Managing Linux Desktops in the Enterprise

When considering whether to use or expand Linux desktops within a corporate environment, many IT managers will need to grapple with their enterprise requirements and the relative ability of easily integrating Linux desktops to their existing IT environment from an infrastructure and applications perspective. It's not always an easy undertaking trying to be the pioneer of innovative technology because you end up being the first one dealing with technical and operational issues that no one else has faced before, which is why some IT managers take the path of least resistance. They wait until someone else has become the guinea pig before them, trying out the new technology. When there is significant evidence of other enterprises successfully using the new technology that is when they jump on the bandwagon to start deploying it. It's no different with Linux desktops.

First, I'm going to address some of the reasons that may hold some IT managers back from adopting Linux desktops in the enterprises. The first reason is obtaining adequate technical support for Linux desktops. Some IT managers may fear that since most of the world is familiar with Windows desktops as the corporate standard, they will be unable to staff their desktop support crew with the required Linux expertise. The second reason is integration with their IT corporate application and infrastructure environment. They may be afraid that the current applications and networking tools they use to manage their daily operations may be severely impacted by technical incompatibilities with the Linux desktop. The third reason is familiarity breeds laziness. Because they are more familiar with the Windows desktop environment, they are afraid to try something new which they have no experience in. Also, they do not want to put in effort in researching alternatives when daily operations seem to be working fine.

Let's start by addressing these concerns. If you are running an IT Shop, chances are strong that you actually do know what Linux is. You're probably used to supporting it on the server side for web applications, content management systems or databases. However, it was probably a long shot for you to even consider using Linux on the desktop, considering how firmly entrenched Windows desktops were with Windows applications such as Outlook, MS Access, MS Office, SharePoint and ERP systems. You pretty much were in a situation where you were locked into the Microsoft ecosystem of apps and infrastructure products. However, in case, you haven't noticed the IT landscape has been changing quite dramatically over the years. What you don't realize is if you set up your IT corporate environment to more open and flexible IT standards, you don't have to be locked into the Microsoft ecosystem anymore. You can choose to limit your portfolio of Microsoft products to just what you truly need and value in your enterprise and the rest you can replace with open source solutions like Linux on the desktop.  As for technical support, Linux is being taught in more universities to meet the staffing demand on the server side so you can rest assured, the workforce of tomorrow will be filled with young grads who are 'Linux knowledgeable'.  In terms of commercial support, there are Linux vendors and consultants today who will provide you with the expertise to help you support your enterprise.  The Linux Friendly Vendors tab of this site lists some of these vendors.  I will be covering more on this subject in a later post.

How is the IT landscape changing? Look at what consumers value most for entertainment and personal use: tablets and smartphones. The sales of those two devices are rapidly outpacing the sales of desktop laptops and PC's. What is the most prevalent OS in those 2 devices? It's Android, a hybrid OS, with a Java front-end on a Linux kernel. With workers asking their corporate IT administrators to support their device of choice aka BYOD, the pressure is on to support cross-platform devices. Also, the emergence of cloud computing has driven the trend for applications to go from native on the desktop to a web app served from the clouds, making it no longer a requirement to be tied down to a Microsoft OS platform on the client side. This also addresses the second concern of integrating with corporate applications and infrastructure.

If you make it company policy to produce and maintain documents in open formats like PDF, XML and ODF, which can be consumed by any device regardless of platform, you are no longer limited by your Office application formats such as DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSW, PPT, etc. If you are working with entities outside your company, you will then be able to share, exchange and edit documents without worrying about the different platforms they were created or revised on. This was an important lesson learned from the City of Munich's successful Linux desktop deployment. Also, if your ERP systems are now web applications either in PHP, JAVA or .NET, make sure you test thoroughly how they will run on your Linux distro of choice and browser of choice. That's already half the battle of your decision to either go with Linux on the desktop or not.

As for the third reason of familiarity breeding laziness as opposed to contempt, being an IT manager, you can ill afford to sit on your laurels forever. The IT landscape is changing as we speak and your users are going to become even more demanding when they see that other enterprises are successfully meeting their own end user requests for BYOD. You are going to be forced eventually to not just support Windows desktops, but to create applications enabled by flexible infrastructure, allowing users to consume and work on those applications anytime, anywhere, any location and on any device. That's quite a tall order for any IT manager. But lucky for you, that's where VDI comes into play.

I am not going to expound in great detail about VDI on this particular post. I will reserve that discussion for a later post. All that you need to know is that the concept of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure will enable you, as an IT manager, to meet that requirement from end users to consume and work on applications anytime, anywhere, any location and on any device.  For reference, take a look at this example.  A university in Japan with a specific requirement to support and access both Linux and Windows desktops for professors and students was successfully documented using a VDI solution from a company called Virtual Bridges. The product they used was called VERGE. Keep in mind there are also other VDI vendors, with one of the more well-known being VMWare.

Throughout the years, there have been attempts by enterprises around the world to use Linux desktops within their corporate environment. Some have encountered success while others have ended in failure or mixed results. If you are an IT manager who is seriously considering using Linux on the desktop environment, you need to learn from the mistakes and successes of others who tried it before you. More importantly, you need to do your own due diligence. That means you will need to come up with a business case to help you decide whether it's the right fit for your organization and not just because everyone else is doing it.  It's very easy to get sidetracked by the promise of Linux openness and flexibility.  After all, there are many benefits to expanding the Linux desktop, mostly due to IT purchasing flexibility, reduced licensing and support costs, improved security and improved systems administration tasks.  However, before any of those benefits can be realized, one most execute all the important steps that will lead to a successful outcome, which includes creating a suitable business case, garnering corporate stakeholder support and producing a rock solid implementation and change management plan.  These topics and more will be discussed in later posts if you subscribe to this site.

