|
|
Do Your Customers Hate Vista? Rip and Replace with a TwistDATE: 09-NOV-2007 Wading through the mass of distributions can prove to be a chore and in many cases, it can come down to taste when picking a Linux distribution. There are literally hundreds of distributions of Linux, so choose carefully. With that in mind, it may take a little poking around on the Web to see how the Linux distributions measure up. A quick visit to distrowatch.com shows the most activity around Ubuntu, a freely available Linux distribution with both community and professional support. Ubuntu is definitely worth a look, with the latest distribution, version 7.10, released on Oct. 10, 2007. For those system builders looking for a commercial release of Linux, Linspire 6.0, which was also released on Oct. 10, 2007, may fit the bill. Linspire 6.0 is based upon Ubuntu, but includes some commercial applications and bundles in some technical support.Channel Labs' engineers took a look at both Ubuntu and Linspire to evaluate how well those distributions can be used instead of Windows XP to replace Windows Vista. But first, lets take a look at what is involved with getting Linux and Windows Vista running happily together on the same system. There are two paths to follow when it comes to running Linux on a system that came with Windows Vista pre-installed. The first path involves using Virtual Machine technology, which involves configuring Windows Vista and then installing virtualization software. That software could be VMware, Parallels, or even Microsoft's own Virtual PC product. While virtualization proves to be an excellent way to take a peek at what Linux has to offer, it proves to be a poor solution if you are looking to truly experience Linux. The problem is that the Virtualization software runs on top of Windows Vista, so you will run into the situation where Vista is still using significant resources on the PC and is acting as a "go-between" for Linux and the native hardware. That situation impedes any performance enhancements that Linux could offer and can potentially increase costs, more memory and additional software may be required to make a Virtual Machine work for running Linux under Vista.The smarter way to expose your customers to Linux is to go with a dual- (or multi-)boot arrangement. This style of installation allows a user to choose which operating system to boot up with, which will maximize the system's performance, while eliminating the need for additional hardware. That said, there are still some pre-requisites though to make dual boot work. First off, you will need ample disk space to make sure that you can install an additional OS, also you will need to make sure the distribution of Linux that you chose has multi-boot capabilities (both Ubuntu and Linspire do). You can download an ISO image file of either version of Linux from the companies' web sites. For Linspire, you will have to pay for the download (retail is $49), while Ubuntu is a free download. The 600 + MB ISO image files can then be burnt onto a CD. For a step-by-step guide on booting Windows out and Linux up, click here. Basically, that is all there is to making Linux a viable choice for those looking to flee Windows Vista anarchy.
|
Comment on this article
|
by anonymous, 11/12/2007 8:22:55 AM by anonymous, 11/17/2007 11:11:58 AM by anonymous, 11/9/2007 5:33:48 PM
|
| Looking to grow IT's role in business? Looking to equip IT with the tools to make a difference? The time has come to for solution providers to increase the importance of IT. Opinion: Margins will drop quickly on managed services, and VARs need to stay two steps ahead to keep up. |
|
|
