Why advocating Linux can be an up hill battle...

[Hewitt Tech]

One of my clients is running an all windows shop. He does this because his
primary application, QuickBooks, is Windows based and because the QuickBooks
folks require a Windows server to host their application in a networked
environment. I personally would rather the client use a Linux file server to
some extent because there is a big disparity in cost when you compare say a
10 client license Windows server to a Linux system running Samba. Moreover,
on closer inspection of the QuickBooks application it becomes apparent that
the app doesn't use anything special on the server. There are a number of
success stories where the QuickBooks application is served from Samba on a
Linux server.

But here's the killer - my client stated that they were nervous about using
a Linux server. Their stated reasoning was that they wanted to be as
"vanilla" as possible. The client also stated that although they were
confident that I could service their needs, what would happen if I became
unavailable? (run over by a truck, decided to raise chickens etc. ;^)). But
then this past week I was checking their workstation setup and discovered
that all their systems were getting DHCP served IP addresses from their DSL
connection. I called the provider and was told that this particular client
had had a Linux  router installed by the previous, I hesitate to use the
word "professionals", and that the Linux system had been "rooted" shortly
after having been put into service. The Linux router was pulled and these
"professionals" decided that they should just plug the DSL modem directly
into a 16 port hub!

Needless to say I'll be in there tomorrow installing a secure
gateway/firewall router but I'm now beginning to also understand why the
client was reluctant to try an open source solution...

-Alex

P.S. I have also figured out how the client's NT server got nailed with the
Nimda virus and at least a couple of their workstations mysteriously went
belly up...