Buying a Laptop for Linux Use

Now that Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) has replaced the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) on most new laptops these days, especially the ones with Windows 8 on it, it's time to educate a Linux user on what they should be considering when in the market for a new laptop.  What this means is you won't be able to easily install Linux on PC's with UEFI on them unless it's one of the three Linux distros which supports UEFI.

You have five options:

1.  Pick a Linux distro which supports UEFI. - As of this posting, there are only three:  Fedora 18, openSuSe 12.3 and Ubuntu 12.10.  However, just because you pick one of those 3 doesn't meant it's guaranteed to work on all UEFI laptops.  You need to pick a Manufacturer which allows those 3 distros to be installed on it.  I've read that Samsung's UEFI boot options have caused their laptops to be inoperable so you might want to choose a different laptop manufacturer.

2.  Disable Secure Boot on your UEFI PC. - To install Linux distros, other than Fedora 18, openSuSe 12.3 and Ubuntu 12.10, you "may" be able to disable  the Secure Boot option on UEFI and enable their installation on your UEFI laptop.  The best thing to do if you are going with this approach is to find out directly from the manufacturer of your laptop, how to disable Secure Boot on UEFI.  That is, if they give you the option to.   Not all manufacturers will allow you to do this.  Try installing the Linux distro you've selected after you've disabled Secure Boot.  Some distributions like Ubuntu will have instructions on how to deal with Secure Boot on UEFI.  Others may not so be aware of this before you go through all the work of trying this approach.

3.  Buy a Non-OS laptop. - Instead of dealing with the hassle of UEFI, you can buy a laptop with no OS installed from these vendors.  Then install your Linux distro of choice on it.

4.  Buy a laptop with Linux pre-installed. - Instead of dealing with the hassle of UEFI, you can have the vendor install your Linux distro choice on the laptop of your choice.  See the Linux Friendly Vendors tab on this site.

5.  Buy a Chromebook and install Linux on it. - You can install a Linux distro in a dual boot situation with Chrome OS on a Chromebook.  Or you can install your chosen Linux distro to replace Chrome OS.

Obviously, there are pros and cons with each method above.  It depends what you are using it for and what you are willing to pay in additional costs for the convenience of ease of use.  If you are an average user and do not want to deal with the hassle of researching and preparing a laptop for Linux use, you are better off buying Linux pre-installed even if it costs slightly more than a Windows 8 laptop.  Over time, you will accrue the benefits of using Linux over Windows, when you don't have to deal with annual anti-virus licenses or additional licenses for Office or other Windows compatible software.  You will also no longer need to defrag your laptop.  If you are not using your laptop for Development, Graphic Design or CPU intensive processing and just want to get the cheapest laptop possible with Linux on it, you should consider buying a Chromebook and installing Linux on it.  If you are a Developer, a Graphic Designer or Video Producer and you don't mind doing some extra "prep" work yourself, consider options 1-3.  However, I think option 2 should be the last resort for everyone, considering it requires the most research.

 

Nvidia Shield Android Gaming Controller

If you are considering some gaming devices to get your family for Christmas, you might want to try the new Nvidia Shield.  It's a gaming controller which uses the Android OS to run games optimized for Nvidia graphics, GooglePlay games and Steam games.  Running Steam games enables PC streaming from your Steam PC to your Nvidia Shield controller.  However, you need to keep in mind that the Steam game you select must have "controller" support, an issue brought up by Lisa Gade in this video below:


Otherwise, I think this device is a suitable platform to compare with other popular gaming devices from Sony and Microsoft.  Make no mistake about it.  This device is meant for gaming.  However, it's great that the Android platform it comes with, enables you to do additional tasks that you normally do on your smartphone or PC like surf the web.

Here's a video demo of the Nvidia Shield with PC streaming:

Linux Email Clients

Here are two email clients you can use for personal or business use. I spent about 3 weeks using Evolution and about a week using Thunderbird. I found both email clients capable of handling most tasks I usually perform with email. The tasks I performed included:

• sending/receiving email


• creating a signature


• creating calendar events


• integrating calendar events with Google calendar


• creating and tracking tasks.

Please note that in my videos, I did not cover encryption of email messages because I just wanted to give a preview of both options.  It's a setup you are going to want to add when configuring both options for personal or business use.

Evolution
Here's a video I created to set up Evolution:


Thunderbird
Here's a video I created to set up Thunderbird:

Use WINE to Play Windows Games on Linux

When it comes to games, most people are playing games on-line via their tablet or smartphone rather than buying a CD or DVD of the latest electronic game.  Yes, I know there are still board games and sports but those type of games are not going to be covered on this site.  However, for those of you who would like to preserve the legacy of your past favorite games on other non-Linux operating systems, there is a potential solution for you using the WINE Emulator program.  This program will enable you to play a Windows game on your Linux PC.  For this post, I will be using a Hoyle Board game as an example.



Before you can install the Windows game, you need to install the WINE Emulator program.  The WINE Emulator program enables you to run Windows applications on a non-Windows PC.  This program creates a virtual Windows directory on your Linux PC using the Windows File system.  This means that if you download (*.EXE) files, you can use the WINE program to emulate Windows by installing and running Windows programs in your new Windows directory.

