{"id":358,"date":"2016-10-28T22:31:53","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T22:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smsitgroup.com\/?page_id=358"},"modified":"2017-02-02T01:12:21","modified_gmt":"2017-02-02T01:12:21","slug":"replacewindows","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/smsitgroup.com\/replacewindows\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Replace Windows with Linux in a Corporate Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"
SMS IT Group<\/p>\n
www.smsitgroup.com<\/a><\/p>\n 213.222.5182<\/p>\n Written by Scott G. McCarthy<\/p>\n sgm@smsitgroup.com<\/a><\/p>\n How to Replace Windows with Linux in a Corporate Environment<\/p>\n Revision 1,October 2016<\/em><\/p>\n Summary<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n For years, I have made an attempt to replace my Windows desktop with Linux mainly for the challenge to see if it could be done. And for years, I failed. Either the drivers didn\u2019t work or I was missing a critical piece of software I could not live without. In the corporate world, you live and die with your computer and if you can\u2019t get your work done, you fall behind fast. Saving a couple hundred dollars combined with a Microsoft Office license that varies from $200 to $800 doesn\u2019t justify losing productivity trying to work around the limitations of Linux. Every time I tried, I eventually gave up and put Windows back on my machine with Microsoft Office. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Finally, this past year, after several failed attempts and a lot of patience, I was able to make Linux work and completely replace Windows. Not only was I able to replace Windows, but I didn\u2019t have to sacrifice quality, deal with work arounds, or fall behind because the software couldn\u2019t keep up. In fact, after a couple weeks, I realized I could never go back to using Windows again because the speed and stability of Linux greatly enhanced my productivity and was able to actually get work done faster than going back to Windows. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This article documents my experiences and shows you, as a corporate user, how to successfully move to Linux without sacrificing anything. Actually, you will find you are more productive for several reasons including not having to wait hours for Windows Updates to complete, dealing with system crashes and reboots when an application fails, and having to shell out hundreds of dollars per machine in Microsoft licensing. I am by no means a Linux evangelist nor someone who tries to convince people of the merits of Linux or open source. I believe a computer and it\u2019s software are merely tools to get work done and have no axe to grind with Microsoft nor any reason to promote Linux. I am just documenting my experiences and will leave it to you whether you want to try Linux. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Why Even Bother With Linux?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A lot of people ask me \u201cWhy even bother with Linux\u201d? My Mac works great or my Dell with Windows 10 on it works fine. And in many cases, sometimes it\u2019s not worth the effort to change if you are happy with what you have. In my case, I got fed up with several Windows annoyances. I also tried using Macs for years and found that although OS X is a wonderful OS, it just wasn\u2019t for me. The OS X work flow just doesn\u2019t fit the way I think and work and I just don\u2019t like the way you minimize and maximize windows in OS X and several other design features; but that\u2019s a discussion for another article. Although Windows 10 is a well designed OS, I personally don\u2019t like the fact you have to deal with license keys and product activations when you have spent hundreds of dollars on an OS and office suite. If you get a virus or spy ware and have to reinstall your machine, there is a good chance you will have to pick up the phone and deal with MS product activation and prove to them that you actually bought your software. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Second, in Windows 10 Home, you lose control of when Windows Updates run. The final straw for me was having my laptop reboot in the middle of running a virtual machine import that took two days and my laptop rebooting 1 \u00bd days into the process to load updates. You can define when updates run but you can only defer them for 12 hours unless you put down another $120 to buy the Professional version of Windows. Windows Updates also take hours of time to load and in many cases, they decide to load at the worst possible times. I was working on my MBA sitting in class and I had to reboot due to an application crash and Windows Updates start loading in the middle of finishing a paper that was due in a half hour. The update process simply doesn\u2019t fit into the way real people work. I also got tired of having to continually upgrade to keep up: Windows XP to ME to 7 to 8 to 8.1 finally to Windows 10. On top of the OS upgrades, you have to buy Office updates: MS Office 2003 to 2007 to 2010 to 2013 to 2017. You get the point. These upgrades are expensive and time consuming. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Microsoft then came out with the idea to charge you a \u201csubscription fee\u201d every month instead of buying versions of software. I decided I would try it and signed up for Office 365 only to find out I didn\u2019t like hosted email and paying $12 a month per user account just to be able to run Microsoft products. The subscription fee scenario never sat right with me. Don\u2019t ask me why \u2013 I just don\u2019t like it. So after all these issues, the only option I had left was to jump into the open source world and try to make Linux work in the hopes of finding something I could live with. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n After Many Failures \u2013 Success<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n OK, so let\u2019s get into the detail of how you can make Linux work for you even if you work in the corporate world and are stuck using standard software the IT Department makes you use. First off, you need to do some initial research and figure out a few things before you jump in and erase Windows. The worst situation you can be in is being stuck on Linux and finding out it won\u2019t work for you. So let\u2019s go through the steps. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Picking A Distribution<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n There are hundreds of different distributions out there and I am not going to get into distributions and why chose one over the other. All I am going to say is that the market is starting to favor Ubuntu on the Linux side so I highly recommend you run Ubuntu or a variation of it. For example, I run Linux Mint because it\u2019s based on Ubuntu and they use a front-end GUI called \u201cGnome\u201d which I personally prefer. A lot of Windows users get confused making the jump into Linux because Windows users are not used to choice. They are used to \u201chere is Windows 10\u201d and this is what it looks like \u2013 use it! With Linux, there are several distributions to chose from. Not only can you chose a distribution, but you can chose the GUI which is the way it looks when you interact with it. Gnome, KDE and Unity are the most common. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n So why are there so many to chose from? Because the open source community believes in choice and allowing people to pick what works best for them. Although this is initially very confusing, you will learn why it\u2019s actually great once you spend some time with Linux. To get you started, we will use Linux Mint \u201cSarah\u201d which is basically a version of Ubuntu with the Gnome GUI. Don\u2019t worry about this detail so much right now. So let\u2019s get started.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Downloading Linux Mint<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n For simplicity, I am going to walk you through using my preferences and what I have found works for the corporate world. When you get more comfortable with Linux later, you can switch distributions or GUI\u2019s to whatever you want later on. For beginner\u2019s, let\u2019s keep things simple. To download, go to the following web page:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/linuxmint.com\/download.php<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At the download page, click the CINNAMON selection and click the 64-bit version. There really isn\u2019t any reason to run 32-bit anymore. After the file is downloaded, you are going to need to burn it to a USB key so you can boot to Linux and install it. Unlike Windows or OS X, you install Linux using a USB key by 1st<\/sup> running Linux using the USB key and then running the install program. There are several programs that allow you to burn the file to a USB key but I like Unetbootin. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Go ahead and download and install Unetbootin from this following link:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n http:\/\/unetbootin.github.io<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Once it\u2019s installed, run it and select Diskimage toward the bottom of the page. Find the file you just downloaded and pick the drive letter of your USB key. Make sure you plug in the USB key before running the program. Then, click OK and it will create the USB key for you with Linux Mint on it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Running & Installing Linux Mint<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Assuming all went well, you now have a USB key with Linux Mint on it ready to go. Go ahead and shut down Windows and power down your computer. What we need to have happen at this point is to plug in the USB key and then have the computer boot from the USB key instead of booting Windows from the built in hard drive. Some computers will automatically boot from the USB key once they see it and others will need to be told to do so. The 1st<\/sup> thing you want to do is plug in the USB key and power on the computer and see if you get a Linux Mint boot screen. If you do not and the computer boots into Windows, wait until Windows finishes booting and shut down Windows again. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If the USB key didn\u2019t boot, you are going to want to keep the USB key plugged in and then turn on your computer. Try continually pressing the F8 key. This should bring up a \u201cboot menu\u201d and let you select whether to boot from the USB key or the Windows hard drive. If you don\u2019t get a boot menu, go ahead an shut down Windows and try powering on the machine and pressing the F12 key. If that doesn\u2019t work, try powering on and pressing the DEL key. The DEL key usually brings you into BIOS and will allow you to select the boot device or set the boot device order. You want to make sure the USB key is the 1st<\/sup> boot device. Unfortunately each computer manufacturer is different so this takes some trial and error. This is probably the most frustrating step of getting Linux installed. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Assuming you have success, you should be able to select the option to boot into Linux Mint and will be presented with the Linux Mint desktop. Don\u2019t worry; booting from the USB key WILL NOT erase Windows or any of your data YET. If you were able to boot from the USB key, you will be presented with a screen that looks like the screen shot below: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You are now running Linux from the USB key and NOT your computer\u2019s hard drive. The nice thing about Linux is that you can carry it around on a USB key and boot it from any computer you would like when traveling or using a friend\u2019s laptop. This is a nice feature Windows does not allow or support. At this point, you want to check and make sure your wireless card works and you can connect to WIFI networks, your video card looks OK, and Linux seems to support your hardware properly. Booting off the USB key is a great way to check and make sure your hardware is supported. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n VERY IMPORTANT: Unlike Windows, all hardware drivers for Linux are build into the OS itself. If you have a computer with a wireless card that is not supported, chances are you will not be able to find a custom driver that will make it work under Linux. There isn\u2019t any great way to figure out if Linux will work on your hardware other than trying it. With that said, vendors have been starting to release drivers to support hardware under Linux if it doesn\u2019t work out of the box. So if your wireless card is not found when you boot from the USB key, there is a chance you can find a driver or a fix. Hardware support has been much better and Linux generally supports all hardware now. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Installing Linux Mint To Your Hard Drive Permanently<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At this point, there are two options you can follow: The 1st<\/sup> option is to install Linux Mint on your hard drive and erase Windows completely and only run Linux Mint. The 2nd<\/sup> option is to install Linux Mint along side Windows (Dual Boot). If you still want to be able to access Windows and switch between Linux Mint and Windows, you want to select the dual boot option. Before you select either option, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you have a backup of all your data on Windows in case anything goes wrong. If you need to, boot back into Windows and make a backup of your data. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Assuming you have a data backup, go ahead and click the INSTALL LINUX MINT icon from the desktop and follow along the prompts. Linux Mint will ask you if you want to keep Windows or replace it. Simply select the option you want and select how much space you want to give Linux if you are going to keep Windows on the hard drive. Let Linux Mint install and once it\u2019s done, you are good to go. If you selected the dual boot option, when you reboot the computer, you will be given a menu each time to select between booting to Windows or Linux Mint. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n After The Install<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Once Linux Mint is installed and you are booted into it, the 1st<\/sup> thing you want to do is update the system. Windows uses a system called Windows Update to download and install all updates. Linux Mint uses a command line to update your system. The nice thing about Linux Mint updates is that you can update while you are in the middle of your work and you don\u2019t even have to reboot! Amazing! No more Windows Updates!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n So let\u2019s update the system: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Click on the menu button in the left hand corner and type \u201cTERMINAL\u201d in the search box. Once the TERMINAL option comes up, click it to open the TERMINAL command prompt. This is what it will look like:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At the command prompt you want to type the following:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n sudo apt-get update<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This command will tell Linux to update all the places that hold the update files. Then type:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n sudo apt-get upgrade<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Linux will check for updates and prompt you to press Y to proceed. Click Y and let it update. Linux Mint will run and download all the available updates and update your system as you work! While Windows hides everything that is happening behind the scenes, Linux shows you everything it\u2019s doing. It may look like a very confusing mess of text but you will get used to reading it after a while. Once the updates are done running, your OS is up to date. You should get in the habit of running both these commands on a regular basis. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n System Is Updated \u2013 How Do I Get Software? <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The nice thing about Linux, unlike Windows, is that it comes with a ton of software pre-loaded. If you click on the menu button in the lower left, you will find you already have the complete Libre Office suite already installed. Libre Office is just like Microsoft Office but free! This entire document was created using Libre Office Write. The only shortcoming I have found with Libre Office is with it\u2019s version of Excel. If you do heavy financial spreadsheets and create a good deal of macro-based spreadsheets, you may want to keep Excel around until you get used to Libre Office Calc. Excel does have an impressive array of tools including it\u2019s built in VB-based macro engine. Libre Office Calc has been making progress but in my opinion, it\u2019s not as easy to use yet. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you want to install additional software, all you do is click on the menu button and look for the program called software manager. You can search for software in this program and it will give you descriptions, screen shots and ratings of different programs. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Not only can you install software through software manager, but you can download software directly from websites or using the command line using sudo apt-get commands. When you download software, just make sure you select the \u201cUbuntu\u201d or \u201cDebian\u201d version. While Windows only gives you one way to load software, Linux gives you several methods all of which work great. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I Can\u2019t Live Without Outlook \u2013 What Do I Do? <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Outlook is probably the biggest problem corporate users run across. Libre Office does not include a replacement for Outlook but Linux Mint does include an email client called \u201cThunderbird\u201d which is just as good, if not better, than Outlook. And yes, Thunderbird will connect to your corporate Microsoft Exchange Server and sync all your calendar appointments, contacts, and email. I will show you how to make that happen. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Thunderbird is automatically installed when you loaded Linux Mint and all we need to do is install a few add ins and configure it to support your Exchange Server and to act as an Outlook replacement. Out of the box, Thunderbird does not have the ability to connect to Exchange Server but we will load an add in to make it connect. Let\u2019s go through it:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Connecting to Exchange Server:<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Thunderbird uses \u201cadd ins\u201d to add functionality. The 1st<\/sup> add in we want to use is called \u201cexquilla\u201d which gives Thunderbird the ability to connect to an Exchange Server. Go ahead and open Thunderbird from the menu. Once Thunderbird opens, we need to unhide the menu bar. Right click on the middle of the top bar and select show menu:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you did it right, you will see the menu with the ability to select from the drop downs. Click on the TOOLS option and select ADD-ONS. Type \u201cexquilla\u201d in the search box and install exquilla once you find it. It will require you to restart Thunderbird so go ahead and do so. Once you restart, all you need to do is add the Exchange Account. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Click on TOOLS:ExQuilla for Microsoft Exchange and enter your information and follow along. Once you get your account added, your Exchange Server email account will be added and sync in the email client. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Setting Up Your Exchange Calendar:<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You need to setup the calendar separately as it is a separate module from email. To do so, we need to 1st<\/sup> load the calendar module and then install the Exchange Server calendar add-on. Go to TOOLS:ADD-ONS and search for \u201clightning\u201d and select the Lightning Calendar choice and install. Restart Thunderbird when prompted. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Next go to this website and download the latest calendar release:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/github.com\/Ericsson\/exchangecalendar\/releases<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n After this is downloaded, you need to manually load it into Thunderbird. Once it\u2019s downloaded, do this:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Click TOOLS:ADD-ONS and click on the GEAR looking drop down and select INSTALL ADD-ON FROM FILE. Point to the file you downloaded and install the file. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n After the file is is installed, we can now configure the Exchange Server calendar. Click on this web page and follow the instructions on the site: <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nCLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION (CLEANER COPY)<\/a><\/h2>\n
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