Top 50 Linux Alternatives to Popular Apps

Linux is quickly gaining popularity, but there are still many users afraid to convert as they are not familiar with the applications. Today our Linux guru Blair Mathis is back to introduce fifty of the most popular applications on this OS


ANIMATION SOFTWARE

Blender 3D: Blender 3D is a high-quality, robust animation program with a steep learning curve and the ability to create commercial-quality 3D animations. The software is completely free, with extensive documentation available online for free.

Pencil (2D): Pencil is a free 2D animation program intended to make traditional hand-drawn animations possible. Animations are drawn on individual 'pages', and then compiled together in a digital flipbook of sorts.

KPovModeler: KPovModeler is a composition/modeling program for making POV-Ray scenes: an excellent addition to Blender 3D, and intended KDE.

Stopmotion: Stopmotion is a program that allows you to capture and/or combine photos together to create a smooth stopmotion animation video. Not only works well for claymation and similar, but can also be used to create timelapse videos.

Synfig (2D): Synfig is a free 2D animation software package that states "two-dimensional animation has long been the domain of proprietary software...Synfig, a free software/open source tool for producing feature-film quality animation with fewer people and resources."

Anime Studio 5 (2D)($199.99): Anime Studio 5 is a powerful commercial application for creating 2D animations with the ability to import/export OBJ files, special effects scripting, layered animation, vector animation, and advanced timeline controls.


AUDIO SOFTWARE

Audio CD Extractor (ripper): Available through Add/Remove Applications, Audio CD Extractor (previously known as Sound Juicer) is an easy to use CD ripper, intended to make copying music CDs fast, simple, and straight-forward.

Audacity (recorder): Audacity is an excellent, free digital audio recorder/editor for nearly all audio types. It can record multiple channels, split channels, merge audio, and a wide array of other features. Supports recording from both line-in and sound card.

Sound Converter: This is an application for GNOME that accepts a wide array of different audio formats and converts them to mp3, wav, flac, or ogg.

Last Exit (player): Last Exit is a standalone player for Last.fm that allows you to add specific stations, search for stations, choose a neighbors station, or browse. You can set preferences, password protect it, and save changes.

Hipo iPod Management Tool: If you have an Apple iPod, the Hipo iPod Management Tool is an invaluable program that allows users to manage their device.

Utube-Ripper: Have you every come across a video on YouTube you wanted to save to your hard drive? With Utube Ripper, you can download and save either the entire video, or the audio only. Very sleek and easy to use.

Freqtweak: According to Add/Remove Applications, “FreqTweak is a tool for real time audio spectral manipulation and display. It provides several algorithms for processing audio data in the frequency domain and a highly interactive GUI to manipulate the associated filters for each. It also provides high resolution spectral displays.”


VIDEO SOFTWARE

VLC: VLC is arguably the most popular video player on any operating system. It supports nearly every video type available, offers the ability to change audio settings, choose audio channels (headphones, full bass, etc.), change video aspect ratio and more. The program is lightweight and easy to use.

AcidRip: AcidRip is a simple, straightforward tool for copying a DVD to a digital video file, with codecs such as XviD, x264, MPEG, and more available. It allows you to control file size, audio settings, quality, cropping, etc.

Avidemux: Avidemux is an excellent video editing application. You can add filters, meticulously manipulate audio and video, combine VOBs, combine videos, and much more.

DVD::RIP: While AcidRip is the best tool to use if you want to create a video straight from a DVD, DVD::RIP is ideal if you want to convert an ISO or VOB files. Simply start the program, load the file, and then choose the video settings and transcode to an AVI or other file format.

iriverter: iriverter is a frontend for mencoder that makes it simple to convert videos for a wide array of portable video devices, including the Creative Vision M and iRiver players. Single and batch conversions can be done.

Wink: Wink is a free video program for creating video screencasts; an excellent program for creating video tutorials and presentations, with the ability to add explanation boxes to the video.