Although WINE is available in the Software Manager for Linux Mint and the Software Center for Ubuntu, I recommend following the instructions directly from the WINE website to download the package appropriate for your Linux distribution and to install the WINE program correctly.  The reason why I recommend this is I went through the Software Manager on Linux Mint to install PlayonLinux, which automatically installed both PlayonLinux and WINE but I was unable to get it working without additional steps.  Incidentally, PlayonLinux is the front-end UI for WINE.  I detailed this experience on my Blog post.  To make a long story short, I ended up removing PlayonLinux and WINE, then re-installing WINE from Software Manager and executing additional steps to get it working properly.  "Why did this happen?"  You are probably asking.  Well, it's because the version of WINE I had downloaded from Software Manager was obsolete and there were areas specific to my Laptop hardware that needed to be addressed.  So to save you from enduring my situation, just go straight to the source, the WINE website and follow THEIR instructions.

Once you get WINE working properly, installing a Windows game is a piece of cake.  Make sure you configure WINE for the Windows version your game is designed to run on, locate the Window game Executable file (*.EXE), right click on it and select 'WINE Configuration loader'.   The game will execute the installation process as if you were using a Windows PC.  Here's my Blog post with a Youtube tutorial on the process.

New Category Covering Gaming on Android or Linux Platforms.

Dear Readers,

In an effort to reach out to a wider audience, I am introducing a new category on this site covering gaming on the Android or Linux platforms.  My gaming experience may not be as deep as some of the hard-core gamers out there but I do have quite a bit of gaming experience on several platforms.  Let's see where to begin.

I started out electronic gaming as a kid with games like Simon, Space Invaders, Asteroids and Pac-Man on video arcade game machines.  As I grew older and used the PC more often, my best friend and I experimented with a DOS-based game on a Commodore computer that was merely a text based response to whatever you typed into the computer.  It was a scavenger hunt type of adventure game.  The computer screen told you where you where and what happened.  But because you couldn't see what was available like you can with today's games, you had to guess what your next move was going to be based on your own imagination.  Unfortunately for you, your imagination (list of alternatives) may have not been what was stored in the programs so you could have been trying out many alternatives forever and frustrated that there was nothing visually nor even a HINT button to help you narrow down your alternatives.  Needless to say, gaming since then has evolved beautifully to an almost virtual experience with the Nintento Wii and other platforms.

Back in 1998, my husband and I both changed our careers simultaneously limiting our income, which meant that we had to change our budget because we still had a mortgage to pay.  One way we got through those hard times was by limiting our entertainment budget to seeing a movie in the theater occasionally and playing Mario games on the Nintendo 64 platform.  That's when I really got hooked into video games.  Years later, I bought games I could play on my Windows PC.  Times have changed a lot for me since then.

Today, I spend most of my time working on a Linux laptop which includes Video Editing, Writing, Web Development and web surfing for interesting topics.  Despite my intense schedule, I also have time to read and play games.   In fact, I have demonstrated that I can read Kindle content and play Windows games on my Linux Mint laptop in my Youtube channel.  Heck, I can even play Steam games on Linux Mint or Ubuntu and play free games downloaded from GooglePlay to my Android smartphone.  Pretty cool, huh?  I saw something even more exciting.  The Nvidia Shield is an Android gaming console that allows you to download games from GooglePlay, which means you can play practically an unlimited amount of games.  Looks like Nvidia Shield has come up with a new way to take gaming to a new level, picking up where the Google Chromecast left off.  Well, that's it for now.  Hope what you've read whets your appetite to see more on this section as you explore new games and technology in the Linux arena.



Regards,



The Editor

Amazon Cloud Reader Works on Linux besides Kindle

For those of you who may be using your Linux desktop PC's for  most of your common PC tasks, here's another task you can add to your arsenal.  In between working on a spreadsheet, document editing or design work, perhaps you want to read a manual or an ebook that you purchased from Amazon Kindle for an entertainment break.  Well, now you don't have to reach for your Kindle Fire device all the time, you can access your Kindle content from your Linux PC as well.  All you need is an Amazon Kindle account and logging into the read.amazon.com link.

See video tutorial on what it looks like to use Amazon Cloud Reader to read your Kindle content on your Linux PC.


 

 

 

Still to Come - Evolution Versus Thunderbird Email Clients

Dear Readers,

I spent a considerable amount of time evaluating both Evolution and Thunderbird email clients for Linux desktop users starting Monday of this week.  I used the same gmail account to grab the same mail and calendar events which I have stored within Google Calendar as my central Calendar repository.  I also have Google Calendar app on my Android smartphone so that whenever I create an appointment within my Samsung Stellar smartphone, it automatically syncs to Google Calendar which can be accessed by Evolution or Thunderbird.  This also means that whenever I create a new appointment within Evolution or Thunderbird it also shows up on Google Calendar and my smartphone Calendar.  Mail seems to be good for both as well as tasks.  Running a couple more tests this week before I post my final evaluation.  Having had previous experience working with Outlook, Lotus Notes and other email clients, this is a first for me to work with Linux email clients extensively.  So far, if I had to choose between Evolution and Thunderbird, I would not be able to recommend one over the other.  They both seem very comparable to Outlook, which is what most corporate users are familiar with.  Stay tuned because I will be updating this post as needed.

