Linux Community Magazine

Linux hosting is scalable in a way that Windows-based hosting cannot be. Servers that run Linux instead of other OS's experience far less downtime. The Linux OS can integrate updates and patches on the fly, without having to reboot. Every tool one could need runs on Linux: PHP, WordPress, Java, Drupal, and other Linux-based content management systems like Slash and Bricolage.

Why Linux and Not Windows?

According to the list maintained by Top500, out of the top 500 supercomputers in the world, 410 of them, or 82%, run Linux. Windows servers are fine for those who can afford downtime due to rebooting because of server security updates, patches and similar hiccups. Netcraft maintains a list of hosting providers' operating systems, uptime, outages, whether the site failed to respond, and more. You can see how Linux hosting performs by viewing their list, which has a sampling frequency of only 15 minutes.

When changes must be made to a Linux server, such as adding, modifying, or deleting scripts, installing software packages or security updates, Linux does not need to power down and reboot. With a Linux machine you can compile code, run automatic cron jobs and scan a Windows host for viruses in one hand, while monitoring network activity, and encrypting a drive partition with the other hand.

Plenty of Options

Don't like the CMS you are currently using? With a Linux server, there are 137 free options. Drupal, PHP-Fusion, WordPress and Joomla! are the best known, but there is also MODx, Concrete5, JAKCMS, Redaxscript, EVO-CMS, the PHP-based CMS Made Simple, and 127 others to choose from. OpenCMS is backed by XML and Java, and Zope is driven by Python. Those mentioned here are actively maintained.

Licensing Costs

Why pay fees to operate a server when you don't have to? The Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition costs $3,000. For those who require employees to use remote desktop services, a Windows Server 2008 Remote Desktop Services External Connector License costs $8,000. Those two licenses alone total $11,000, which if operating with Linux, can save you that much money.

Upgrade costs are also money savers. When new Linux kernels are released, they are always free.

Tech Support

Problems happen that sometimes require a hosting company to call their operating system's tech support. When such a problem occurs with a Linux host, the host contacts developers like Red Hat Certified Engineers, not people who have only a Net+ certification.

Open source software packages are tweaked, upgraded, downgraded, and revised constantly. If a software package doesn't do what you want, a version that does exists. Thanks to the many repositories for Linux programs, different versions of a particular package are easy to locate.

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Layered Tech has been providing excellent uptime, rapid tech support resolutions, and outstanding client satisfaction since 2004. Layered Tech has the resources and the know-how to accommodate everyone from individual bloggers to large enterprises. If you want the flexibility and power that Linux hosting offers, contact Layered Tech today at 1-888-952-4888 or visit us online at

For many retail & hospitality operators, having a choice in operating systems is key

In a never ending battle to ease costs, many businesses today are looking at Linux as a server operating system. Issues such as cost and flexibility make Linux an attractive choice. However, just as many operators may be asking, "what exactly is Linux anyway?"

Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds. Developed under the GNU General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone. According to IBM, Linux is currently the fastest growing server operating system.

Once businesses have chosen their operating system, the next task is usually sourcing out a POS (point of sale) system. At the best of times, sourcing out a POS system for your business operation can be a confusing, time consuming and arduous task. Throw in the added obstacle of having to select point of sale software that can actually run on your operating system, and it's easy to see why business owners shy away from this difficult and often expensive task.

Research has shown that the number of POS terminals running Linux in North America has increased 80% since 2002. The reason why is simple; Linux, as an operating system, is more cost effective, flexible, and allows for greater freedom of choice in software than more mainstream operating systems. Linux is also very cost effective in regards to licensing, installation, administrative and support costs. Linux can offer all these features without sacrificing functionality. For retailers and restaurant/hospitality operators alike, cost and ease of use are king, and reasons such as these can make the difference between a business that succeeds and a business that fails.

POS software providers have been slow, however, to jump on the Linux bandwagon. Currently, there are few well-known or enterprise-wide POS software packages available for Linux. One company, however, has seen a niche in the market and has embraced it head on. Volant POS Systems, of Toronto, Canada and Hong Kong, offers a POS solution that has been developed entirely in Java. Java is cross platform compatible and operates in multiple environments - this gives the user freedom to choose Linux, Windows 2000/XP, or Windows and Linux. For many operators, having a choice is key.

Not only does Java provide cross platform compatibility, but like Linux, using Java POS solutions can be cost effective as well, as Java allows users the opportunity to save on additional Windows license fees, as an example. Java's open standard architecture allows the entire system to be compatible with third party industrial applications. Users are free to choose their operating environment and are not bound to costly proprietary restrictions.