XBMC Media Center: XBMC is an award-winning media center for multiple platforms, and is fully supported on Ubuntu. The program is sophisticated and high-quality, and is a top-notch media player that can organize and play videos, music, and photos, including previews and album covers.


GRAPHICS

GIMP: GIMP is the Linux alternative to Adobe Photoshop. It is an advanced image authoring/editing program with an animation engine and a wide array of plugins/filters/brushes. It can do nearly everything Photoshop can do, but does require one to learn it proficiently in order to exploit it's features.


Hugin: Hugin is a high-quality panorama maker. It combines two or more photos and combines them into one panorama. It blends colors to make seams between photos unnoticeable, allows you to choose a lens style for the pano (fisheyes, etc.), and to manually choose connection points.

Comix: Comix is a comic book viewer for Linux. It is high-quality, works smoothly, and offers all the necessary components for viewing digital comics, including double-page support, zoom, rotation, mirroring, fullscreen mode, fit-to-screen mode, image enhancement, image quality toggle, and bookmarks.


FlickrUploader: Flickr Uploader is a desktop program that makes it easy to instantly upload your images to your Flickr account.

Inkscape: Inkscape is a sophisticated vector graphics program similar to Adobe Illustrator.


Phatch Photo Batch Processor: Phatch is a batch processor for photos, making it easy to resize, crop, rotate, add rounded corners, change perspective, or a wide array of other features in just a few minutes.

QCaD: QCaD is as close to autoCAD as you can get on Ubuntu. It offers the ability to create and files, with support for autoCADR and similar files


OFFICE

xPDF: xPDF is a suite of PDF tools, including a lightweight viewer with support for standard, Truetype, and Type 1 fonts, conversion tools for converting PDFs into different formats, and support for multiple languages.

AbiWord: Abiword is a popular, lightweight and yet sophisticated word processor that works very well on Linux. It is best for those who need to create documents, but don't require a massive amount of features

OpenOffice Writer: OpenOffice Writer is a large, high-end word processor. It works well on Linux, and has all the features you could possibly need. If you're looking for a complete alternative to MS Word, Writer is your best option.

OpenOffice Spreadsheet: Very similar to MS Excel.

OpenOffice Presentation: Alternative to MS PowerPoint.

OpenOffice Impress: Alternative to MS Publisher.

KAddressBook: KAddress is a personal contacts/address manager.

KOrganizer: KOrganizer is a calendar and scheduling app with the ability to track important dates, add notes, and export to industry standard files.
GnuCash: GnuCash a finance management software suitable for both personal and business use. It can support major file types, such as Quickbooks files, and tracks multiple accounts, constantly calculating new balances and tracking everything needed, including investments and expenses.

xCHM: xCHM is a CHM HTML file viewer, suitable for viewing large HTML ebooks and files saved in the CHM file type.


UTILITIES

GPSDrive: A navigation system designed to work with a GPS receiver. Offers the ability to zoom and display maps downloaded or generated as needed via OpenStreetMap.

Virtual Box OSE: Virtual Box is a virtual machine application, allowing you to run different OS's inside your Linux machine.

ClamAV: Clam AV is an anti-virus software app for Linux, and works very well.


INTERNET

Opera: Opera is a lightweight browser with wide support and a customizable launch page.

Mozilla Firefox: Firefox is the most popular Internet browser for Linux, offering stability, wide support, and a massive amount of plugins.

Thunderbird: Thunderbird a popular email client from the Mozilla line of Internet applications. It offers multiple account access, IMAP and SMTP, password protection, address books, and more.

SeaMonkey: SeaMonkey is based on Firefox Internet browser, but is more stable.

Evolution:Evolution is another email client, but appears very similar to Microsoft's Outlook.

Pidgin IM: An instant messaging client that support AIM, ICQ, Yahoo! IRC, Zephyr, Gadu, Groupwise, SIMPLE, SILC, Sametime, Napster, MSN, and Jabber.

gFTP: gFTP is a file transfer protocol app for Linux offering support for a wide array of uploads and downloads.