The Editor

 

P. S.  Here is a preview of what it's like to use Evolution on a Linux desktop.

Resolving Android Issues

This section will help the end user resolve issues that may occur when using your Android device.  In general, we want our Android devices to run smoothly when we download apps from Google Play or transfer video, music and documents to our PC's.  In this section, errors that come up when interacting with both Google and our PC's will be covered as well as general Android Tips.

FIX DOWNLOAD ERROR: "Error retrieving information from server.[RPC:S-5:AEC-0]"

If you see the error above after attempting a download from the Google Play Store, do the following within your Android device Settings:

1.  Remove your Google Account.

2.  For the following apps or services, FORCE STOP SERVICE and CLEAR DATA within your Android devices' Applications Manager or Manage Applications sections:

•  Downloads or Download Manager


•  Google Play Store


•  Google Service Framework

3.  Shut down and reboot your Android device.

4.  Tap Google Play Store.

5.  Sign in with your existing Google Account.

6.  Download your app once again and it should work.

These instructions will vary depending upon your Android device.  Mine is a Samsung Stellar Smartphone so the process I followed to remove the error will be slightly different than yours if you experienced the error on a different device.  The error is due to an update in the firmware.  Therefore, the corrupt data associated with the 3 apps/services above needs to be cleared from your Google Account.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR ANDROID CALENDAR EVENTS DISPLAY IN GOOGLE CALENDAR:

1.  Create an Event in your Android Calendar.

2.  Before you hit the SAVE button make sure the Event is associated with your Google Account.  There should be an arrow that allows you to select your "yourname@gmail.com" account in the section that displays "my calendar" within your Event.

3.  Hit SAVE.

If you already created Events which display "my calendar", you will need to manually go into each Event and change the "my calendar" display to your "yourname@gmail.com" account.  Sorry.  There is no quick way to do this unless some enterprising Android Developer has created an app that converts all your Android calendar events to your Gmail account.  This is important especially for those of you who want to use the Google calendar as the central repository for calendar events created from multiple sources.  Once you do this, you can now easily use that Google calendar within the Evolution and Thunderbird email clients for Linux.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BATTERY IS CHARGING SLOWLY OR LOSING CHARGE QUICKLY:

1.  Backup your settings, files and contacts on Google or your Carrier's Cloud site.

2.  Reset your phone to Factory Settings.

3.  When setting up your phone or restoring your previously installed apps do not give permission for your location or make app always run when asleep.  If you run the app and it notifies you that it cannot run without your location permission that's when you give it permission.  (It's processes like this which run indefinitely that drain your battery quickly.)

4.  Charge your phone via USB cord to your PC.

5.  If steps 1-4 did not fix your issue, it is most likely an issue with the hardware as opposed to the software.  Either the phone is damaged at the USB port or the USB charger itself is broken.

Email Clients Versus Collaboration Tools

In this constantly evolving world we find ourselves in -- from getting up-to-the-minute news in the blink of an eye on our mobile devices to encountering increasingly integrated software apps -- it can be quite overwhelming for the average small town business owner when making decisions about which apps to use to run his/her business.  What if you pick an app that steals your contacts or puts malware on your applications?  What if you purchase an app that you don't understand how to use and manage because you got sold by fancy marketing PR that was thrown at you when you clicked on the website?

So, let me try and simplify the decision-making process a couple notches down for an area that most businesses require to run effectively - Communication.  If you are a business owner, how do you want to exchange information with your Customers, Employees and Vendors?  Does your business typically rely on on-line interactions the majority of the time versus verbally or in person?  Well, if it does, stay on this page because I will be discussing some Linux-based Email clients versus Collaboration tools.

So, you've made a plan to switch over to a Linux desktop with LibreOffice, what next?  You need an Outlook replacement, right?  Answer:  It depends.  The reason why I say "it depends" is that technology has evolved to the point that Collaboration tools include email and other additional communication functionality.  Do you really need an email client if a Collaboration tool has email and more?  Do you really need email if your work processes rely more on updates or exchanges that can be better handled within a Collaboration tool?

Let me give you some examples:

Example #1:  Your firm is a bakery.  You order your own ingredients and make your own baked goods within your small shop.  If you buy most of your ingredients by going to Costco, Sam's Club or a local grocery store, do you really need email to run your business?

Example #2:  Your firm is an Engineering firm that designs semi conductor components for the telecommunications industry.  Your customers interact with your Designers and Engineers through meetings and reviewing drawings.  If most of your work processes revolve around updating the status of the design process for a component until final approval by the customer, do you really need email to run your business?

For the first example, you would probably think email was not really necessary since you do most of the tasks yourself, supplying inventory, baking and interacting with customers in person.  For the second example, you might be tempted to say you really need the email so that your designers can attach drawings to emails they send to customers to review.

What if I were to tell you that there are feature rich tools within the Linux ecosystem that could handle enterprise-wide transactions and processes in a collaborative manner?  These tools consist of the following on a single platform:

• Information sharing and CRM


• Project, task and event management


• Online file server and document management


• Data exchange and synchronization


• Incident tracking


• Website content management


• Email integrated with calendar management


• Chatting

The above is what is displayed on Egroupware's site.

Just think.  If most of your processes revolved around approving drawings with internal and external resources, why not handle those processes within a Collaboration tool such as Egroupware or Group-Office?  You save the drawing one time into the tool's repository database.  Any comments, calendar events, resources or other updates would be associated with that drawing generating a history of the transactions related to that drawing.  Why there's even version control, tracking the changes to the design as it is approved by all parties throughout the design life-cycle.

