User-Friendly Linux Part III By Ben DuPont

Virtualization And Thin Clients
There are two types of virtualization we're concerned with in the context of Linux: paravirtualization and full virtualization. With paravirtualization, the guest OS--meaning the OS running on the virtual machine--must be modified to run on legacy processors without chip-assist technology. Full virtualization allows the guest to run unmodified on the latest generation of CPUs, but an Intel (Intel VT) or AMD (AMD-V) virtualization processor is required.
Under their recent agreement, Novell and Microsoft will make Windows Server 2003 run under Xen on SUSE Enterprise Linux. They're also working to make SUSE Linux Enterprise run under Microsoft Virtual Server on Windows Server 2003.
Any changes Novell makes to Xen to support running Windows under Xen will make it back to the rest of the open-source community. What that means to the enterprise is that we could eventually see other Linux vendors, like Red Hat, enabling us to run Windows Server under Xen on Red Hat; Microsoft won't formally support it as it does on SUSE, however.
Today, Novell offers paravirtualized SLES 10 under Xen, with several customers taking advantage of this option. In pilot programs, Novell likewise has customers running fully virtualized SLES 9 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, while the ability to run SLES on Windows is in the works. The view here is clear: Customers have asked for more virtualization options, and Novell is responding. If you want Xen virtualization with support today, you'll have to go with SUSE. Meanwhile, Red Hat has Xen in beta tests now, with plans to ship sometime during the first quarter of this year with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. Of course, VMware is already a mature option and works with all different combinations of Windows and Linux.
Another consolidation option that Linux and open-source are making easier is the use of network-bootable thin clients. The Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) brings Linux back to the days of green mainframe terminals ... almost. Under the LTSP architecture, low-powered clients load their OSs and run programs from a central server. If the client has a network card with PXE (network-bootable) support, the client need not have any local storage. No storage, no maintenance.
The newest version of Ubuntu--version 6.10, code-name EdgyEft--contains a prerelease version of LTSP 5 that supports client-attached devices, like USB drives. This is an awesome feature, considering most of the system is actually running on the server and displayed on the client only through an SSH session.

Support And Training
Chances are, you already have a few Linux users on staff, and Unix gurus will be right at home at the Linux CLI. For rookies, we suggest opting for a distribution with GUIs to smooth the installation process. Free versions of Linux that we consider easy to install include Fedora, openSUSE, PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu. Although Slackware comes with several desktop options, you're presented with a command-line interface by default. Configuration is done mostly through config files, with few GUIs. Shops with critical systems and little in-house expertise, or those that need strong ISV support, should stick with Red Hat, Novell or Canonical's Ubuntu.
Unsure where to start? Red Hat and Novell offer consulting services to help companies determine where Linux is a fit and to create timelines for adoption--and they'll also provide training. Aleris' Daniels prepared his staff with a one-week, specialized "boot camp" provided by Novell. You won't go from zero to expert in five days, but the OS has come far enough that IT pros familiar with Windows Server will feel mostly at home with the Linux GUI. We found tools for adding printers, configuring wireless cards and mounting network shares, for example.
Want to branch out but still need that warm feeling that comes from a support contract? Third-party consultants specializing in myriad Linux variants are popping up all over. Michael Pardee, owner of Open Sense Solutions, specializes in Ubuntu and says he does a lot of business with smaller organizations, especially libraries. Local consulting generally comes with per-incident support, which helps keep costs down.
How much support you need from your Linux vendor will determine the cost of your subscription. With no support, Ubuntu is free, and you'll still get security and program updates and new OS releases. For $750 per year, Canonical offers 9/5 e-mail and phone support, while $2,750 buys 24/7 e-mail and phone support, both for one year.
Red Hat and Novell each offer their server OSs for $349, including 30 days of phone and e-mail support and one year of updates. If you want a more robust support arrangement, Novell offers 24/7 e-mail (four-hour target response time) and phone (one-hour target response time) support for one year for $1,499. Red Hat sells a similar package for $2,499, or $1,499 for 12/5 support with a four-hour response time.
One of the very real benefits of a Red Hat or Novell subscription is updates--not just security and program updates, but new OS releases. Subscribing customers are free to upgrade their OSs at their leisure or use old releases, unlike in the Windows world where a new license is required, and they can opt to receive and have updates installed automatically. Canonical, meanwhile, provides updates free of charge. With a time-to-market of two years or less for new GNU/Linux OSs--a lot shorter than what Microsoft has typically offered--enterprises can always be running the most up-to-date OS.
On the downside, with SUSE and Red Hat distributions, you get updates only as long as your subscription is valid. With Canonical, the updates are free, but support you pay for--if you want it.
For those who don't need OS support but would like to update automatically and want a strong ISV roster, is $349 per year justifiable? We think not. Officially, that $349 buys access to Novell's or Red Hat's servers for downloading updates and patches. But let's get real: What we're really paying for is connectivity to the vendor's servers and ISV support. Very large accounts can generally negotiate 50 percent to 70 percent discounts on list prices, according to Gartner, but what's missing is an updates-only alternative, priced at perhaps $175 and available to any size enterprises. Incident-based support would also be a nice option. We're not holding our breath for any of these.
Ben Dupont is a systems engineer for WPS Resources in Green Bay, Wis. He specializes in software development. Write to him at bdupont@nwc.com.
View From The Trenches
"There's no longer any one single factor that is acting as a barrier to Linux adoption," says Dr. James Bottomley, vice president and CTO of SteelEye Technology, a maker of business continuity and disaster-recovery software. As a member of the Open Source Developer Labs board of directors and an avid Linux user, Bottomley may have a bias, but he definitely walks the walk: SteelEye uses Linux across the board for development, Web sites and security infrastructure, and the company also helps customers migrate to Linux.
For word processing, Bottomley uses OpenOffice 2.0 and says compatibility with Microsoft Office is not an issue. "As CTO, I get mostly PowerPoint and Word documents across my desktop, but OpenOffice 2.0 seems to handle all of them just fine."