Ubuntu Domain Server

[Ryan Dwyer]

Hi everyone,
What are your thoughts on having a server product that competes with Windows
Server? Something which has a GUI, is very easy to manage and works best
with Ubuntu workstations.

It could have benefits over Windows, such as:
- Ability to store disk images on the server, then boot workstations with a
live CD and image them in just a few minutes. That way your workstation is
already configured with the software your business uses.
- Ability to audit information automatically. Ubuntu workstations could send
the output of lshw and dpkg -l to the server, which keeps track of it all.
Auditing is important in every business. I don't know of any automated way
to do this in Windows without paying for third party software.
- Ability to run commands on all/selected workstations, such as installing
new software. The server could connect to Ubuntu workstations using SSH or
through a network agent.

My theory is that people trying Ubuntu Server are probably Windows
administrators and find it daunting that there's no GUI. If they don't turn
away then, they turn away when they discover there's 48 chapters of Samba
documentation to read through just to get a functional domain server. Very
few administrators would see this as a viable replacement for their Windows
server.

I believe targeting this market is the key to having Ubuntu take over the
desktop. Businesses will use Ubuntu servers and workstations if there are
great benefits over Windows equivalents. This results in everyday employees
experiencing Ubuntu at work, which leads to Ubuntu being used at home.

Someone created a wiki page with similar ideas but it appears to have been
abandoned: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDomainManagementServer

Please reply with your thoughts.

-Ryan
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