OT: Is there a Linux only network?
Is there a Linux only network and hence a Linux System Administrator? To the best of my knowledge, most networks are a combination of Linux and UNIX or Windows NT. So my question is that to integrate Linux in such a network, do we have to have a linux server on a different LAN from Unix and Windows? Besides to get into sys admin for Linux/Unix network, is it enough to have a good knowledge of Unix and Linux (both being similar) or do we have to learn Windows too? Leo
Ewww... What an obscene suggestion - learning Windows..... Yeah, it's a fact of life that most networks have SOME Windows component - even someone who connects a Windows notebook.... Jon -----Original Message----- From: Linux Leo [mailto:LinuxMail@subdimension.com] Sent: Thursday, 28 November 2002 10:11 AM To: suse-linux-e Subject: [SLE] OT: Is there a Linux only network? Is there a Linux only network and hence a Linux System Administrator? To the best of my knowledge, most networks are a combination of Linux and UNIX or Windows NT. So my question is that to integrate Linux in such a network, do we have to have a linux server on a different LAN from Unix and Windows? Besides to get into sys admin for Linux/Unix network, is it enough to have a good knowledge of Unix and Linux (both being similar) or do we have to learn Windows too? Leo -- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com
Linux Leo wrote:
Is there a Linux only network and hence a Linux System Administrator?
To the best of my knowledge, most networks are a combination of Linux and UNIX or Windows NT.
A network is a means by which computers exchange data. Physically this medium is made of copper wires, radio waves, optical wires, etc. In most locations this network is referred to as ETHERNET. Operating systems like Unix, Linux, Window, etc. implement the appropriate programs to talk to other computers through this medium. The notion of a "Linux-only network" or Windows or Unix is not appropriate. Nowadays, a network is built using standard components. What you find at most sites is an ethernet network. So, the way you should see it is "can a Linux/Windows/Unix computer use an ethernet network?" In the ancient past, there were other kinds of networks, like TOKENRING, Apple-talk, etc. Those technologies are obsolete and I doubt anybody is bulding networks using them (although Linux supports them.)
So my question is that to integrate Linux in such a network, do we have to have a linux server on a different LAN from Unix and Windows?
Not really, to integrate a computer installed with the Linux OS, you need to tell/configure the linux computer what kind of network it is attaching to. How this is done exactly depends on the specifics of your network. If you are familiar with what you refer to as a "Unix network", then adding a Linux computer to it, is as simple as setting an IP number, network mask, gateway and DNS server IP. In other words, you can treat a Linux computer as any other Unix workstation. Windows may use the same network to access the INTERNET, so it may live in the same network (that is, share the same wires) as your Unix systems. In order for your Linux machines and Windows machines to use some Windows-specific features, like "Shares", printers, etc. simultaneously, you have to use an application called SAMBA. Separating the Windows, UNIX, Linux networks is possible, but only for management/security reasons. They all can certainly be connected to the same wires.
Besides to get into sys admin for Linux/Unix network, is it enough to have a good knowledge of Unix and Linux (both being similar) or do we have to learn Windows too?
If you have machines installed with Windows OS, then certainly you have to know how to use it. So, yes, you have to learn Windows too. -- Rafael
Hi, I appreciate your reply but you probably misunderstood my first question. All I was asking was whether there are any corporate networks running just the Linux servers and clients. I am sorry if I did not put my question clearly enough. regards Leo Rafael E. Herrera wrote:
Linux Leo wrote:
Is there a Linux only network and hence a Linux System Administrator?
To the best of my knowledge, most networks are a combination of Linux and UNIX or Windows NT.
A network is a means by which computers exchange data. Physically this medium is made of copper wires, radio waves, optical wires, etc. In most locations this network is referred to as ETHERNET. Operating systems like Unix, Linux, Window, etc. implement the appropriate programs to talk to other computers through this medium. The notion of a "Linux-only network" or Windows or Unix is not appropriate. Nowadays, a network is built using standard components. What you find at most sites is an ethernet network. So, the way you should see it is "can a Linux/Windows/Unix computer use an ethernet network?"
In the ancient past, there were other kinds of networks, like TOKENRING, Apple-talk, etc. Those technologies are obsolete and I doubt anybody is bulding networks using them (although Linux supports them.)
So my question is that to integrate Linux in such a network, do we have to have a linux server on a different LAN from Unix and Windows?
Not really, to integrate a computer installed with the Linux OS, you need to tell/configure the linux computer what kind of network it is attaching to. How this is done exactly depends on the specifics of your network. If you are familiar with what you refer to as a "Unix network", then adding a Linux computer to it, is as simple as setting an IP number, network mask, gateway and DNS server IP. In other words, you can treat a Linux computer as any other Unix workstation.
Windows may use the same network to access the INTERNET, so it may live in the same network (that is, share the same wires) as your Unix systems. In order for your Linux machines and Windows machines to use some Windows-specific features, like "Shares", printers, etc. simultaneously, you have to use an application called SAMBA.
