Flopping Problems

[Andy Choens]

On 4/27/05, Jonathan Keane <cunan at ufl.edu> wrote:
> All but the first ones work well in my experience with very little (in most cases read: no) configuration. As for number one that may be a little more difficult try wine, but that is often times not enough (I have no experience with cross-over office so I cannot praise or bury it.) And as far as the dual boot with ubuntu goes it is extremely simple as long as you install windows first, and then add a few *simple* (and I could send up a file with what you need to change already done) edits to the Grub boot loader and you are up and running. I am slowly converting my office to Ubuntu, all of the web development and Computer based training people have dual boots or a second laptop with Ubuntu and they love it. (We have even gotten XMLSpy to work on Wine)
> 
> -jon
> 


Ultimately to switch over you will need to eventually abandon most/all
Windows programs.  There are Linux equivalents of most of them.  If
you've got a program that only runs on MS, then throw it at the list,
someone may know of a nice clone in Linux.

Are you trying to convert while needing to maintain access to custom
written software?  If so, then this will make things more difficult. 
I keep trying to get my camp to switch, but our database for camp
registration is written on MS SQL server and the front end is written
with Access.  I could replace it, but it would take me quite a bit of
work, and they seem to see it as a better use of my time to be a
social worker instead of a coder.  Which I suppose makes sense.  :-)

But, the reliance on SQL Server and Access really sucks.  I've got
some work-arounds for myself, but honestly, nothing that anyone else
would want to do for very long.

In this case, the only way out is a migration to another SQL platform
like MySQL, Firebird, PostgreSQL, etc.  Are they the same?  No.  Can
they do the job?  Absolutely.  But, it will cost time and money to
replace the graphical front end.

This in my mind is really the ultimate problem holding Linux back.  A
lot of people/companies, even a small not-for-profit like my camp has
paid to have someone write custom software that is built on top of MS
stuff like SQL Server, IIS, or Access, and the transitioning cost
seems prohibitive to the people in charge.  Sure, long term the
financial savings are huge, but my boss is worried about this fiscal
year...not 5 years down the road...and we kinda need a database that
works fully today, which the old one does.  MY ideas are just so much
vapor ware, but many other companies are in the same position of using
the code today and not wanting to wait for it.

OK, that was waaaay longer than I meant for it to be.  Sorry.  Just to
save you from my spelling I actually spell-checked this.

--andy

--andy