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How to Migrate from Windows

Most people installing GNU/Linux distributions have been using Microsoft Windows for a long time, many 10 years or more. Migrating to a completely different operating system can be more difficult than you'd think.

One of the hurdles when migrating from any operating system to another is not actually the OS itself, but the familiarity a user has built up over the years with the operating system and applications running on it, how to install new applications or devices, where certain types of file are typically stored, and so on.


Well, it is no use pretending that migrating to a new operating system is as simple as crossing the street, because there are significant differences between Windows and Linux; any difference makes life a little more difficult in the short term. Anyone who knows how to use Windows can use Linux however - there's no magic involved; just a little patience and willingness to learn.

In many cases the hardest thing about learning Linux is unlearning Microsoft Windows.

Tips for an easier migration :

1. Install Windows versions of free / open source programs
   
   Many Linux applications have Windows versions as well (and in many cases OS X versions too), knowing some of these programs makes switching easier:
   * OpenOffice.org productivity suite
   * Firefox web browser, Thunderbird email client
   * Opera web browser and internet suite
   * GIMP photoeditor
   * Inkscape vector drawing package
   * Pidgin Instant Messaging (formerly Gaim)
   * NVU HTML editor
   * Azureus bittorrent client
   * KPlayer, SMplayer or VLC media players
   * Xchat IRC client
   * Scribus desktop publishing
   * Audacity audio editing
2. Check out the compatibility of any existing data produced by Windows-based applications. Preliminary checks can address worries in this area:
   
   • Check the "Save as..." or "Export" dialogs in your existing Windows program to see which formats are available.
   • Check the "Open" or "Open as" or "Import" dialogs in your Linux application to see if any of the formats discovered in your Windows program are available.
   • Check the "Save" or "Save as..." dialogs in your Linux application to see if it can save to a format understood by Windows users.
   • The page at Application Equivalents documents the various applications that are commonly used in Windows, and the alternatives that are available to openSUSE users.
3. Try the LiveDVD/CD
   3D OS has a LiveDVDCD. With this you can boot a full Linux system that will only run from the DVD/CD and the RAM. It will not affect the data on your disk. This is a good way to get an idea how compatible your hardware is with Linux before installing. It's also an easy way to simply look at 3D OS. Of course the system is a lot slower running from a DVD than when installed on your harddrive.
4. Experiment with a spare PC or Virtual Machine
   Fear of losing data and system settings inhibits many people from exploring their OS. A trial-PC can be a powerful tool to convince others, such as family members, that a change to Linux is a good idea. Alternatively, you can install Linux as a virtual machine (VM) within Windows using free software such as VirtualBox.

Motivation :
To keep you motivated for learning and overcoming initial issues it's important to know about the benefits that await you at the end of the tunnel.

• Technical benefits
  
  • A secure system where viruses and spyware are not a problem.
  • A very stable system
  • Has 3D desktop effects, desktop search, desktop widgets, and any other feature you'll find on other operating systems.
  • Development is fast. You don't have to wait 5-6 years for a new version. New versions of openSUSE are released every 8 months.
• Economic benefits
  
  • No need to buy a very expensive operating system. openSUSE can be downloaded for free or you can buy the comparatively cheap box set.
  • No need to buy an expensive office suite - OpenOffice.org is included.
  • No need to upgrade your hardware. Linux doesn't have monstrous and ever increasing hardware requirements, forcing you to upgrade your hardware ahead of time.
• Ethical benefits
  
  • Most of the software in openSUSE is free and open source software. Which guarantees the user a freedom that is unheard of in the proprietary world.
  • Since you can get so much quality software for free on Linux you won't be tempted to pirate.
  • Linux systems support open standards and open formats. And thus keeps competition fair and guarantees diversity. You won't see monopoly and mono culture in a Linux world.
    

