Should we be learning Linux

At first I thought that the sudden popularity in Linux was a direct result of Microsoft having their hands in it to show the Department of Justice that there are more competing operating systems. Even though I did read a small bit of an article on the Internet that Bill Gates owns stock in a Linux company, still it wasn't enough to convince me that there was a conspiracy. My next assumption was that the sudden rise in Linux purchases might be the result of hundreds of thousands of angry MCSE's and MCP's because Microsoft is retiring our certifications, which could be a part of it as well. Linux has always been known to be used by avid Microsoft haters. You might laugh at that but I know quite a few people sitting around with Linux as their main operating systems, impatiently counting the hours, until they will one day rule the world. I mean, providing that the X-Files is never cancelled, and their mom's will let them. (Put your e-mail down, it was just a joke.) Regardless of what has been the recent driving force behind Linux, this might be the best time to seriously consider adding Linux to your network.

Still upset about Microsoft retiring my cert to cash in on the next wave of new certifications, I too accompanied all the administrators in my department, with touches in hand, and stormed off to the local software store to purchase ourselves some Linux. Upon arriving we found that there were a few to choose from, we chose Red hat and were on our way back to the office. Oddly enough, while we were there, I did notice that Windows 2000 was nowhere to be seen. There was one or two upgrade packs to Windows 98, but nothing else. I don't think I've ever been into a software store and didn't see Windows wallpapering the stands, what's up with that? Anyways, back to Linux.

Despite being an experienced network administrator with some Unix and Linux experience under my belt from a few years back, Linux was still a challenge for me. It installed without a hitch, and it detected all my systems hardware, which I don't remember seeing it do that before, but I was really only interested in a mail server and web server. The book and online instructions disk that came with it, were virtually useless to me, so I went out an bought four more books: Send Mail, Redhat, Apache, and another Linux book. The Send Mail book was so thick that the moment I thumbed through it, I immediately took out my pen and wrote across the cover "King James Version" Thinking that it would ultimately replace all those books in hotel room nightstands. The other three weren't as big but still was going to require some time before I could get the two systems running to where I could manage them, but that's Okay, it was this type of challenge that had drawn me towards computers in the first place. Learning Linux, had that excited, "just learning for the first time" feeling. You know the type where you screw everything up and are forced to read part of the book to repair the mess you just made, but you refuse to read the entire book afraid that it will take all the fun out of it? -Umm, no. It's just me, isn't it?

One very nice benefit that I've noticed with using Linux is that you haven't sold your soul after your first install. No one dictates when and how you will use it. You may change any feature that doesn't work for you or your company, you can rewrite the entire program if it suits you, and you don't feel like your money has gone to support the evil empire. I've always been uncomfortable with the fact that my career has been so vendor specific. Whether it's NT, UNIX, or Netware, you become a decibel of the company, and you serve a master that answers to stockholders. To me, that means that decisions can be made to protect the stockholders that can radically affect your career. Ask a CNE what that means. Foolishly, there was a time that I turned away from Novell and towards NT because I thought Novell was too arrogant and needed a wake up call. Now I see the importance of being less product specific, and this time around I'm going to add a little diversity to my server rooms by including Linux and perhaps even Unix. I now believe that by adding a more mixed server environment, your career has a stronger chance of surviving any future corporate marketing blockades. For example, if Microsoft devalues you as an NT 4 administrator as an effort to market their next server version, you can fall back on Linux. The same would hold true with Netware and Solaris. I know that I can't be the only one tired of being used as a marketing tool.

As computer people, the market dictates our careers and what software we use. However, in most cases our companies use our recommendations to what software purchases will best suit their particular needs. We play a much larger role then the software companies will have you believe. I've turned around a 300,000 dollar purchase of software in a meeting one time because I thought that the software was to difficult to support, cost to much and I thought that the reason they tried to push it though without consulting my department in the first place was because they were hiding something. But I will save that story for another article titled; "Why the Vice President of Accounting Hates You." So you see, we play a monumental role in what software our company chooses.

You must be careful with Linux though, because the first time you mention that there are no license fee's they will want you to drop everything and begin migrating over. The plan truth is, Linux is not really ready to replace all of your network server and workstations. Until Linux can support the multitude of accounting and other programs that drive a company's backend, we are at the mercy of the giant corporation. There's also the argument about using Linux on the workstation for the end-users. Personally speaking, Linux may be a little too difficult for end-users to master. If it were up to me I'd remove all of their PC's and replace them with etch-a-sketches and call them laptops. At least that way the reboot would be easier.

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