Now wouldn't that be a better approach than exchanging emails with attachments back and forth, where the attachments could clog up the memory of the email server, requiring frequent system administration to free up memory resources for storage?  With exchanging emails, it's very easy to lose or find the right email when you are sending it to someone who gets 300 emails a day.  However, with one of the Collaboration tools above, the history of revisions and approvals for each drawing is kept intact in one place where all resources, whether employee or customer, can look up information related to that same drawing as long as they all have a login account to the tool.

If you decide that your business really does need email, there are two Linux email clients that come to mind:  Thunderbird and Evolution.

I'll go into those two in more detail in a later post but for now, just giving you some food for thought.

 

If you would like a Consultant to evaluate your organization for a potential migration to LibreOffice or other Linux products, please fill out the form provided in the Contact Us page.

Evaluating LibreOffice For Your Business

So you happened to click on this site or another Linux site and were intrigued about the new world that opened up to you when you heard of the benefits of a Linux operating system: modularity, security, versatility, etc.  Then you chanced upon some articles related to using LibreOffice, the much touted drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office.  You figured to yourself, "Maybe I could garner operating expense cost-savings in the long run if I decide to replace all my Windows desktops loaded with MS Office with Ubuntu desktops pre-installed with LibreOffice..."

Here are things to consider before you make the migration:

1.  Interoperability - How important is the integration of documents or files within LibreOffice to other applications your business relies on?  Does your SAP, Oracle or other ERP system allow you to export data to LibreOffice Calc or Base?

2.  Collaboration - To what degree does your business share document or files internally and externally?  Is this critical to the execution of your business processes?  For example, do you share large documents which are heavily formatted with version tracking with customers, vendors or employees?  If so, can it be handled with LibreOffice Writer?

3.  Compatibility -  Think of all the file formats your business uses and whether LibreOffice can handle them.  For example, LibreOffice Calc was able to read an Excel Chart and data with an .XLS file but unable to read the Chart with an .XLSX file in my video below:

If this is the case, think of how you want to handle this situation.  Do you want to give users access to both LibreOffice and MS Office to account for situations like this?

4.  Process Execution - Can I execute this particular process and all its associated set of tasks using LibreOffice?  For example, can you take all your processes which rely on Microsoft Access/Excel VBA code and macros and recreate them in LibreOffice Base/Calc Basic and Python code?

5.  Support Resources - If you are considering migrating over to LibreOffice, do you have an experienced resource you can rely on when you run into issues using the new software?  For commercial support, LibreOffice provides a list of certified partners.

6.  Differentiation - What does Office have that LibreOffice doesn't have?  How often are those features or functionality being used by your users?  For example, if you are a small Design firm and your staff primarily use office to send Powerpoint presentations with associated Artwork to clients, it is probably overkill to have each member have a licensed copy of Office.  If the presentations can be viewed in Impress and occasionally there is a Word document with formatting that does not translate to Writer, then you only need one copy of Office stored on a Windows laptop or server for the staff to use when they need to view Office documents or files.

Here are things to do to make the migration successful:

1.  Create a detailed LibreOffice Migration plan.

2.  Encourage your employees to start using LibreOffice at home in preparation for the actual migration.  To download a free copy of LibreOffice, click here.

3.  Decide whether you want to standardize on LibreOffice or operate with a mixed environment.

4.  Create the business case for the LibreOffice migration and determine if there is a return on investment (ROI).

5.  Start a pilot project with departments where the migration change is going to be the least disruptive to evaluate the usefulness of the product and how it integrates with the department's normal workflow.

6.  Evaluate the pilot project after the evaluation period is over:  30 days, 3 months, etc.

7.  Conduct meetings with staff members from the departments which evaluated LibreOffice to determine whether there were any gaps in business processes that LibreOffice did not meet and whether they could be adequately addressed by using a substitute process or technology.

8.  Determine any additional benefits gained from using LibreOffice over MS Office.

9.  Compile the pros, cons, migration costs and operational savings gained to complete your business case.

10.  Make the decision to migrate based on the results of your pilot project and business case in Step 9.  Do the benefits and operational cost savings that will be gained from the migration outweigh the cons and migration costs?

11.  If you decide to migrate, ensure that you have appropriate Support resources and a plan to handle legacy documents created with Windows formats.  Perhaps, you want to keep an old Windows 7 laptop loaded with Office 2010 with each department or put a few licensed copies of Windows 7 loaded with Office 2010 on a citrix server that any employee can access via thin client.

There are numerous benefits to using LibreOffice:  no license costs, cross-platform compatibility (Linux, Windows, MAC) and a near drop-in replacement for MS Office.  However, before you take the plunge, you must evaluate whether LibreOffice can fill most of your office critical needs.  If you find that LibreOffice will fulfill most of your critical business needs, you must prepare your organization adequately to ensure that the LibreOffice migration will be successful.

If you would like a Consultant to evaluate your organization for a potential migration to LibreOffice or other Linux products, please fill out the form provided in the Contact Us page.