Potential problems :
Linux is different from Windows and it takes time and effort to learn. Other than that Windows only has one thing going for it - it has more users. This means:

• There are more games and programs for Windows. Photoshop, Dreamweaver, MS Office and popular 3D games are among the most "missed" applications for Linux. There are however many good Linux alternatives available. On the flip side, there is also more malware (viruses, adware, spyware, trojans, etc.) targeting Windows because of its huge user base and traditionally lax security.
• There's more hardware support for Windows. No operating system supports more hardware out of the box than Linux - but Windows drivers exist for close to all hardware. This is not thanks to Microsoft, but of course their market share means any hardware vendor would be out of business quickly without working with them. Unfortunately the same can't be said for hardware vendors not working with the Linux kernel people. However most hardware is supported by Linux and more hardware is supported every day as Linux grows in the market place.
• Getting help is easy with Windows - almost everybody knows and uses Windows so getting help is easy when you have problems. Not everybody knows people who use Linux. However you can get lots of help online on IRC, mailinglists or forums - or you can go to your local Linux user group (LUG) meeting.
  

Source : opensuse.org

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Linux saves Singapore's national library 30% over Windows 2003

LinuxDesktop.com

The National Library Board of Singapore (NLB) has migrated to Linux as part of a move to counter end-of-life support issues with Windows NT and save an estimated 30 percent over a move to Windows 2003, according to an announcement from resource optimization company Resolvo.

Singapore-based Resolvo says that by moving 52 Windows NT Domain Controllers to a Linux-based solution, NLB will save almost 30 percent when compared to upgrading their systems to Microsoft Windows 2003. Resolvo notes that their Linux solution offers additional advantages of better scalability and flexibility. The migration took just four months, according to the company.

NLB's 900 staffers use a Linux-based system that includes a Linux Master Authentication Server that combines Samba and OpenLDAP. A case study detailing the Singapore migration can be downloaded from Resolvo's website (PDF file).
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Windows to Linux Migration Tips

Karen D. Schwartz - Linux.com

Here are some tips you can use to enhance your Windows to Linux migration experience, along with solutions to some daunting challenges.

Choosing a Linux distribution
When it comes to choosing a Linux distribution, there are a dizzying array of choices, including de facto standard Red Hat, Mandrake, SUSE, Mandrake, a Debian variant, or Fedora, a Red Hat- and community-supported open source project to build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from free software.

Businesses usually can't lose by going with a de facto standard, which today is SUSE, Red Hat, or Fedora. SUSE is backed by Novell, while the Java Desktop System is supported by Sun. Both are solid companies, and both distributions also are solid choices. SUSE can make a great deal of sense for companies used to managing their desktop environment with systems management tools like ZenWorks and SMS. But for businesses that have deployed Red Hat servers and have experience with the Red Hat network, extending their IT infrastructure with Red Hat desktops also can make good sense, Sheffey says.

Debian has one advantage over these tools -- once it is installed, it can be upgraded automatically over the Internet. "The process is so easy it's downright unbelievable," Petreley says. "You don't upgrade Debian with another CD, you simply keep it up to date with a few simple commands." The downside, he notes, is it is run by developers who don't keep it as cutting-edge as Red Hat or SUSE.

Hardware migration
Most hardware manufacturers today support most Linux distributions. In addition, most Linux distributions today automatically detect most hardware, but in some cases, you might need specific drivers for new or unusual hardware. If your hardware falls into that category, you might encounter a hardware compatibility issue. Somebody eventually may write a driver for your problem hardware, but you might have to put your project on hold until you can locate an appropriate driver. The alternative is to buy new hardware.

In the case of laptops, you shouldn't have much problem getting your graphics card to work, but just in case, consider downloading the Linux drivers from the manufacturer. Virtually all video cards are supported in 2D mode, which is all most users need for desktop productivity. However, depending on the card, you might not be able to gain support for 3D games, DVD playback or the TV-out capabilities of the card -- features that aren't generally required for the average work environment. Other home use issues are usually USB-related. For example, some digital cameras can't be hooked up to Linux desktops, as well as some printers and scanners -- at least without the services of an experienced Linux systems engineer. It's also worth noting that Centrino notebooks don't work with Linux.

