On Friday 31 December 2004 18:50, Manoj Ovhal wrote:

Around three years back I was using Linux as a router for one cyber cafe in Goa, I encountered different problems with Linux. I left Goa, and our

strange. I have used GNU/Linux as the os for a router, loadbalancer (Trevor remember that ;-) ), desktop, videoconfernece appliance, ATM control and god only knows what else. The load balancer installation has been booted accidentally once since the installation 3 yrs?? ago.) Never faced a problem in any of the above. And these include business critical apps in a bank. Another one currently on is a call center using nothing but GNU/Linux. Dont blame GNU if u do not have the guts to learn it well. GNU/Linux beats the S@#$ out of everything else. Some apps sometimes lack eyecandy but a little coding remedies that. And if u are offering a service or product YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for providing the missing bits.

company left the maintenance contract with the cyber cafe. Some body else walked into the maintenace contract & they simply installed Windows with DLinks Internet Sharer. The list of problems

1. Customer Support & maintenance is not possible until & unless

there is someone skilled in Linux.

Do u expect to pick the next MS certified zombie and get a job done? Most of them dont know classes of internet addresses. U have to get the skillset or know the stuff to run a bussiness. Are Linux skills expensive? on a per man metric - yes. On a productivity metric - no. One Linux guy can easily handle 8 to 10 small to medium networks. The number of visits required reduces rapidly with time as opposed to exponential increase with m$. Further because of M$ product vulnerabilities service calls tend to bunch and peak together.

2. Though We used Linux as a router, other PCs were with windows

only. 3) I got many problems while configuring it as I was also very much new in Linux at that time. I couldnt get help from anywhere in Goa.(I am talking about three years back). Many times I have to find help myself. Its like swimming in a sea without enoghh knowledge of swimming.

U said it. Dont offer a boat ride to others unless u can swim very well. If u thought that u can make a bussiness of GNU/Linux by buying two elcheapo cds u are very mistaken.

4. ... It means one PC is fully blocked only as a

router, means loss of around Rs. 400 a day.

Heard of a cisco router. A low end router costed upwards of Rs.50000 then and required a CCNA to install and maintain. 50000 for a static router. Even now a pc with linux is a better router.

5. Many sites are specially designed to work with IE.

I dont think the situation is changed so much now a days also.

The situation is this 1) without hard work, knowledge and money to build and run a bussiness u are doomed. 2) Costing is tricky if u do not factor in all the variables. 3) In the long term GNU/Linux is a far cheaper, secure and hassle free foundation for running a bussiness.

And the above is not about to change in the forseeable future.

In this thread we find a hundred silly excuses for laziness. Be happy that u have been given every tool u can imagine to learn, build and run a bussiness or skill without spending a penny and an environment filled with helpful people and which does not require doing anything illegal or immoral to succeed. You have been empowered to help yourself and others (who are not so disgustingly lazy).

I have had replies to my problems from the developers of complex stuff like gnomemeeting and features added on request - but after i have run thru page after page of google and mail archives.

And if u find problems work on eliminating those by aquiring skilled people or aquiring the skill and by not whinning.

rgds jtd