Archive for the ‘Linux’ Category

Does Windows vs Linux really matter any more ?

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Some people might argue that it never mattered, but I think I had a moment of insight the other evening :) .

With freely available virtualisation technology it’s going to matter less and less what operating system you’re running or which operating system your applications need to run on.

My understanding is that Windows 7 includes “seemless” virtualisation to allow Windows XP applications to run successfully without compatibilty problems.

When Linux is able to use something like VirtualBox to provide similar seemless virtualisation functionality then it really won’t matter in most cases whether your applications have been developed for Windows or Linux.

I’m currently using VirtualBox to do ASP.NET development on an XP guest using Ubuntu 9.10 as the host. XP runs “snappily” on the VirtualBox virtual machine and using Visual Studio / Photoshop is sufficiently like running it natively that it doesn’t matter.

The VirtualBox virtual machine seems to have a very small memory overhead (35Mb last time I checked).

Update: It appears that VirtualBox does provide “seamless” virtualisation. This effect isn’t perfect since even though the Windows XP desktop disappears, the Windows applications are not added to the Linux task bar. It works pretty well, but it’s not (yet) truly seamless.

Posted in Linux, Software Tools | 3 Comments »

11 ways open source software can save you money !

Monday, August 10th, 2009

1. It almost goes without saying, but open source software (OSS) is free.

2. A vast array of high quality open source applications already exist to solve almost every conceivable business problem.

3. OSS is developed from a more efficient programming paradigm which means more applications can be hosted on a given server.

4. It is incredibly cheap to implement. £30 per year will buy a web hosting package from eukhost.com capable of running a content managed website, a CRM system, a customer support forum and a mailing list manager with 24/7 high quality server-level technical support. This kind of cheap web hosting package is conceivably the 10th wonder of the world.

5. If you do need to “scale out” there are no huge licensing costs. You just need more cheap hardware.

6. A multitude of free pre-written extensions mean that many applications can be enhanced and customised with a few clicks

7. The lack of up front costs mean that OSS applications can be up and running in weeks rather than months or even years. Your organisation becomes more agile.

8. OSS is easy to install can be installed by any non-technical person. The biggest barrier to installation is not believing that it could be this easy.

9. You are able to implement systems that would otherwise be outside your budget. This makes you or your organisation more efficient and gives you competitive advantage.

10. Any computer literate person can quickly install and implement a number of open source systems using a Linux web hosting account costing £30 per year. All without the need for special training or highly paid consultants. Seriously.

11. OSS server software is mature, robust and reliable. On going software maintenance costs can be zero or very low cost.

Open source software is not necessarily the best commercial decision in every circumstance but when you need to get something done quickly and on a low budget then it has clear advantages.

///bfamuis8r7

Posted in Content Management, Customer Service, Linux, Marketing, Software Tools, Web Development, Webmaster Tips | No Comments »

Handy Unix / Linux Command Reference

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

When I saw the link for this page on Digg.com, I though it would be really handy for my girlfriend who has recently switched from Microsoft Windows to Ubuntu Linux.

It turns out it’s an excellent reference for both unix beginners and (relative) experts.

Check out the Unix ToolBox. It’s useful, informative and easy-to-use.

Posted in Computer Programming, Linux | No Comments »