Choosing a Window manager
Unlike Windows, Linux supports both GNOME and KDE, as well as a wide variety of window managers. Red Hat makes GNOME and KDE look and work alike. While GNOME has the fewest features and is least likely to confuse users with options, KDE is more feature-rich and powerful, but is so configurable that it could some to spend too much time working with it. Other, less commonly used window managers include XFCE, ICEWM, Enlightenment, Blackbox, Fluxbox and WindowMaker. Generally, these tools are for more advanced Linux users with specific needs or desire for greater customization. Given the choices, Petreley recommends KDE, while Rosen considers either KDE or GNOME reasonable. Rosen prefers ICEWM for thin client implementations. "It's clean, fast and allows for maximum user productivity," he says.

Application migration
Migrating from Microsoft Office to an open source office productivity suite isn't too difficult, although some believe there is more work to do. In general, suites such as OpenOffice.org or Sun's StarOffice work fairly well.

There are still some compatibility issues, however. "Let's say you've got a graphic in a Microsoft Word document. If you open it in OpenOffice.org, there is a pretty good chance that you won't be able to view that chart or graph," Sheffey explains. He also sees some compatibility issues with presentation software within the suite, but says spreadsheet functionality works well. Note that Office macros won't work in OpenOffice or StarOffice.

One option for migrating applications is Evermore Integrated Office (EIOffice) from Evermore Software LLC of Monterey Park, Calif. Written in Java and running on Windows, Linux, and other operating systems, this software functions as a single integrated office environment instead of a suite. Petreley says that EIOffice links data better than any other office suite he's ever experienced.

Another option is CodeWeavers' CrossOver Office, a Linux desktop productivity tool that allows users to run many office applications, such as Microsoft Office, Lotus Notes, and Adobe Photoshop. A more comprehensive solution is Win4Lin from NeTraverse Inc. of Austin, Texas, which allows users to run Windows 98 on top of Linux such that the application comes up on Linux. By installing Microsoft Office on top of this, you can actually run Microsoft Office on Windows on Linux.

Migrating proprietary and homegrown applications to Linux opens another can of worms. If a company is truly dependent on many of these applications, the migration process probably will be more difficult and lengthy. One solution is to use a remote desktop to allow employees to view those applications running on a Windows host while the clients run a Linux-based desktop. Another option is to use a product like Secure Global Desktop from Tarantella Inc. of Santa Cruz, Calif. or Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite from Citrix Systems Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to run Windows remotely. Yet another option is to rewrite those applications in Java or something equally operating system-agnostic.

Yet another option is to use VMware and run a full-blown client on top of Linux. "At first glance this doesn't make sense, but once you get into a customer's environment and see the need for them to unify their desktop environment to a common standard, it starts to make more sense," Werden says.

Migrating Mail, Calendar, and Personal Information Manager
The de facto standard for moving email, calendar, and PIM information from Microsoft Outlook to a Linux environment is Novell's Evolution, included with most Linux distributions. For all intents and purposes, it's a faithful clone of the Outlook interface, ensuring that anybody who uses Outlook will feel immediately comfortable with Evolution. Evolution provides everything Outlook provides -- email, calendaring, meeting scheduling, contact management, and task lists. Evolution also can work well with existing Microsoft Exchange services using POP3 and IMAP4.

Another alternative is Kmail. With the KDE windowing environment, migration of settings and data between popular Windows clients and the Kmail or Opera Mail clients will be important to anyone who plans to support one of them as the corporate standard for email. Currently, these tools are not as widely used as other mail clients like Novell (formerly Ximian) Evolution and as such, have fewer import features. They also lack other interconnect features such as the Evolution connector for Exchange, Sheffey notes.

Internet browsing/Web services
While Windows provides two common browser options -- Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator -- Linux users have more choices. Those choices include Mozilla, Opera, and Konqueror. None of these browsers have major compatibility issues.