Separating the Windows, UNIX, Linux networks is possible, but only for management/security reasons. They all can certainly be connected to the same wires.
Besides to get into sys admin for Linux/Unix network, is it enough to have a good knowledge of Unix and Linux (both being similar) or do we have to learn Windows too?
If you have machines installed with Windows OS, then certainly you have to know how to use it. So, yes, you have to learn Windows too.
On Thursday 28 November 2002 02.02, Linux Leo wrote:
Hi,
I appreciate your reply but you probably misunderstood my first question. All I was asking was whether there are any corporate networks running just the Linux servers and clients. I am sorry if I did not put my question clearly enough.
I'm willing to bet the SuSE corporate network is linux only, and it's a reasonable guess that Red Hat's network also doesn't have too many windows clients. This may sound obvious, but it's not. I was at a conference once, where SuSE had a representative giving a speech. He was *not* the most popular speaker attending that conference, when he fired up his laptop to show powerpoint running on windows. People booed :) However, this was a couple of years ago, and I would think Open office has replaced the need for that now. It could be fun, though, to hear the real status of that from the SuSE people on the list :)
On Wednesday 27 November 2002 20:07, Anders Johansson wrote:
This may sound obvious, but it's not. I was at a conference once, where SuSE had a representative giving a speech. He was *not* the most popular speaker attending that conference, when he fired up his laptop to show powerpoint running on windows. People booed :)
That's like throwing up a red flag at a bullfight. lol
However, this was a couple of years ago, and I would think Open office has replaced the need for that now. It could be fun, though, to hear the real status of that from the SuSE people on the list :)
I would venture a good guess that only small companies or startups have the ability to convert entirely to Linux at this time. This is also a good time to illustrate some areas where Linux needs to get software for in order to further penetrate the market: I work at a medium-sized IT-based company (voice ASP solutions and government stuff). Since the company started back in 95, it has always been a primarily Windows environment. HP-UX was added as a database solution in 2000, and then I got started converting most of the place to SLES 7. It's slow going, because we have a lot of custom software that needs to be ported, but I'm knocking it down bit by bit. I'd say that by 2005 it will be all Linux with the exception of a few systems, which I will outline because it is of intrest: Exchange, alas Excahnge: I don't think I can blow this thing out of my company. I'd replace it with OpenExchange server in a heartbeat, but we use VOIP phones and there is a unified Voicemail-E-mail package that integrates only with Exchange and Notes (and not even the Linux Notes, as I recall). Cisco Callmanagers: If anyone has heard of Linux running a Cisco Callmanger-type app, let me know! Database servers: Since the hardware we got to run Oracle is PA-RISC, I don't see Linux hitting that anytime soon, unless there is big pressure from HP to do it (not on the workstations, mind you, but my big N-class setup). Speech recognition: Although the company that provides our speech-recognition software has a Linux version, it isn't Tier 1 supported (and it's such buggy software that getting support for a non-tier 1 OS is next to impossible). However, I am getting these puppies on Solaris instead of M$, awaiting the day I can switch to SLES i386 or SPARC. Accounting: Now here's a hurtle. The accounting software packages that every finance guy I've ever run into have used run on Windows, and normally are funky, just all out funky, and any of them that can run on a non-M$ OS cost a fortune. However, here's a place that Linux needs to penetrate. Payroll: See accounting, but worse since these apps normally transmit payroll to some mainframe and I still ahve to put MODEMS in these workstations to transmit the stuff. ICK! Desktops: If you consider having Crossover Office simply for Outlook (see the Exchange problem), this will slowly, VERY slowly happen. It just gets expensive after a while (hell, we still have a Win98 box around because a stinking check printer only has 9X drivers, not even Win2K!) So, to sum up: Is a homogenous Linux data center possible? Yes! Is it probable? No! If there's one thing I've learned at my tunure in IT, it's that you can never really have a true homogenous network, unless you have 5 or less machines. Different solutions require different archectitures to implement, that's just the way of the world. The best you can do is to pick a paltform taht covers 90% of your problems, and use it. I'm living proof that SuSE can cover that 90% for me. Thanks! Donavan Pantke
Linux Leo wrote:
Hi,
I appreciate your reply but you probably misunderstood my first question. All I was asking was whether there are any corporate networks running just the Linux servers and clients. I am sorry if I did not put my question clearly enough.
You had more than one question and from the way they were posed, you seem to be under the impression that Unix/Linux/Windows computers must have separate networks. Do you still answers for the last two questions? -- Rafael
No thanks, I have the answers now. regards Leo Rafael E. Herrera wrote:
Linux Leo wrote:
Hi,
I appreciate your reply but you probably misunderstood my first question. All I was asking was whether there are any corporate networks running just the Linux servers and clients. I am sorry if I did not put my question clearly enough.
You had more than one question and from the way they were posed, you seem to be under the impression that Unix/Linux/Windows computers must have separate networks.
Do you still answers for the last two questions?
participants (5)
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Anders Johansson -
Donavan Pantke -
Jon Biddell -
Linux Leo -
Rafael E. Herrera