Where is Linux's Answer to Microsoft's Small Business Server?
Submitted by srlinuxx on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 06:21
It's funny isn't it? By default, any Linux distribution comes with business server functionality like an e-mail, file, and print serving, but Microsoft still gets the lion's share of the small business server world. What's going on here?
I just installed Ubuntu 9.10. Just like every other full-featured Linux distribution it includes a Web server, Apache 2.2.12; an e-mail server, Sendmail 8.14.3; and a Windows-compatible file server, Samba 3.4.0. In short, Ubuntu 9.10, besides being a great desktop, makes a great server. So why the heck aren't more small businesses using it that way?
Linux has long been a major server player in medium and large businesses. According to IDC, even in an awful server market, "Linux servers now represent 13.8% of all server revenue." That's a misleading number though. Many businesses run either their own take on Linux or a community Linux distribution like Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, or CentOS and don't pay a dime to any server vendor.
Windows Small Business Server Rules
Small Business Server
Isn't that the point of ClearOS, formerly Clark Connect?
http://www.clearfoundation.com/
The problem is that people want to do everything with the GUI and Linux can do much with the GUI but perhaps not everything; too much requires the very insecure Webmin for administration.
The other option is, get a basic setup and learn on your own which apps to install (hopwtoforge.com perhaps). This takes too much time up front, so people pass it by, and then spend a ton of time as the days and years pass fighting the Windows side.
Debian please make a remastering program so that we can all get working on these types of 'custom install' disks without requiring the *buntu software stack!