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On 14/02/14 22:43, Adrian Midgley wrote: > How about move all desktops to Linux... > > Move obligate Windows software to Terminal Server sessions on Windows > 2003 ...n which seemed to me to run everything I met that demanded > extended DOS or Windows. > > Use RDP or whatever to interface those sessions to the Linux desktops. Well, as a lowly consultant I don't get to dictate everything of course (although it would sometimes be better if I did) and clients often have perfectly valid reasons for needing or just plain wanting Windows desktops. I don't think one of my small (5 employees) clients who specialise in Windows specific middleware programming would be particularly amused if I took away their Win8.1/VisualStudio 2012 workstations and replaced them with Ubuntu boxes, for example. A lot of it is simply down to costs - for those that are really squeezed it makes a lot of financial sense to re-purpose ageing PCs with a free Linux OS and stick in a bit of RAM. Many already have sunk costs in the labyrinthine nightmare that is Microsoft Licensing (plus frequently Oracle, SAP, etc) and simply want to use existing capacity to roll out new machines with a familiar OS on it, which they've paid for. Still others specifically don't want Linux at all having a perfectly effective workflow on Microsoft or Apple systems. I just give the best advice I can, do whatever I'm told and get paid :] Of course, where possible your suggestion is a perfectly serviceable one, except for Server 2003: that is some outdated rubbish now, and support ends next year (it's the server contemporary of XP, and shares much of the codebase). On server-side OS's Microsoft adds a lot of really good stuff to the current releases and you're really doing yourself a disservice by not running the latest and greatest, currently 2012r2. I'm not currently running a single AD Forest with a functional level lower than 2008r2 and wouldn't let an ancient 2003 box anywhere near any of my networks. Also, having had a lot of previous experience with Terminal Server and Citrix particularly, I have learnt to loathe them both. You're also going to be paying yet more for CALs to access it: far better to P2V convert your legacy Windows boxes, stick them on a Linux VM host and cordon them off from the internet on a secured VLAN. RDP or VNC into them as required - less fuss, less licensing. Regards -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq