First steps - specifying the software we need
Well I’m nearly up to date with my posting now.
To start the project off we listed a whole set of software that we wanted to use, bought a cheap development server and client, and gave them to Senokian to do all the initial configuration.
The operating system was pretty easy to choose. I liked Ubuntu when Jono Bacon was teaching it at Openadvantage, and I went out and bought the official Ubuntu book in November 2006. We settled on the Dapper Drake version, as it was guarenteed to be supported for years, which is imporant to us (see later posts!!!). I had a look at the other distributions of linux, but gave up. Ubuntu works, and I feel its going to be come the most commonly used distro, and thats good enough for me.
I’m a businessman interested in IT, not a techy, and as we want to make the Thick clients as easy to maintain as possible, Ubuntu suits us.
The open source software we have initially specified with Senokian is as follows:
SOFTWARE
Operating system - Ubuntu with QOS service and RAID 1 configuration if possible, DHCP DNS , VPN over PPTP to support remote working and a “remote desktop” function
Email, calendaring and personal task management - web based on the server using Zimbra with email to fax function ability to take emails from our existing pop3 box system on our dedicated server
Website Hosting - Apache
Database backend - PostgreSQL File sharing - SAMBA
Office - Openoffice
Telephone - Trixbox / Asterix , Hudlite or similar SIP softphone client with reconfiguration of existing cisco ata 186 analogue telephone adapters to support existing fax machine
Image viewing - GIMP for quick image viewing
PDF reader and writer - WINZIP or similar function for unzipping client files sent to us
Web browser and website design - Firefox
NVU or Bluefish website design software
Network Printer access to existing hardware
FTP - TBC, plenty of options
AntiVirus - Clam AV
Minor legacy software function if possible
WINE software for unimportant legacy windows software
Synchronisation function - near real time synchronisation function of our new server database with an identical copy of the database stored remotely on our dedicated server, as a real time backup during the working day
So, in mid February we handed the hardware over to Senokian and sat back finishing other IT projects (and running the business!) until we were summonised to demo test the basic setup.
Of course I havent explained our migration plan….