GNU/Linux on Servers at Robert Pogson

I notice that in Netcraft’s latest report, sorted by OS, it is easy to see 21 of the top 36 hosters run GNU/Linux and only 6 run that other OS. That says a lot about the cost and reliability of the OS.

In my own small corner of the world, of about 40 PCs in regular use, about one-third run GNU/Linux and the rest XP. Since I started re-imaging, three of the XP imaged machine started doing the running-slow trick. The last straw for me was my own machine that I use mostly as a thin client but also to connect to a handy colour printer. I installed Debian GNU/Linux in about 15 minutes using a caching proxy server to speed things up. Downloads averaged 6 MB/s compared to our usual 100 KB/s from the WWW. The result feels so solid. I click and it responds instantly. CUPS will handle the colour printer for me as I work on the terminal server.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.