Hi all,

I have a ?small? question about what linux I could take to achieve this:

Before I start, let this be said: I don't mind paying for it (as long as it isn't as high as Windows).


I would want to change my workstation in the office (right now Windows 2000) to Linux.
Question is simple ... Which linux is best?

1/ Should be quick to boot
2/ Should be quick to install (not many options, much self-checking, much end-user 'easyness')
3/ Should be able to connect to our Active Directory (log on with my own username/password) on our domain.
4/ Be able to run 'Remote Desktop Connection' (to manage our servers) [this is a windows-program so you can connect to Windows-servers (something like VNC)].
5/ be able to open/modify/etc words, excel and access files. (I heard there are problems with pivot-tables on Star Office? Anyone has experience with it?)
6/ Be able to open AS400 and AIX-sessions. (right now we are using TUN emul where we can define different terminaltypes... What software can be used for this?)
7/ Be able to have my homedrive connected to a share on the server (as well as some other shares).
8/ be able to run ms outlook (connected to ms exchange server) [or another mail client which achieves the same result].


Maybe if my tests are successfull I can convince my boss to turn everyone to Linux .


Greetz & thanks!

Welcome to LQ - the greatest Linux site. Here you get advises almost instantly
(I hope mine are useful).

Three years ago I faced the same dilemma.
Many Linuxes are the best, in my case Mandrake was the easiest to start.

1/ Should be quick to boot
* The speed of boot depends on how many services you want to start, and what WM you want to run.
My MDK boots up MUCH faster than Win2k on the same machine.

2/ Should be quick to install (not many options, much self-checking, much end-user 'easyness')
* MDK is probably the easiest (for me, at least, it was easier than Suse and Slack).

3/ Should be able to connect to our Active Directory (log on with my own username/password) on our domain.
* I don't know what is Active Directory, but MDK is connectible to everything you can imagine. Better than Win2k

4/ Be able to run 'Remote Desktop Connection' (to manage our servers) [this is a windows-program so you can connect to Windows-servers (something like VNC)].
* From my MDK I can connect to all of the portables around (this took me some time to figure out how to do it.)

5/ be able to open/modify/etc words, excel and access files. (I heard there are problems with pivot-tables on Star Office? Anyone has experience with it?)
* I don't know about pivot-tables, but otherwise StaOffice is ok. Actually, I prefer the latest version of the OpenOffice (download it from http://openoffice.org)

6/ Be able to open AS400 and AIX-sessions. (right now we are using TUN emul where we can define different terminaltypes... What software can be used for this?)
* Sorry, I don't know what it is.

7/ Be able to have my homedrive connected to a share on the server (as well as some other shares).
* No problem, I guess, though I don't use it myself.

8/ be able to run ms outlook (connected to ms exchange server) [or another mail client which achieves the same result].
* Oh... you will forget about these M$ masterpieces very soon.

Thats all for now. All the best!

Thanks for the warm welcome



Actually, the MS exchange is rather important

As I have to be able to read my mails to be able to work... And as far as I know the only mail client which allows to contact to an ms exchange server, is the ms outlook client :S... I think I can get that working with wine though.

I downloaded Linspire and the 30days trial from Xandros today... I will try it at work tomorrow (=friday = no real pressure on anything)... I might be succeeding in all the points mentioned above .


But if someone can help me with a free solution to the points, I would be more then interested to hear it

Sorry, never used M$ exchange...
why don't you post a thread dedicated to specifically this problem? Maybe it is already solved by others?

PS. When three years ago I was either to choose M$ or Linux, I calculated the costs of all of the software needed under M$, it totaled at modest 4400EUR.
No doubt, since then my work runs under MDK Linux, and I always paid for it, thought it wasn't unevoidable. After all, its free.