New Category Featuring Articles on Using Linux in Business

Dear Readers,

This site was primarily created to bring more public awareness to using Linux on the desktop as a viable alternative to Windows, MAC and other desktop operating systems.  Most of the articles up to this point have been geared toward personal and home use.  As Linux gains more acceptance in corporate enterprises the world over in the server, mobile and desktop arenas, I feel the time is ripe to introduce a new section on this site which features articles from the perspective of a business owner, whether large or small.  My own background encompasses working in Fortune 500 companies and small to mid-sized businesses in both technical and business roles.  Therefore, the articles here will serve as guides to aid business owners when making technology decisions about whether to add Linux products to their enterprise.

 

Sincerely,

Editor

 

 

Resolving Ubuntu Issues

This section will help the end user resolve issues that may occur when using Ubuntu.  The following errors commonly occur when using CPU intensive activities (i.e. using multiple applications at the same time) or graphic intensive applications (i.e. playing a video game or using a a video editor).  To alleviate these problems try to use Ubuntu on a partition with enough memory to handle the application or use a stronger graphics card and make sure the drivers are updated.  There are Linux vendors who can make sure you don't experience these types of problems because they certify and configure their hardware and components to ensure they are optimized to work well with your Linux distribution.  I never purchased a Linux laptop so I have run into these issues as a Linux newbie installing Ubuntu on a Windows laptop.

MENU FROZE:

1.  Press keys <CTRL><ALT><F2> simultaneously to exit to the login prompt at a different workspace.  (Ubuntu has the capability of utilizing more than one workspace, which is like having more than screen session at the same time.  I cover this concept in my Youtube video on "Linux Mint Workspaces".)
2.  At the Login prompt, type in your username and press <ENTER>.

3.  At the Password prompt, type in your password and press <ENTER>.

4.  At ~ prompt, type in "sudo stop lightdm" and press <ENTER>.

5.  At the ~ password prompt, type in your password and press <ENTER>.  (After you press <ENTER>, the status will show "lightdm is stopped/waiting".)

6.  At ~ prompt, type in "sudo start lightdm" and press <ENTER>.  (After you press <ENTER>, the computer will reboot as if you pressed the "Restart" option.  Lightdm is a program that manages the windows within Ubuntu.)

 

 

 

Resolving Linux Mint Issues

This section will help the end user resolve issues that may occur when using Linux Mint.  The following errors commonly occur when using CPU intensive activities (i.e. using multiple applications at the same time) or graphic intensive applications (i.e. playing a video game or using a a video editor).  To alleviate these problems try to use Linux Mint on a partition with enough memory to handle the application or use a stronger graphics card and make sure the drivers are updated.  There are Linux vendors who can make sure you don't experience these types of problems because they certify and configure their hardware and components to ensure they are optimized to work well with your Linux distribution.  I never purchased a Linux laptop so I have run into these issues as a Linux newbie.

MENU FROZE:

1.  Press keys <CTRL><ALT><F2> simultaneously to exit to the login prompt.
2.  Press keys <CTRL><ALT><DEL> simultaneously to reboot the computer.

MINIMIZE(-)/MAXIMIZE(+) BUTTONS DISAPPEARED ON WINDOWS:

1. Click on Menu.
2. Click on Terminal Emulator.
3. Type the following linux command at the prompt:

xfwm4 --replace



4.  Press <ENTER>.

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Taking Linux Mint for a Test Drive

BACK UP, BABY! BACKUP!!! - Before you take the plunge with trying Linux on your Laptop, PC or workstation, be sure you either have a spare machine with your Windows OS installed on it and all of your important files backed up. (There's nothing worse than trying something new and having something go wrong during the process of trying something new and not being able to go back to how it was before.)

TRY A LIVE CD, DVD OR USB - Before you install something new to your treasured Laptop, make sure you feel comfortable with the look and feel of using the new OS. Linux Mint (Download Linux Mint) gives you the option of using a Windows installer (Wubi) or an ISO file. The ISO file is a container storing all of the programs necessary to run the OS all compressed in one file that is represented with a Disc image graphically and with the extension .iso (i.e. myfile.iso)

• What you need to do is download the ISO file of the version of Linux Mint you want to use based on whether your hardware is 64-bit or 32-bit onto your Laptop.


• Then you need to download this program called Universal USB Installer (Download UUI) to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB.


• Follow the instructions of the UUI site to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB OR you can use the Wubi from either the Linux Mint Download sites.


• After you are done creating the LIVE CD, DVD or USB. Shut down your Windows Laptop.


• Plug in your CD, DVD or USB.


• Turn on your Laptop.


• Hit whatever key brings you to the BIOS on your Laptop. Mine was <F12>.

The Linux Mascot (aka TUX)

• Select the Linux Mint from the Options menu and Voila!!! You're off and running Linux Mint.

Taking Ubuntu for a Test Drive

BACK UP, BABY! BACKUP!!! - Before you take the plunge with trying Linux on your Laptop, PC or workstation, be sure you either have a spare machine with your Windows OS installed on it and all of your important files backed up. (There's nothing worse than trying something new and having something go wrong during the process of trying something new and not being able to go back to how it was before.)

TRY A LIVE CD, DVD OR USB - Before you install something new to your treasured Laptop, make sure you feel comfortable with the look and feel of using the new OS. Ubuntu (Download Ubuntu) gives you the option of using a Windows installer (Wubi) for versions earlier than 13.04 or an ISO file. The ISO file is a container storing all of the programs necessary to run the OS all compressed in one file that is represented with a Disc image graphically and with the extension .iso (i.e. myfile.iso)

• What you need to do is download the ISO file of the version of Ubuntu you want to use based on whether your hardware is 64-bit or 32-bit onto your Laptop.


