminds me of this (NSFW): http://bash.org/?5300

@nicsmr: I meant that Carla probably wrote a long reply to something and then edited it to the way it is now, to indicate she wanted to remove her own comment.
caitlyn

Jun 17, 2009
1:05 PM EDT
@niscmr: I think the difference is that Carla is criticizing a single distro. You, if I remember correctly, were critical of Linux as a whole and seemed to be claiming that Windows is a superior choice. That is guaranteed to get people riled on a Linux site.
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
1:36 PM EDT
Caitlin,

in my mind, any version of Windows is NEVER a superior choice. On the other hand if that's what runs your everyday money-making business software.., We could maybe use open source software but on Windows. Open office immediatly comes to mind and yes GIMP if we can pry Photoshop out of peoples' minds. And I'm sure there are others we just haven't looked that closely yet..

I was saying that, when faced and confused with so many choices (over 300 according to distrowatch), one picks what one is used to. the saying "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't" comes to mind.

It was never my intention to insult LINUX (either as a whole or a single distro) but I've noticed with every distro that I've tried there is ALWAYS something about it that takes it out of contention. Either it doesn't come with this or that, or some software just won't work with it or the biggie, I can't get the RECOGNIZED wifi card to connect...

I could go on but that what got me into trouble last time.

Anyways, time to end this by saying I still use LINUX on my personal laptop, which BTW, is what I am writing this on, connected to the city's wireless network...
jdixon

Jun 17, 2009
1:39 PM EDT
> Althougth I don't remember if I mentioned it at that point my upgrade to the new Ubuntu studio from the old version...

AFAICT, no you didn't. Your comments were about the lack of GIS software and enterprise ready distributions.

> I just remember being very angry at how my concerns where dismissed as “nothing to see here” and telling people to “move along”. Yet here she is bitching about some of the very things I’m vexed about with LINUX.

I don't think that was aimed directly at you Your comments got caught in the crossfire between Carla, Caitlyn, myself, and a few other regulars and a couple of newcomers. Their complaints were easily refuted. Yours are far more substantial, though I think your comment about enterprise ready distribtuions underestimated both Red Hat Workstation and SLED. I think Carla merely conflated the discussions together and overreacted to your comments. If so, I expect she'd be willing to apologize.
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
2:04 PM EDT
@ jdixon

Okay, My bad, consider it mentioned. I'll also describe some of the problems that caused me to dump this POC. Ubuntu Studio new did a real number on this laptop. When I finally got it installed I had to reboot no less than 4 time to get the system up. Then I was imediatly warned that there were updates. So off I go and the progress bar stalls and I have to shut down the laptop it's so frozen. I try it several times with the same result. I then get the bright idea (doesn't take me long) that I can maybe use the CLI and I do. The update freezes at file 6. I remove that file from the list and then it freezes at file 8. By this time I'd had enough and knowing I'd have to download all the codecs and downgrade LAME so that MANDVD would work so on spec I installed Xubuntu and here I am writing this on a perfectly working PC.

There IS a lack of GIS software and that'll have to change. But baby steps first, let's get Autocad and Microstation for LINUX first.

As for Red Hat and SLED workstations we heard that the support models are not cheap and we're trying to get away from those.

As for tc, I'm waiting but not holding my breath...
jdixon

Jun 17, 2009
2:19 PM EDT
> There IS a lack of GIS software and that'll have to change.

There's a lack of commerical GIS software, yes. Have you looked at Grass (http://grass.osgeo.org/) and MapWindow (http://www.mapwindow.org/)? Not being a GIS person, I have no idea how suitable they are for any specific purpose.

> As for Red Hat and SLED workstations we heard that the support models are not cheap and we're trying to get away from those.

No, they're not. Neither are the Ubuntu support contracts. You might want to look at their free equivalents, CentOS and OpenSuSE for those cases where you don't need support. They should maintain binary level compatibility.
herzeleid

Jun 17, 2009
3:18 PM EDT
Quoting:No, they're not. Neither are the Ubuntu support contracts. You might want to look at their free equivalents, CentOS and OpenSuSE for those cases where you don't need support. They should maintain binary level compatibility.
I can't resist pointing out here that the completely free ubuntu LTS release has 100% code compatibility with the enterprise supported version of ubuntu LTS since it's exactly the same. Not a 3rd party clone like centos, not an unsupported development version of the enterprise product as in the case of fedora or opensuse, but the exact same thing,

Steven_Rosenber

Jun 17, 2009
5:12 PM EDT
I've heard about Ubuntu Studio being less than ready for prime time. I believe the reviewer from Linux Journal has another 64-bit "studio"-grade distro that works better.