Volant also offers integration with Windows-based back office applications. This flexibility is rare in the POS industry. For more information on Volant's Linux & Java POS solutions, visit their website at or in Asia, at , or simply email them at

From a retail perspective, Linux is definitely catching on. Burlington Coat Factory, for instance, has already rolled out Linux in all of their locations, both as a desktop and POS system. Other retailers/restauranteurs currently using Linux in their stores include: Papa John's, Garden Fresh, Mark's Work Wearhouse, Home Depot, and Gap, to name a few.

The push for Linux isn't just in North America, either. Asian governments are looking closely at Linux, hoping it will lead to the development of a domestic software industry that isn't hostage to foreign licenses. According to Linux Insider International, "Asia is emerging as a key battleground for the open-source movement. The Japan-China-Korea (JCK) partnership, announced last month in Osaka, is the latest in a string of initiatives to promote Linux. Two weeks earlier, Singapore hosted the second annual Asia Open Source Symposium, where 20 Asian countries discussed closer collaboration in standardization, localization and interoperability of Linux software."

So, when choosing an operating system and subsequent point of sale system, consider Linux. Discover for yourself why Linux is the fastest growing server operating system.

Why Linux? The user who is looking for a complete and simple desktop operating system that allows them to get work done efficiently and doesn't get in the waywhy would that person choose Linux? Why should you choose Linux?I started using Linux because it made my job easier and because it was a fun toy. At the time, (about 8 years ago), I wouldn't have recommended desktop Linux to any average user. In the time since, I've seen Linux evolve in so many different directions.There was a time when Linux compaq 484170-001 Battery was the hardcore hacker's operating system, but now it's popular amongst students, home users, small businesses, artists, home office users and hackers alike. If you fit into any of those categories, Linux could be for you.

As Linux got simpler to use, communities of users grew around it. Every major urban area has a Linux Users Group (LUG), and Canada has some of the best: GTA Lug, Ottawa LUG, Montreal LUG, Vancouver LUG, Calgary LUG, Edmonton LUG. Although I recommend everyone start with Ubuntu (check out my article on trying Ubuntu under Windows), LUG communities really are a great way to find out about your options. Try Googling the LUG in your city.Simultaneously, one of the best and worst things about Linux is choice. Because Linux is free and open source software, there are many many flavours of it. Unlike Windows, which exclusively belongs to Microsoft, or MacOS which belongs to Apple, Linux doesn't belong to anyone (or, belongs to everyone depending how you look at it). So, many companies or communities package it according to their tastes. (As of this writing, distrowatch.com is tracking nearly 700 distributions.)Not only does one have choice with the Linux distributions itself, but the software traditionally packaged as part of a Linux desktop (media players, office productivity, graphics, etc) often come in similar variety.With so much confusion, why bother?So back to the question: why use Linux? Well1. Choice is good: You'll soon learn to wade through your options quickly. However, having such control over your environment has a large impact on your work-flow and productivity. The steeper learning curve pays off big-time.2. Ultimate security: Linux is safer than Windows or MacOS. A lot of that is simply because there are fewer viruses, but the system is more secure in principal as well.3. Better driver support out of the box: Don't you hate spending hours installing drivers after a fresh Windows hp 484170-001 battery install? Most of your hardware should work out of the box on popular Linux distributions.4. It's more complete: Out of the box, most distributions come with professional quality office productivity, graphics software, and alike. You don 't have to fool around installing things after a reformat.5. Package management: The keystone of any Linux distribution is a package management system. Unlike Win and Mac, if you want more software, you browse through a catalogue and have a 1-click install.6. Unified updates: This is really part of package management, but it's important enough to be mentioned on its own. When you do a software update, it updates all of your software in one go. No need for Adobe updater, Firefox updater, Windows Live update, Java update,7. More dynamic: There's always something new in the Linux scene for those feeling adventurous. Also, bugs are quickly fixed since the gap between user and developer is quite thin. The Linux development model is driven by the user experience.8. Better support: Support for Win and Mac is expensive. The Linux dell vostro 1500 battery community is incredibly friendly and helpful. Almost any problem is never more than a Google search from being fixed, but if you n eed to, there's always someone to ask. (In many cases, you are free to ask the actual developer!)9. More stable: Crash less, and almost never reformat. Linux is designed to run for months, even years at a time with minimal maintenance.10. PDF creation and editing: Most distributions support PDF creation out of the box. A few mouse clicks will get you a pdf editor too.11. MS Office support out of the box:LibreOffice or OpenOffice ship with almost all distributions of Linux, and both support editing and saving MS office documents.I can't leave out the most important reason for anyone to use Linux: the more people we have using it, the better it becomes. Linux has grown so much in just the past few years, and every year it grows faster. Ubuntu really got the ball rolling, and now Google (a la Android) has made Linux mainstream as a mobile platform. It is an irrepressible part of the ever progressing technology landscape.