• Then you need to download this program called Universal USB Installer (Download UUI) to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB.


• Follow the instructions of the UUI site to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB OR you can use the Wubi from either the Ubuntu Download site.


• After you are done creating the LIVE CD, DVD or USB. Shut down your Windows Laptop.


• Plug in your CD, DVD or USB.


• Turn on your Laptop.


• Hit whatever key brings you to the BIOS on your Laptop. Mine was <F12>.

The Linux Mascot (aka TUX)

• At the Welcome Screen, select your Language at the left and click on the on Button that says "Try Ubuntu" and...


• Voila!!! You're off and running Ubuntu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Installing and Configuring Apps in Linux Mint

In Linux Mint, there are 3 ways to install applications:

1. Software Manager -This is the easiest way to install most applications on Linux Mint. You can navigate to it by:
   
   
   
   • Clicking on Menu
   
   
   • Clicking on Software Manager
   
   
   • Entering your password at the Dialog box prompt
   
   
   
   


2. Synaptic Package Manager - This is another way to install applications at a package component level, which makes it easier for Developers or System Administrators to review software components which are missing and need to be installed. You can navigate to it by:
   
   
   
   • Clicking on Menu
   
   
   • Clicking on System
   
   
   • Clicking on Synaptic Package Manager
   
   
   
   


3. Terminal Emulator- This is the quickest way to install applications and missing software package components for more Technical users. It is very similar to the DOS Command Prompt in Windows. Users enter commands to execute processes within the operating system, including the installation of software. You can navigate to it by:
   
   
   
   • Clicking on Menu
   
   
   • Clicking on Terminal Emulator
   
   
   
   

• As for configuring applications in Linux Mint, most of the time, you can use the applications within Settings to change how your operating system looks and behaves. You can navigate to it by:
  
  
  
  • Clicking on Menu
  
  
  • Clicking on Settings
  
  
  
  Alternatively, it is possible to configure applications by executing commands with Terminal Emulator.

For some applications which are not found in Software Manager, you may be instructed by the Developers who created the applications to use the Terminal Emulator to install their applications.

 

Installing and Configuring Apps in Ubuntu

In Ubuntu, there are 3 ways to install applications:

1. Ubuntu Software Center -This is the easiest way to install most applications on Ubuntu. You can navigate to it by:
   
   
   
   • Clicking on Suitcase Icon
   
   
   
   


2. Synaptic Package Manager - This is another way to install applications at a package component level, which makes it easier for Developers or System Administrators to review software components which are missing and need to be installed. You can navigate to it by:
   
   
   
   • Clicking on Dash
   
   
   • Entering "Synaptic Package Manager" in the Search field (If it isn't there, you may need to install it using the Terminal Emulator.)
   
   
   • Clicking on the Magnifying Glass
   
   
   • Clicking on the Synaptic Package Manager icon
   
   
   
   


3. Terminal Emulator- This is the quickest way to install applications and missing software package components for more Technical users. It is very similar to the DOS Command Prompt in Windows. Users enter commands to execute processes within the operating system, including the installation of software. You can navigate to it by:
   
   
   
   • Clicking on Dash
   
   
   • Entering on "Terminal " in the Search field
   
   
   • Clicking on the Magnifying Glass
   
   
   • Clicking the "X Term" icon
   
   
   
   

• As for configuring applications in Ubuntu, most of the time, you can use the applications within Settings to change how your operating system looks and behaves. You can navigate to it by:
  
  
  
  • Clicking on Gear icon
  
  
  
  Alternatively, it is possible to configure applications by executing commands with Terminal Emulator.

For some applications which are not found in the Ubuntu Software Center, you may be instructed by the Developers who created the applications to use the Terminal Emulator to install their applications.

Using Linux Mint with Windows on a Dual Partition

TRY A LIVE CD, DVD OR USB - Before you install something new to your treasured Laptop, make sure you feel comfortable with the look and feel of using the new OS. Linux Mint (Download Linux Mint) gives you the option of using a Windows installer (Wubi) for versions earlier than 13.04 or an ISO file. The ISO file is a container storing all of the programs necessary to run the OS all compressed in one file that is represented with a Disc image graphically and with the extension .iso (i.e. myfile.iso)

• What you need to do is download the ISO file of the version of Ubuntu you want to use based on whether your hardware is 64-bit or 32-bit onto your Laptop.


• Then you need to download this program called Universal USB Installer (Download UUI) to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB.


• Follow the instructions of the UUI site to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB OR you can use the Wubi from either the Ubuntu Download site.


• After you are done creating the LIVE CD, DVD or USB. Shut down your Windows Laptop.


• Plug in your CD, DVD or USB.


• Turn on your Laptop.


• Hit whatever key brings you to the BIOS on your Laptop. Mine was <F12>.

The Linux Mascot (aka TUX)

• Select Linux Mint from the Options menu and Voila!!! You're off and running Linux Mint.

DUAL BOOT LINUX AND WINDOWS - You know that CD, DVD or USB you created in the step ABOVE You can use that same media to install a dual boot of Linux alongside Windows. That way, if you are playing conservative and don't want to end up in the deep end being a newbie and all with Linux, you can at BOOT UP decide which OS you want to use. This allows you to gain some experience in using Linux, its free Office and other applications and see how they compare to Windows and its commercial applications.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Plug in the CD, DVD or USB you created.