@nicsmr -- There may be 300+ Linux distributions (and a half-dozen major BSD projects, which I encourage you to check out), but there are probably fewer than a dozen "serious" distributions that aren't derivatives of derivatives, have large communities of developers and/or users, and have sizable repositories and frequent security updates.

There are scores of "hobbyist" distros out there, and some of them are probably good enough for production, especially if they're based on one of the biggies.

Also, I feel your pain about a certain class of software, be it CAD, professional video production (my personal bone of contention) or any other area, not being as well-represented in the FOSS ecosystem as they are in the proprietary world.

While the GIMP is a great piece of software, it not only doesn't properly handle an integral part of the JPEG images I work on (the IPTC data), it cheerfully deletes that data once the file is saved. And since IPTC is considered an evil Photoshop invention, the developers of the GIMP feel free to ignore it. Just tell my six photographers, all of whom use Photoshop ...

I wonder if any of these Windows-based CAD apps will run under WINE. Checking with the people at Codeweavers is probably a good place to start. It's a great company (they even have a version for FreeBSD, God love 'em) that offers an easier-to-use version of WINE that is definitely worth the money if you depend on a Windows app or apps that will run in that fashion.

And there's always the VM route. Run a FOSS OS with Windows in a VM. That way you can do as much of your work as possible in the FOSS system while keeping Windows contained to its own little area.

And I also wonder if any of the big CAD software companies ever had a Unix port. Maybe they'd do so again. While I believe in free software, there's nothing stopping anybody from coding a closed-source app that runs in a FOSS environment but isn't FOSS itself. As long as you don't use any GPL code to build it, you're probably OK. And if you use BSD code, you can use as much as you want and keep the whole shebang closed if you wish.

But many companies in the FOSS space realize that it's support, not software, that brings home the bacon, so having a free, open-source product is a great way to get your app out there; and the folks who really depend on it will probably benefit more from paying for support than they would trying to do all of it in-house.

I say this, again, from my Windows XP box provided to me by my ever-lovin' employer. Not that Ubuntu didn't threaten to crap out on me as I was banging on my laptop at midnight to get our Lakers parade coverage together, but I digress.

What I mean to say to all of us in this community is that there's nothing wrong with criticizing a single distribution, the direction of the Linux in general, or even any single article or reviewer. Constructive criticism is obviously better.

As far as those who criticize what I write, I can take it. I write what I write. Chips fall. Linux ain't perfect. Nothing is. (OK, maybe Slackware, but one geek's perfect is another's pain).

I'm trying to actually USE this stuff, so when I get frustrated, I really get frustrated. ... Then I cool off.

The point is that all of this software is getting better all the time ... and I'm very thankful for that. Regressions in Xorg for Intel cards? That's another story, and I'm pissed off about it ...
caitlyn

Jun 17, 2009
5:31 PM EDT
Here comes the B.S. again.... and you wonder why you're referred to as an MS shill or an astroturfer. Your post to me illustrates why perfectly.

Quoting:On the other hand if that's what runs your everyday money-making business software..,


That isn't true in the server room and it increasingly not true on the desktop either. When I was consulting for Red Hat we had any number of very large corporate clients using Linux on the desktop. If there weren't significant businesses doing the same in my area I'd be out of business tomorrow.

Quoting:We could maybe use open source software but on Windows.


Why not just run it on an open source OS like Linux? It provides superior security, superior performance, and reduced cost. In the current economy more and more businesses are asking that very question and not coming up with any negative answers.

Quoting:I was saying that, when faced and confused with so many choices (over 300 according to distrowatch), one picks what one is used to. the saying "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't" comes to mind.


Pure, unadulterated FUD. Most businesses don't know from DistroWatch and wouldn't judge anything by the site. They know of the handful of Linux distributions marketed to businesses: Red Hat, SUSE, and Ubuntu mainly in the U.S. In the corporate world most of the rest simply do not matter.

Quoting:It was never my intention to insult LINUX (either as a whole or a single distro) but I've noticed with every distro that I've tried there is ALWAYS something about it that takes it out of contention. Either it doesn't come with this or that, or some software just won't work with it or the biggie, I can't get the RECOGNIZED wifi card to connect...


Then get some help, available free of charge with every distro on the planet or for a fee from the distros who sell services to businesses. My little consulting firm would be happy to have you as a client. Of course, if you want to eliminate Linux from contention you will always find a reason.

"Either it doesn't come with this or that" is nonsense because any Linux software can work with any distro. It may not be packaged for a given distro but either a package from another distro can be converted (if needed) and used or the software can be compiled and the package can be built. Again, if you need help it's there Building custom packages for businesses is something Linux consultants do all the time.

'"some software just won't work with it" is also B.S. and again I'd have to assume you didn't know what you were doing or didn't ask for help. If you stick with the major distros running a modern kernel (which every business running Linux I know of does) you haev no such issue.

"I can't get the RECOGNIZED wifi card to connect.." That "biggie" is mainly a home user issue. Again, if the chipset is supported it can be made to work, usually pretty easily. Sounds like incompetence or a failure to ask for help to me. Many of the chips that aren't supported work well enough with ndiswrapper as well.

Quoting:There IS a lack of GIS software and that'll have to change.


False statement. The U.S. EPA GIS servers were running Red Hat Linux back when I supported the Agency in 2000-2001. I can't imagine things have gotten worse since then.

The claim that Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Novell support is expensive is true until you compare it to Microsoft support. By comparison the Linux support is dirt cheap.

nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
5:39 PM EDT
@Steven_Rosenber Thanks for the hint about the 64 bit Studio version unfortunatly I have to use 32 bit because I use the Citrix ICA client to connect to my work workstation and that only works on 32 bit.

As for Crossover, neither of the cad packages are supported and I've got a letter from them saying that as well as other sources.

Gimp/Photoshop well what can we say that hasn't been said?

the VM route would be one way of dealing with the lack of Linux mainstream CAD packages.

Now video editing that's my personal (non work related) pet peeve. Do you know of any video editor that works like audacity? for example... to cut a part of a video just click-hold on the beginning of the part you want to cut and drag to the part you want to keep to highlight and press delete and it's gone. More specifically cutting out a commercial from a video permanently. I can't for the life of me cut a piece of video out and get rid of it. if you can point me in the right direction for that I'd really appreciate it.

Like you I'm trying to make a go of using linux for everything. I'm finding it hard.
caitlyn

Jun 17, 2009
5:42 PM EDT
@Steven: The big Hollywood animation studios use Linux to make their films. There is no shortage of professional grade video production software for Linux. It is, however, proprietary and expensive.
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
6:08 PM EDT
@ caitlin

I've just about had it with being called a shill, astroturfer, incompetent.

I've been a programmer and a systems analyst for over 20 years. I can figure things out. I'm proficient with any number of programming languages, databases, gui designers etc... and I'm good at it..

Also lets compare incomes...who makes more me or a major Hollywood studio? let me think.. not me. I can't afford to spent thousands on video sw and more thousands on the clustered computers and redering farms that they use. So blow that thought out your ear.

I'm outta here for good now. I considered for a moment that i might like to stay with this group but forget that. Caitlyn, TC I had come to respect you opinions and view. All that's gone.

Unregister me.

TxtEdMacs

Jun 17, 2009
6:44 PM EDT
nics,

A few simple questions*, why when you are so willing to pay the Windows tariff as part of a money making firm why the stress on free (as in no cost)? Why the demand that some entity must produce something that meets your standards when not one of your words indicate you have supported such efforts with cold, hard cash? If you are willing to pay for the superior application running under Windows, why not the same terms under a freedom OS? Are you just a cheap skate demanding a free ride?

Has anyone every told you there is no free lunch? If not let me be the first.

;Your Buddy Txt.

* I think I am joking.
Steven_Rosenber

Jun 17, 2009
7:37 PM EDT
@caitlyn: I'm very interested in professional video solutions for Linux. Who? Where?