HTML editing also can pose some challenges. As tools like Quanta, Bluefish, Eclipse and others continue to grow and mature, the functionality will quickly reach a point comparable to what can be found today on Windows. "We don't see this as being a big deal because when a company decides to move from Windows to Linux, the Web developers are happy that they get to learn some new languages," Sheffey says. "Those who have been developing under Microsoft ASP are happy to take some time to learn the power and ease of PHP."

Instant Messaging
No major problems should arise with instant messaging as it works today, since both GAIM and Kopete are full-featured, fully compatible instant messaging clients. The instant messaging field on all platforms face the same challenges -- how to enable clients on different proprietary networks to connect and share with each other.

It's worth noting that AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft all hold control of their instant messaging protocols. While the open source clients have figured out how to use these protocols, they could be changed by the protocol owners. If, for example, AOL decides it needs to receive more revenue from ads via AIM, they could be locked out since open source clients don't show ads. To circumvent this issue, Sheffey recommends an open source instant messaging protocol called Jabber, which suits all of the same needs as the proprietary protocols. Groupwise for Linux by Novell is another solution. This critical business productivity tool now includes an instant messaging client that addresses many of the security and audit concerns of instant messaging.

Database migration
Carefully examine the database and the data. Determine what you are trying to accomplish with the database. Only then can you plan what the new database environment should look like. Microsoft Access databases can be ported fairly easily to MySQL Database Server and PostgreSQL. In situations where migration problems occur, some enterprising vendors are creating solutions, such as Versora's ProgressionDB, which deals with some of the most common conversion issues. Another option is SharePlex from Quest Software Inc. of Irvine, Calif. This data replication software, mostly used to migrate Oracle to Linux, provides support for thousands of rows per second for load distribution, disaster recovery, and migrations.

File sharing
Linux desktops should deploy Samba, an open source implementation of the SMB (Server Message Block) file sharing protocol. Samba can be installed on any Linux distribution and can replace, for example, a Windows NT domain controller -- at no cost. Yet another option is WebDAV (World Wide Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning), a set of extensions to HTTP that facilitates collaborative editing and file management between remote users.

A challenge for mixed Windows/Linux environments, Rosen notes, is permissions. "Unix-style permissions are not user-friendly," he says. To combat this issue, Rosen recommends options such as OpenAFS (an open source implementation of a file system first developed at Carnegie Mellon University that provides a client-server architecture for file sharing) and Netware NSS (Novell Storage Services), which soon will run native to Linux.

Multimedia applications
When it comes to video codecs, Linux is the place to be. There are several multimedia applications available to replace Windows Media Player, such as XMMS, Xine and mplayer. A video that would take all of the computing power of a P4 2.0 Ghz under Windows Media Player would barely touch the resources of a P3 500 Mhz running mplayer, Sheffey notes.

However, Linux does lack one major feature -- digital rights management (DRM). Under a closed-source system, copy protection is far easier, as the communication channels from the protected media playing application to the operating system aren't as well-known. But because Linux is far more flexible, redirecting the speakers to record a DRM'd MP3 or redirecting the video to record a DRM's movie is much easier. But because the DRM companies don't see Linux as a viable market and because DRM is much harder to truly lock down in Linux, Linux may be lagging in digitally distributed forms of media, Sheffey says.

Petreley suggests one solution -- a plug-in from CodeWeavers that allows users to run things like Windows Media Player from Linux browsers using Wine (the Windows support libraries for Linux).

Backup
Major vendors, including Computer Associates and Veritas Software, offer client/server backup for Linux. Other backup solutions include Arkeia products from Arkeia Solutions, Backup Edge from Microlite Corp., and System Backup Administrator from Storix Inc. among others.
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Windows to Linux Migration Guide

Karen D. Schwartz - Linux.com

For many companies, migrating from Windows to Linux makes sense. The reasons are compelling: greater stability and reliability, lower cost, access to application source code, greater security, and conformity with open standards, according to numerous independent studies and industry experts.

But for those charged with spearheading the actual migration, the project may seem difficult, unwieldy, or untenable. They may fear unanticipated technological roadblocks as well as employees reticent to give up the tools they are used to using.