2. Hit the <F12> key or whatever key you need to on your computer to display the BIOS.


3. Select the option that corresponds to your optical device whether it be DVD/CD or USB from the BIOS menu. Hit <Enter>.


4. Select the the first option "Start Linux Mint".


5. Click on the Disc icon that says "Install Linux Mint".


6. Go through and select the appropriate options until you get to Installation Type Window.


7. Select the first option "Install Linux Mint alongside them".


8. Select how much space to allocate to Linux Mint on a separate partition from your Windows OS.


9. Go through the rest of the installation process choosing values specific to your Country.


10. You can use the link below to help you with the rest of the installation process even though the tutorial is about removing Windows from its partition and replacing the whole computer with Linux Mint.


11. When it is time to boot up the computer, you will now have Linux Mint as an option to boot into besides Windows.

Installing Linux Mint Tutorial

 

 

Using Ubuntu with Windows on a Dual Partition

TRY A LIVE CD, DVD OR USB - Before you install something new to your treasured Laptop, make sure you feel comfortable with the look and feel of using the new OS. Ubuntu (Download Ubuntu) gives you the option of using a Windows installer (Wubi) for versions earlier than 13.04 or an ISO file. The ISO file is a container storing all of the programs necessary to run the OS all compressed in one file that is represented with a Disc image graphically and with the extension .iso (i.e. myfile.iso)

• What you need to do is download the ISO file of the version of Ubuntu you want to use based on whether your hardware is 64-bit or 32-bit onto your Laptop.


• Then you need to download this program called Universal USB Installer (Download UUI) to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB.


• Follow the instructions of the UUI site to create the LIVE CD, DVD or USB OR you can use the Wubi from either the Ubuntu Download site.


• After you are done creating the LIVE CD, DVD or USB. Shut down your Windows Laptop.

The Linux Mascot (aka TUX)

DUAL BOOT UBUNTU AND WINDOWS - You know that CD, DVD or USB you created in the steps ABOVE You can use that same media to install a dual boot of Ubuntu alongside Windows. That way, if you are playing conservative and don't want to end up in the deep end being a newbie and all with Linux, you can at BOOT UP decide which OS you want to use. This allows you to gain some experience in using Ubuntu, its free Office and other applications and see how they compare to Windows and its commercial applications.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Plug in the CD, DVD or USB you created.


2. Turn on your Laptop.


3. Hit the <F12> key or whatever key you need to on your computer to display the BIOS.


4. Select the option that corresponds to your optical device whether it be DVD/CD or USB from the BIOS menu. Hit <Enter>.


5. At the Welcome Screen, select your Language at the left and click on the on Button that says "Install Ubuntu".


6. Ensure checklist of tasks is completed and click on Continue.  (Download Updates and Third Party Software are additional options.)


7. Set up WiFi Configuration now or do it later and click on Continue.


8. Go through and select the appropriate options until you get to Installation Type Window.


9. Select the option "Install Ubuntu alongside (name of current operating system)".


10. Select how much space to allocate to Ubuntu on a separate partition from your Windows OS.


11. Go through the rest of the installation process choosing values specific to your Country.


12. Enter your Username and Password for logging in.


13. When it is time to boot up the computer, you will now have Ubuntu as an option to boot into besides Windows.

 

Basic Navigation in Linux Mint

If you are familiar with Windows 7 operating system, the navigation within Linux Mint 14 is very similar. You access most of the applications by clicking on the Menu bar at the lower left hand corner of your Screen, which is just like clicking on the Startup bar in the same area in Windows 7.

Once you click on the Menu bar in Linux Mint, you will access a small window that displays the different categories of applications to navigate to. The top items on this window are 5 applications you will use frequently that is why they are singled out at the top. I think this is more compact than the current equivalent Startup Menu bar in Windows 7, which is a little bit excessive in how it lists several applications without the categorization.

It is easy enough to move the mouse over one of the five applications and click to select them or move the mouse to one of the categories to select the applications displayed within that category.

Basic Navigation in Ubuntu

Navigating in Ubuntu 12.04 is more similar to navigating within a MAC computer as opposed to Windows. The icons are pretty large compared to Windows icons and you don't access the applications in a Startup menu at the lower right hand corner of your screen. Instead the icons are lined up one right after the other from top to bottom on the left hand side of the screen on what is called a Dock Launcher. You access most of the applications using the Dash, which is the first icon on the top of the Dock Launcher.

The Dash is a Search Function that allows you to query applications you need to use either by category or by typing in the name of the application in the Search field. If you choose to search by category click on one of the five icons at the bottom of the screen. The first icon by default looks like a house. It represents a general search. The next icon represents Search Applications. The third icon which looks like a piece of paper represents Search Files & Folders. The fourth icon which is a music note represents Search Music Collection. The last icon which looks like a film negative with an arrow represents Search Videos.

By default, the more common applications will be on pinned on the Dock Launcher such as LibreOffice Writer and Calc, System Settings (Gear Icon), Ubuntu Software Center, etc. UbuntuOne is the Ubuntu's Cloud website which allows you backup and store any data or music files to this site for free if you register for it. You can pin or remove (unpin) applications as you see fit on the Dock Launcher by right clicking your mouse and clicking Unlock from Launcher.

The upper right hand corner will contain status bar information such as date/time, battery usage, wireless and wired status and the login account information. It is very similar to what you will find on the lower right hand corner for Windows 7.