@nicsmr: Use what makes you comfortable, what works for you. We're all on our own path ...
caitlyn

Jun 17, 2009
7:52 PM EDT
Quoting:I've just about had it with being called a shill, astroturfer, incompetent.


If you don't want to be called a shill or an astroturfer don't act like one. You didn't come here asking what businesses that run Linux use for business software. You came in and made this blanket statement about Windows:

Quoting:On the other hand if that's what runs your everyday money-making business software..


Windows runs money making business software and, by implication, Linux doesn't. It's a false statement yet you get all bent out of shape when we call you on it or point out counter examples.

You came in and said:

Quoting:There IS a lack of GIS software and that'll have to change.


False statement. I pointed out that I supported an agency of the U.S. Federal Government that did their GIS work on Linux.

You didn't come in asking what CAD software was available for Linux. You didn't come in asking how to replace features found in your favorite Windows CAD software. You instead said:

Quoting:let's get Autocad and Microstation for LINUX first.


You are demanding brand name Windows software for Linux. Sorry, that is NEVER going to happen. It's an argument used to claim that Linux just isn't good enough by shills and astroturfers. It didn't matter that in this thread and other people pointed out that AutoCAD isn't the standard it once was. It didn't matter that people posted which versions worked under WINE. It didn't matter that people pointed out alternative Linux software like qcad which would be adequate for most but certainly not all CAD users. You just asked for the Windows brand. It's essentially the same as people who say Linux will never be ready because it doesn't run Microsoft Office and ignore the myriad of office apps that do run under Linux, ignore Crossover Office, and ignore WINE. It's FUD, pure and simple.

The "I'm not incompetent. I've done X, Y, and Z for 20 years" lines are classic, stereotypical astroturfing. Also, just because you may be incompetent at Linux doesn't make you an incompetent person or a stupid person and doesn't make what I wrote a personal attack. Let me give you an example.

There are lots of sweet potatoes grown in my part of North Carolina. It's a sweet potato producing area. I grow a large organic garden in my back yard. I produce beautiful tomatoes, all sorts of peppers, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplants. I have failed time and again to grow sweet potatoes. I am clearly incompetent at growing sweet potatoes. That's a fact I cannot deny.

Now, I can talk to folks who succeed at growing beautiful, tasty sweet potatoes around here and get help. Maybe then I can have a successful crop. I can give up and move on and admit I am really good at growing cucumbers, better than most folks around here, but truly incompetent at growing sweet potatoes.

What I can't in all honesty do is claim you can't grow sweet potatoes around here. It doesn't matter that I've been growing vegetables since I was a child and my parents got me started maybe 40 years ago. I can't claim that sweet potatoes are a lousy crop. I can't say that if I just moved to Georgia I'd grow wonderful sweet potatoes since my skills (or lack thereof) would not have changed.

You are getting all bent out of shape because neither Carla (tuxchick) nor I wil accept that Linux is lousy. You are blaming the messenger. You are also blaming Linux which would be exactly like me blaming sweet potatoes.

Quoting:I'm proficient with any number of programming languages, databases, gui designers etc... and I'm good at it..


You know what? I believe you. I really, really do. If I wanted to hire a GUI designer for Windows I might even ask to see your resume/C.V. If I wanted to hire a Linux business consultant you wouldn't be my first choice. Actually, you seem to lack basic skills I'd look for in a developer too since you blame everyone but yourself and never ask for help to solve the problems.

Quoting:Also lets compare incomes...who makes more me or a major Hollywood studio? let me think.. not me. I can't afford to spent thousands on video sw and more thousands on the clustered computers and redering farms that they use. So blow that thought out your ear.


I was responding to Steven, not to you. He said there is no professional video editing software. I pointed out that the most professional and expert video people in the world use Linux. What in the world does that have to do with you as a home or small business user? So, no, I'm sorry, that was a valid response to Steven.

Quoting:Like you I'm trying to make a go of using linux for everything. I'm finding it hard.


Just like I'm finding it hard to grow sweet potatoes.

Oh, and to be perfectly honest, I don't believe you on this one.

You keep talking about business and then say it doesn't work on your little personal laptop. Apples and oranges, no? Stop conflating different issues and maybe you'd have more credibility.