Tags: linux, linux info, linux information

Quite a few people have a tendency to dabble in Linux. This means that from time to time, they might download a distribution, burn it to a Live CD, and try it out on their computer without actually installing it to their machine. If you are a Windows user who is doing this, you need to try Linux Mint.

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu which is the most popular distribution. This is a pretty big deal since Ubuntu which is based on Debian have thousands of packages of software already available from a simple point and click interface. If you have a need for software, Mint will allow you to easily install it. What else is an operating system good for if it can't install and run applications easily?

Mint tends to have familiar Windows controls. This means that there is a panel, aka the taskbar, at the bottom of the screen. On the left is the "start" button, followed by shortcuts, and followed by open programs. The look and feel is similar to Windows making new users already feel somewhat comfortable with the system. If you are used to a certain configuration, having something very similar makes it easier to use.

Mint has a menu system that is fairly logical. There is favorites tab and an applications tab. This will let you get to all your software. New users find the menu system easy. There is more than enough software for the average computer user with a browser, editors, and an office suite.

The best part about Mint is that the music codec, Java, and Flash are preinstalled. This means that your media and browser will just work like you expect them to do. You will be able to open all your documents and media just like you are used to without having to install these manually.

If a store opened across the street from Target, same relative inventory, same service, only difference everything was free, would Target survive?

Unlikely.

Yet in software...

"Payware" = "Freeware" (open source)--------------------------------------Windows = LinuxOracle = MySQLMS Office = OpenOfficeUltra Edit = PSPad

...the current reality is that payware and freeware compete in the marketplace head to head.

In fact, the "for pay" software continues to thrive in the marketplace despite free software that is in many cases just as good (some might claim better).

Why is this?

When you buy a pair of jeans at the store the total cost is paid in full at the time of the purchase. There are no additional costs involved that directly pertain to the manufacturer. Of course there is the on-going cost of maintaining the pants through washing. This is a totally different market that is wholly agnostic to the brand of jeans. In other words, Tide washes Wrangler's the same as Levi's.

With software the game is different. Only a small percentage of the total cost of software can be attributed to its development. Support and maintenance make up a sizeable chunk of the cost. The larger one scales the software the higher these costs go. There is no singular solution like Tide to deal with both Windows or Linux. Sure you copy files in both, and make directories, but the means of doing so is very different and not interchangeable like your detergent. My trivial example has not even exposed the tip of the iceberg!

So this leaves us with the issue of market share. When you have a commodity that requires so much additional and continuing service/support, market share becomes a very important factor.

Support and service for free software is anything but free. Microsoft loves to tell us (and rightly so) that TCO (total cost of ownership) between Windows and Linux is in the same ballpark. They even claim that Linux costs more, all factors considered. But the geeks at Redmond can't have it both ways. Open Source software that can be obtained for free does not represent communism (Remember Mr. Balmer declaring this?). Communism to my understanding was never a sustaining and growing multi-billion dollar business.

If we look back as to how Microsoft dominated the market we tend to forget some key points.

* The mainframe market viewed Microsoft as a passing fad.[The CEO of DEC wondered why in the world anyone would every want to own a computer.]

*Microsoft was the only real game in town when it came to PC operating systems.[Any attempts by others (DR Dos, OS2) were summarily squashed.]

*Microsoft gave away IE in order to squash then leader Netscape.[Who?]

*Microsoft sold early versions of Office for $99.00 to gain market share.[Other players at the time were selling there office suites for 3+ times that amount. Microsoft bought market share by thinking long term. After all, changing your word processor and spreadsheet are a bit dicier than changing your undies. Also, think of all of us who make a living off these products.]

While many software vendors have come and gone, it is the open source, "here it is for free" Cowboys and Cowgirls that are here to stay and threaten the very world of "for pay" software. But what the hey, we developers are typically more enthralled by creating things than making money. I know of no other profession on the planet where not taking and reusing other peoples work is considered the sane way of doing ones job. I believe in journalism they call it plagiarism?