Linux. It is here to stay!

As a newbie to Linux and a lifelong Windows user, I know it can be difficult to get anywhere using Linux. What distribution to use?, How to install it?, What does it do?, Is Linux ready for mainstream?.

What I intend to do is answer these question, give some direction on Linux, and share some of my Linux experiences.

Q: What distribution should I use?

A: This depends on a few things. If you prefer ease of use and a Windows like GUI then go with Ubuntu Desktop 7.0.

Q: How do I install Linux:
A: If you chooses Ubuntu, just download the ISO file, burn it to a CD, reboot your computer, and follow the on-screen instructions. Its that simple!

Q: What does it do?
A: Linux distribution such as Ubuntu are very user friendly and have a similar look to the Mac OSx operating systems. As a long time Windows user I can tell you that it is very simple to navigate through Ubuntu Linux. You can access the internet via FireFox, play certain games, check email via a built-in email client, edit photos, and much more. If you have not already done so, I would suggest giving Ubuntu a try.

I have used OpenSuSe, Red Hat, Fedora, Debian, Mandrake, and Ubuntu. Of theses flavors of Linux, I have found that Ubuntu is the most upfront and easies to use.
Currently, I am using Ubuntu Server as a network monitoring server running Nagios. Also if you re-call, I use Linux for Openfiler. Also, VMware ESX Server 3 is based on a Linux kernel.

Is Linux ready for mainstream? No. I don't think that it is, but if you are a technology professional like myself, you better get to know Linux fast! Linux is gaining popularity in the Enterprise very fast and has been for some time now.

The bottom line here is that Linux is here to stay and is gaining popularity because of its ease of use, reliability, and cost.

At first, I was totally against using Linux, but now 50% of my servers run Linux!

If you have any comments or suggestion feel free to share them with me via posting of email me at the address on the left.

Review: Windows 2008 Server Standard RC0

Soon to come will be my review of Windows 2008 Server RC0. I am in the process of installing, configuring, and using this product in a virtual environment using VMware Server. Check back later this week to read the full review.

How-To Site

Like the description of this site says, this is a site that will include How-To's. So here is a home grown, simple, yet effective How-To site that I have developed(https://www.scalicinet.com/howto/). Use this site and the one I just posted a link to. There are things on this site that are not on the other and vice versa. In the future, I will work to make the sites contain the same information. Enjoy!

RE: Weekend Project

Update: We'll, not so much of an update, as I did not do much with the "weekend project." Right now I am at a stand still. I did not configure the ESX server properly (I forgot to leave so room on the hard drive for storing the VMs). It was either re-configure ESX server or setup a new iSCSI SAN on another machine. I did not feel like doing either at the moment :). I am putting this project on the back burner for next weekend. With Thanksgiving coming up, I will have some free time off of work to work on this project. Check back for more updates!

Weekend Project

Every now and then I decide to start a "Weekend Project". This weekend the project will be:
Installing and configuring VMware ESX Server 3 and
Install Windows 2008 Server Standard RC0 as a virtual machine in ESX Server

Sounds easy right? Well, I have begun the installation of ESX Server on my lab server and already am running into problems. It's not called a "project" for nothing! I have already downloaded Windows 2008 Server Standard RC0 from Microsoft's website and its awating installation on the ESX server.

I will post back tomorrow on my progression. In the mean time, here are a few pictures of my lab. Its not much to look at, but it get the job done.

How-To: AutoArchive in Outlook

Openfiler YouTube Demo

I found this great YouTube video that gives a demo of Openfiler and wanted to share it with everyone. Enjoy!

OpenFiler iSCSI SAN Solution

I have been looking around for a low-cost, easy to use, reliable, iSCSI SAN solution for sometime. I was lucky enough to stumbled upon a great Linux open-source application called Openfiler (www.openfiler.com) . Here is a brief description of the product from the company's website:

"Openfiler is a Storage Management Operating System. It is powered by the Linux 2.6 kernel and Open Source applications such as Apache, Samba, LVM2, ext3, Linux NFS and iSCSI Enterprise Target. Openfiler combines these ubiquitous technologies into a small, easy to manage solution fronted by a powerful web-based management interface. Openfiler allows you to build a Network Attached Storage (NAS) and/or Storage Area Network (SAN) appliance, using industry-standard hardware, in less than 10 minutes of installation time."

I am not a Linux savvy user and I have to say that the installation was very simple and straight forward. Administration and configuration is easily done via a web browser from a remote computer using SSL. The interface is simple, yet functional. It does what it is supposed to do.

I will be using Openfiler as an iSCSI SAN Target and using Microsoft's iSCSI Initiator on my Windows 2003 R2 Server to mount SAN volumes. The machine that I am using to run OpenFiler is an IBM NetCentre P4 3GHz, 1GB RAM, and a 250GB Hard drive. I am also running on a Gigabit LAN.

Check back for more on how I am using Openfiler