Building a computer for your network
Most business these days use computers for a variety of purposes, whether it be software to track the accounts, create business documents, or send emails. If you are looking to add workstations or servers to your network, or if you are investigating software for the purpose of building or upgrading your network, you owe it to your bank statement to investigate Opensource software as an extremely cost effective and reliable option, and then call me if you would like some help.

OpenSource Software ?
Opensource software is best defined as a type of End User License Agreement which permits the free distribution of software. There are many many different kinds of parameters that are defined in different EULAs, if you would like more information, this link is a good place to start. As a rule of thumb, anyone is allowed to download, use and modify Opensource software, so long as any changes you make are available for others to use in the same manner as which he originally received it. The Opensource community has been growing rapidly over the last several years, and nowadays almost all popular software has an Opensource equivalent.

Free Software ?
You are right, it is to good to be true. The catch is that you have to set it all up yourself. There is hardly ever a next button to click, and it almost never just works out of the box. It takes time to learn an Opensource platform, it takes time to set up a suitable environment for the software you seek, and it takes a considerable amount of knowledge as well. This kind of commitment is more than discouraging to most people, since time spent learning is often more expensive than time spent playing for non-Opensource software.

So why consider it at all then ?
When you pay for software, it generally comes with a disc and a set of instructions. For the computer savvy, there is seldom a problem installing software that has been bought so long as the system is pristine. However, the more complex your system, the more likely something is to go wrong. Many companies now charge money for technical support if it is required, and if they can't help you, you will still need to bring in an expert to resolve the problem. Over time, as your system evolves and grows, problems will develop, maintenance will be required, and it is a certainty that whether you paid for your software or not, you will pay someone for his time to do administrative services or you will take the time to learn to do it yourself.

Administrative Services ?
When you pay for software, administrative costs are usually low, but programs can cost hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars. When you use Opensource software, administrative costs are high, either in time or money, yet the cost savings of software can be astounding. Compare to constructing a dwelling, you can buy a pre-fabricated set of equipment and tools (Pay for software), do most or all of the work yourself, only hiring a carpenter if you run into problems, and end up with a finished product of predetermined design. Or, you can hire a carpenter (Pay and Administrator), who comes with his own equipment and tools, who will solve the problems as they come up, and who's finished product will be done according to your specifications and needs. Once the house is constructed, regardless of which method was used, the house will be reliable, functional, and durable; it is two different means to the same end.

So which is better ?
That answer depends entirely on your needs. For common workstations with little or no specialized needs, time is comparable to install whether it is windows or Linux. In other words, for windows, pay the tech and the software, in Linux pay just the tech. If you need a complicated network service with access granted to some people and not others, Opensource software will probably take longer to set up, but won't cost anything. It is a matter of weighing the extra time of setting up Opensource against the cost of software. In most cases, the Opensource solution will be the more cost effective one.

What about my existing system ?
You may be investigating upgrading your system instead of setting up a new one. It can be almost overwhelming to juggle all the factors involved with this. Migrating to new software can be a headache for users, and may pose problems in retaining old data, and one must consider the user-friendliness of new software, whether it will require hardware upgrades, and if it will provide the functionality you require. If you buy new software, you will often need to pay an administrator to come set it up anyway, so Opensource is definitely something to consider. The key to successful upgrades and migrations often lies in your administrator's ability to plan and implement, regardless of where the software originates.

Can Opensource be slowly implemented into my existing network ?
As a rule, yes. Workstations can be added and removed, and network services running on servers can be independently replaced.

What are some examples of Opensource software ?
The Linux operating system is Opensource. As is a program called openoffice, which allows for complete integration into a Microsoft office environment. For most office workstations, Linux is more than capable of providing all the functions you are used to with windows, and does so with an intuitive and easy to understand desktop environment. This alone will save hundreds of dollars per computer on your network. I currently have on my network a server that runs SQL-Ledger, Request Tracker, and Media Wiki. All of these programs run through a web browser, meaning any computer that is on my network and can open a web page can connect to this server and use the programs. Together, these three programs make a powerful information management tool suitable to many small or medium sized businesses. Older computers can be refurbished to run as file and printer servers, or as highly configurable firewalls, which can further be enhanced to provide Secure Tunnelling across the internet and other VPN technologies if you have staff that need to access the work network remotely. I use another server as a file and back up server, to assist with disaster prevention and recovery. A project I am working on at the moment is turning yet another computer into a call center, which would be capable of routing phone calls across the local area network to individual workstations or telephones, handling voice mail for a large group of individuals, and configurable by end users with either phone menu or a webpage.

 

-	Concerns/Limitations
	-	Availability of computer techs who can work with Linux
	-	It is a concern that is a system is set up in a Linux environment, and something happens to me in that I decide to leave or worse, I am unable to work, that there will be not available tech able to maintain and repair the system. Most computer technicians are at home in a Windows environment, and are lost in a Linux or Mac environment. There are only a small percentage of technicians capable of working on Linux, and finding one won't be easy in a short run. However, hope is not lost. Whitehorse does have a handful of Linux savvy individuals, and many of them do freelance work. Also around the world, there are a large number of individuals who are very competent, and so long as a computer is able to boot and make a network connection, the location of the technician is not terribly important. Rest assured however, I like it in the Yukon, and have no intention of going anywhere, and I intend to be here at least another decade, if not two or three.
	-	Hardware with Linux
	-	One of the biggest problems facing Linux is the availability of drivers for hardware. Where I have seen this as most evident is with printers. It is important to consider whether existing hardware will work with Linux, and as such, not all networks are suitable to run a Linux environment.
	-	Software with Linux
	-	It is common for specialized businesses to require specialized software. Specialized software is often written to work only on windows, and as such is not capable of running on a Linux system. In these situations, Windows is required and therefore Linux is not a good solution.
	-	Training is a cost that must be incurred when switching software. While many features will be the same, there are bound to be a few issues here and there where things need to be relearned, hence costing time. While this cannot be avoided, most programs are so similar as to not cause significant problems in this respect.