Before launching into a migration, make sure your reasons for migrating are business-driven. "You'll fail if you start a migration from the ideological side instead," notes Stefan Werden, leader of the Linux architecture team for Novell SUSE for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

To make that decision, conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis, projected out several years, based on what it would take to migrate and what it would cost not to migrate--not only financial costs, but other costs, such as the amount of overall control you want over your organization's software requirements. With a Windows-to-Linux migration, "nobody can force you to upgrade or deny you a security fix. You always call the shots, so you are guaranteed to save money and retain more control in the long run," says Nicholas Petreley, a Linux analyst at IT market intelligence firm Evans Data Corp. of Santa Cruz, Calif.

Of course, reducing costs can be another driving factor in the decision-making process. According to Forrester Research, 68% of companies in North America consider lowering overall operating costs a top priority, and Linux is one means to that end.

To achieve success in a Windows to Linux desktop migration, experts advise planning, planning, and more planning. Before starting, take these steps:

• Get executive buy-in.This step is crucial. Without executive support, your project may be doomed to failure. By gathering this support before launching your project, you can be sure it will be supported, both financially and otherwise.
• Make sure your organization is a good candidate for a Windows-to-Linux desktop migration.According to Werden, those that are good candidates generally are looking for ways to reduce the cost of IT and more control of employee desktops. In addition, these organizations use standard applications and software or need only basic data entry functions and often need remote application on mainframe, Unix and Windows on the same desktop.
• Examine the existing environment and understand it thoroughly. Also, consider whether it makes sense to invest in new hardware, or whether you will be migrating with existing hardware.
• Choose your flavor of Linux carefully. It doesn't matter much whether you settle on Red Hat, SUSE, Mandrake, Gentoo, Debian, or another flavor altogether. It's more important that your migration team is comfortable with the Linux distribution chosen.
• Identify which employees within the organization are the best candidates for a Linux-based alternative desktop. Often, these include transactional workers and developers -- employees who rely on basic applications like Web browsers, productivity suites, and email -- and not workers who routinely use powerful programs like Photoshop or Macintosh-based applications. "It's about identifying needs or pockets where you can save the greatest amount of money with minimal disruption," notes Susan Jeffries, marketing manager for the Java Desktop System at Sun Microsystems Inc.
• Prepare employees. There is nothing worse than coming into work on Monday morning and being treated to an entirely new desktop, with entirely new expectations. In addition, set up a program to train employees on the new system before unveiling it.
• Consider using outside consultants.Unless you or members of your team have attempted such a migration before, it can be well worth the money to hire an outside consultant. Doing so can save countless hours of frustration. "When you run into a problem like not being able to get something to print, someone familiar with Linux will be able to fix it in 10 minutes. If you don't have such a person, it could take a week to fix the problem," Petreley says. Consultants charge in various ways--by the hour, or by the project. A reasonable hourly price range for general consulting with an experienced systems engineer costs $125 to $225 per hour. Total cost depends on geographic location, the cost of consultants in the area, and the number of employees, environment and number of applications to migrate. Typically, a migration consulting service may begin with a workshop, proof of concept and architecture and implementation review.
  

Once you have finished planning and preparing for the migration, it's time to choose a single migration target -- generally a department instead of an individual -- to ensure that your strategy will work. By migrating applications used by specific groups in turn, you'll encounter less resistance. "A department is a good, manageable unit that generally has a core defined business function and a mix of user types," says Jordan Rosen, CEO of systems integrator Lille Corp. of Albany, N.Y.

And by starting small, you'll have a chance to make mistakes without impacting the entire organization. You'll also prove your business case to executives and show employees that migration can work.

But migrating individuals within a group is a poor idea, as it can lead to different members of the same group using different tools and being unable to share knowledge about the new environment, notes Mike Sheffey, CEO of Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Versora, a software developer offering Windows to Linux migration solutions. "And if you move one person at a time, you'll need to be certain that the new processes are 100% compatible with the old, or else time will be lost," he says.

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