Linux

aja

If you are reading this expecting to find an interesting discussion about a type of wild cat, I didn't want to disappoint you, so here is a pretty photo of a Lynx:

But you would be mistaken none the less.

Now, who here uses any form of GNU/Linux? Reason I ask - do you know of any good companies that offer support locally in Johannesburg?

And while we are on the topic, what distro do you use?
I use Ubuntu netbook remix or desktop mostly, but also DSL and Xubuntu on occasion. (but I am still a beginner)
I have dabbled with crunchbang and it is awesome, give it a try! If I had the time I would love to get acquainted with Gentoo and Mint, but I like the Ubuntu package managers too much...

RobK

I've dabbled a bit myself in the past . Redhat, Suse, Ubuntu, and a few others. No expert.

I remember there being a company called Tangent Systems. Their guys seemed to know what they were doing (I see their website is down, though ? ).

Also, I think Obsidian Systems also do support, I believe. http://www.obsidian.co.za/

Oh and I found this - http://www.tectonic.co.za/directory/Category/support/ - I remember Tectonic having a decent Linux newsletter and I think they published a mag at one stage too.

SUSE is still a Novell product, as far as I know so Novell SA will do the support. - http://www.novell.com/home/

Hope those help

NorioDS

Been using Linux for over 10 years, I think. Above companies are cool. To add a little to the list...

www.cmcs.co.za (PE)
www.ledge.co.za (JHB)

inflames

Well, now you are speaking my language 8)
There are many forms of linux, but using the term linux is so huge.
Are we talking desktop (which I think you want) or server technology?

Ubuntu in my opinion is the best desktop you could run at this present time. I have been using it for the last 3 - 4 years.
SUSE is another alternative. Where Ubuntu is deb based SUSE is RPM based.

RHEL makes a bad desktop environment in my opinion since it is a server technology.

If you want to go the server (root), then you can't go wrong with Ubuntu. I'm running some mega servers on it. Included in this would be firewalls, mail servers up to file servers.

So send me some PM if you would like some more specific detail.
I don't offer official support, but do this out of my love for unix!

For some fun reading go to http://blog.leanencarine.com

guitarboy2828

Gentoo FTW!!! ?

Heath

Theres also guruhut , or you can call me ..... I have always been a fan of the ubuntu range , and on the server side fedora or centos , and for a quick and easy server install sme server

aja

Thanks for all the advice guys! will come in handy.

inflames wrote Well, now you are speaking my language 8)
There are many forms of linux, but using the term linux is so huge.
Are we talking desktop (which I think you want) or server technology?

A company I do part time for has a call center, file server, mail server, coldfusion server, SQL server, firewall and some other things.

Ideal would be to get the call center PC's changed into nodes with network booting. I once did a demo of an ubuntu network boot, but at the time there was no VoIP softfone available for ubuntu that could use the older SIP standard they required. So it was a futile attempt.

Although they are pro microsucks, they have been on linux before but lack of support meant they dropped the idea. Some dumbass installed fedora, but some ancient beta version, on all the PC's and locked them down. Then he left with root and all! So the company wasn't too happy about that.

In any case, the frequent resizing of the call center and downtime from blown PC's (the power outages screw up the PSU's) makes for a good argument to switch to the nix... again... A kiosk type setup would be great, so that we can stop the call center operators mucking about with the intenet or whatever else they do... I am the hardware guy, but I end up doing networking and servers and and... I want to get out of IT. It sucks :-\

Squonk

Aja get out of IT Support now!!!! ?

There are much better jobs around; Street sweeping, Dustbin collecting ETC. Only kidding... ?

I have been in IT for 25 Years now and am still stuck on the support side. Although I am more in the administration side. We have just introduced ITIL and I am currently working with the Service Desk as Incident, Problem, Change and Knowledge Manager.

I always tell people "IT is a good hobby...."
Wish I could swop my hobby and job around 8)

Explorerlover

Squonk wrote
Wish I could swop my hobby and job around 8)

You said it Squonk