Feature

Windows vs. Linux vs. OS X: CIO John Halamka Tests Ubuntu

As part of his ongoing effort to find a secure, stable, user-friendly alternative to the Windows desktop operating system, CareGroup CIO John Halamka got to know Ubuntu.

RELATED STORIES

Eight Reasons NOT to Use Linux in the Enterprise

Seven Financial Reasons to Use Linux in the Enterprise

Ubuntu is a consumer-friendly distribution of Linux based on the Debian operating system. The major difference between Debian and Ubuntu is that Debian adheres to a strict philosophy around free software—not free as in zero cost, but in the sense that users are “free” to modify and redistribute the software. Debian discourages the use of non-free, proprietary and copyrighted software by making users install such programs on their own. For example, if you want to install Adobe’s Acrobat PDF reader on a computer running Debian, you have to find, install and configure the software yourself.

Ubuntu, by contrast, gives users access to a broader array of software, including proprietary programs, and makes it easy for users to install those programs. To install Adobe Acrobat on a computer running Ubuntu, you simply select it from a software library that comes with Ubuntu, and the operating system installs it for you.

Debian’s stringent politics extend to the Firefox Web browser, too. Even though Firefox is open source, the browser isn’t bundled with Debian because the Firefox logo is trademarked. (Instead, Debian computers come with a browser called Ice Weasel; it’s exactly the same as Firefox except it has a different logo.)

Although Halamka supports the notion of free software—at least in theory—he knows Debian is not the right thing for his enterprise. He says:

“At the risk of sounding like a software atheist, I really care about getting my work done via a reliable, stable operating system and not about the philosophical subtleties of Firefox vs. Ice Weasel artwork. This is likely one reason that corporate CIOs are wary of Linux on the desktop: They have mission-critical operations to run, and worrying about which icon is used to launch a browser is about as relevant as arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.”

<< Introduction | What He Liked >>

« previous page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |next page »

Comments

Share [+]

TOOLS

Comments

Digg This

SlashDot

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

Infrastructure

» Outbound Email and Data Loss Prevention
This report shows the findings of a recent Proofpoint and Forrester Consulting study on e-mail security, data loss prevention, and includes statistics on electronic risks.

» A Modern Approach to On-Demand Email and Data Security
Learn how Proofpoint delivers a dedicated, hosted e-mail security solution that combines state-of-the-art anti-spam and virus control.

» A Proactive Approach to e-Discovery
Learn about the key e-discovery challenges facing legal and IT departments today and how businesses can develop an e-mail archiving strategy to deal with e-discovery requests.

» The Advantages of Identity Based Encryption
Download this paper to learn why e-mail encyrption is critical to an organization's overall security architecture and the advantages of identity-based encryption.

» Global Best Practices in Email Security, Privacy and Compliance
This whitepaper discusses the latest global regulations that impact the e-mail security policies and strategies of today's enterprises, universities and government organizations.

Center sponsored by