[ubuntu-uk] Desktop or Server?

[Rob Beard]

Alan Bell wrote:
> I am with the desktop crowd (small as it is)
> GDM doesn't consume many resources, if left logged out on the GDM screen
> it won't chew memory, processor or open any external ports (neither does
> X/Gnome itself by default). When the full desktop is running it will use
> extra resources but that is fine. If I am giving a customer their first
> Ubuntu server for them to mostly leave well alone I would put the
> desktop on it, with Compiz and all the eye candy turned on! I want them
> to see that on the rare occasion that they actually log on they have a
> better desktop operating system than the Windows XP machine on their desk.
>
>
> Alan.
>   
I would argue that if I'm giving a customer a server, I don't want them 
playing with it and breaking things!

Maybe that's just me though, one of my contract customers (who I don't 
support anymore) had a habit of giving out the Domain Administrator 
password to any staff members who asked for it (despite me arguing 
against it), and one of the sales staff decided it would be a good idea 
to login using the domain administrator password to do stuff.  Suffice 
to say I was not impressed sorting out the aftermath.

So now I generally just install the server components (and not always 
Ubuntu, sometimes I install the CentOS based SME Server).  However I 
will be installing an LTSP server in a VM for one client who has 
recently bought a new Dell server.  They want a few desktops and the 
spare machines they have kicking around are probably a bit too old to 
run as a reasonable desktop, however with a bit of LTSP magic and some 
etherboot CDs they can re-use these PCs (and save themselves some money 
on new PCs in the process).

I do occasionally dish out Ubuntu Live CDs to customers too, this way 
they can play with Ubuntu on their machines, either at work or at home.  
In fact at one of our recent LUG meetings we have the owner of the cafe 
we meet at a copy of Ubuntu and demonstrated it on his machine.  We've 
already got him running OpenOffice and his machine runs so badly with 
Windows XP, so with any luck we can get him to at least dual boot into 
Ubuntu and maybe then drop XP completely.

Rob

Rob