Mark,
It sounds like you're willing to give it a go. I'd suggest first doing some
homework in the ubuntu forums. Like I said, there are many tutorials for
doing just this sort of thing. Every setup is a little different, but you
should be able to get it going with a little work and patience, and as long
as you aren't under any deadline you might even keep your sanity. I also am
no IT genius, but I have enjoyed using and learning about linux over the
past 3 years. The philosophy agrees with me, and the cost can't be beat.
Unfortunately, the greatest strength of desktop linux is also it's greatest
impediment to wider adoption. The level of complexity exposed to the user
can be intimidating, and users can easily get themselves into some pretty
frustrating situations. Well designed GUI tools that hide some of the
complexity have been changing that as of late it seems, but I have found it
immensely satisfying becoming proficient on the command line. If you are
more comfortable with a GUI, there are a few server management GUI's out
there that have been recommended on this list. I haven't tried them though.
You mention that the windows boxes always share and always print. While
this is true, it's probably very insecure. Linux is secure by default and
if you want it to share, you have to be explicit with what you want to
share, with whom you want to share it and how you want to share it. It's
not quite as easy as checking a box, but it does allow a more granular level
of control over access to your potentially sensitive information.
BTW, if you have an android phone that gets good reception where your
computers are, 10.04+ is able to run easytether and if you install it on the
phone and the computer, you can probably get speeds much better than dial
up. It has worked well for me, as my employer refuses to pay for any
connection and I have an unlimited data plan.
http://www.mobile-stream.com/easytether/android.html
Again, best of luck-
Brian
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
No comments:
Post a Comment