Migration from Windows to Linux

David Ecklein dave at diacad.com
Wed Oct 27 13:45:01 EDT 2004


I am new to GNHLUG.  And after years of bare acquaintence, still new to Linux.  At this point I understand mainly its promise.

Many people new to Linux, yours truly included, first want to know how to migrate Windows installations to Linux.  Whether OO or Linux email handling may be superior or inferior to their M$ equivalents (in performance or cost) seems irrelevent to the migration question, once the decision is made for whatever reason.  These days it may be security or stability, rather than performance or cost as I had originally thought.

A question posed recently by "aahad1" on www.linuxgazette.com  - "Can anyone suggest [me] some good reading for near perfect (if not perfect) migration" - has not been answered there as yet.  I am lifting my own question from this forum and asking it here; none of the newbie primers handle it well, and it is usually met by some know-it-all handwaving that does nothing to advance the questioner's ability to migrate from Windows to Linux.  Nor does it build confidence in taking this momentous step.  I hope to see and learn something more constructive here on GNHLUG.  

For instance, one big problem is moving email accounts and settings (where possible and relevant) from Win to Lin (and perhaps back again).  Even doing this between two Win systems is non-trivial and therefore some excellent utilities have become necessary (and available) to aid the user.  Most of these compress the source system email account into a file which is later expanded appropriately on the target system.  The ideal would be a similar utility to assist Win-Lin migration of email accounts.  There may be such utilities; does anyone know?

There are many, many other issues in migration.  From listing equivalent procedures and programs to suggesting appropriate means for file conversions.  I have neither seen a helpful reference, nor even a good website, dealing with the issues involved.  If such does not exist, then for those who understand both worlds well and can write to those who do not, without condescension and with a minimum of acronymitis, there is an opportunity to generate a best seller or some heavy internet traffic.  "Mad-dog" Hall's invaluable primer helped me get Linux running a few years ago; perhaps he can write a sequel to show me and the other "dummies" how to get our stuff off M$ and onto the right system.

Maybe it's not possible or practical - or the dish has too many flavors.  But maybe not, which is why I am asking.

Believe me, this is an important issue.  One which often keeps users chained to Windows for their working system and Linux mainly as their once-in-awhile educational playtoy.

Dave Ecklein
Rumney NH (anyone up beyond Concord want to form a northern chapter?)
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