Quoting:I'm outta here for good now. I considered for a moment that i might like to stay with this group but forget that. Caitlyn, TC I had come to respect you opinions and view. All that's gone.


Funny, you've shown nothing but disrespect for Linux and those of us like Carla (TC) and myself who make a very fine living from it helping people do all the things you say can't be done. I'm sure you'll now go to Windows fora and tell the world how unwelcoming, unfriendly, and generally mean us horrible Linux folks are. The fact is that we welcome and help Linux users all the time. We can't help those who come in saying how lacking Linux is and dismiss any help offered.





nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
7:56 PM EDT
@TxtEdMacs

A few simple questions*, why when you are so willing to pay the Windows tariff as part of a money making firm why the stress on free (as in no cost)?

A few simple answers... (and I'm not kidding...) We no longer want to pay the Windows tariff/tax. Our CIO has mandated that we not renew our M$ licences when they expire in Sept 2010. Not only is it going to be tought to do it by that date but But it's going to be tougher because of the "missing software." The term I used was generic for profitable orgs and companies. We as a civic government are NOT profitmaking.

Why the demand that some entity must produce something that meets your standards when not one of your words indicate you have supported such efforts with cold, hard cash?

Fair enough... until very recently we had no idea our CIO was going to spring this on us. And since as a corporation we don't officially use open source, free software we haven't payed. But in very prelim. discussions among a group of us we talked about to do that a persitant thought was contributing a percentage of what we would have paid for licensing a particular piece of software to the developers of the open source replacement. Here we have to be carefl as a civic goverment we have to account for every penny we spend to the tax payer. Not only that but we would contribute back to the community anything we developed as GPL. And if we did need some customization in a particular application then we would pay for those like we pay any contractor to do the job. I hope I explained that well enough. If not I'll try better.

Personally I have contributed not a large amounts but what I could afford, anonimously to Mepis (my first love) primarily and some others.


If you are willing to pay for the superior application running under Windows, why not the same terms under a freedom OS?

In not sure I understand this one but here goes...I never said those words, If a major player suddenly decides to make the software for Linux but is closed source we will buy it. Just like we buy it now for windows.

Are you just a cheap skate demanding a free ride?

Personally, yes. I use free software as much as I can for as long as I can. But I willingly pay when I have used something that has bettered my expectations ie. Audacity

Has anyone every told you there is no free lunch? If not let me be the first.

Too late by at least 3 decades...

TANSTAAFL* - "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" Robert Heilein, on of the greatest Sci-Fi writers of all time.




*There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
caitlyn

Jun 17, 2009
8:00 PM EDT
Quoting:@caitlyn: I'm very interested in professional video solutions for Linux. Who? Where?


I've sent you a private note. I can very easily talk about applications. Who and where would violate my NDA with Red Hat or with another place I worked for.
nicsmr

Jun 17, 2009
8:02 PM EDT
@ caitlyn...ESAN

@ Steven_Rosenber... that's the problem Steve I haven't found anything that makes me comfortable. I'm sure there must be something like what described but don't know where to look

Thanks to all that helped but I must go now...
caitlyn

Jun 17, 2009
8:03 PM EDT
Quoting:Not only is it going to be tought to do it by that date but But it's going to be tougher because of the "missing software." The term I used was generic for profitable orgs and companies. We as a civic government are NOT profitmaking.


Then instead of talking about missing software how about saying what, specifically, it is you are trying to accomplish. Maybe the software isn't missing after all. Maybe you just don't know about it.

Now, if you say it has to be Photoshop and GIMP isn't up to the task then maybe it really is missing for you and not for millions of other people, some of the quite professional in their applications, who use GIMP. Tracyanne has already covered that adequately in another thread.
jdixon

Jun 17, 2009
8:31 PM EDT
> Our CIO has mandated that we not renew our M$ licences when they expire in Sept 2010. Not only is it going to be tought to do it by that date but But it's going to be tougher because of the "missing software."

See what of that software will run under Wine, what will run under Crossover, and (next to last, as it still requires licenses, just nowhere near as many) what will run under Citrix. The rest should be candidates for a VM or dedicated Windows machines. You should be able to cut your Windows license fees by 75% or more. You may not be able to get rid of everything, but you can make major progress.

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