[ILUG] Small office project

[Ken Guest]

On Thu, 2001-11-22 at 00:12, Steve Jacobs wrote:
> I am a new-ish Linux user. I manage a leased linux web server, and I have
> recently "SuSEd" my home and office - an old computer is set up as internet
> gateway and server - four other machines are dual booting SuSE - windows
> workstations - all running SuSE 7.3. Two are mostly used by my kids, who
> actually enjoy the games a lot. However, we seem to be stuck. There are
> still too many things that we can't do (or haven't figured out how to do) in
> Linux that we can do well in Windows. Trouble with printing, and fonts in
> Star office have driven us back to using windows even for basic
> stuff..though my kids at the start wanted to use linux for everything!
> 
> Has any body ever explored or laid out -step by step- the route to take to
> wean a small organisation (or even a home network!) away from Windows and to
> a totally Linux - open source solution? Actually, I don't mind including
> some commercial software if it fills the need...
> 
> The requirements as I see it would be:
> 1. Network setup - including file sharing between computers and setting up
> an internet gateway.
> 2. Office suite - migrating to star office or ??? > yet still be able to
> import from /open /export to MS files - I know this is available, but
> haven't figured out how. Is there a star office migration guide? And what
> about font and print troubles I've had?
> 3. Setting up a shared database - I am a pretty experienced Access user and
> know how to set up shared access databases splitting the 'front end' from
> the tables - I also use MySql a lot in web sites - but I don't know how to
> set up something that will do the same thing as Access does on a lan.
> 4. Desk-top publishing? You need to at least put out newsletters or
> brochures sometimes.
> 5. Wysiwyg web development - I am a Dreamweaver Ultra-dev power user, so
> until Dreamweaver is ported to Linux or I can find and learn another
> solution, I may be hung on Windows. This probably isn't an essential
> requirement for the small office project, but some easy web design program
> could be useful.
> 
> I'm sure some of you have been through this already, but I am stuck.
> 
> Also, this is not just for me. I know of several... and I'll bet there are a
> lot more... small companies, organsations and charities that would love to
> migrate away from thier current dependance on rag tag mixtures of windows
> versions and probably some illegal software to a workable linux office -  if
> only they could be shown how. Is anybody out there doing this? Would anybody
> out there like to collaborate and work out how to help people do this?

http://www.linux.ie/newusers/alternatives.php might be of use to you for
pointing out Linux based equivalents of Windows apps - I have updated
this page with links to the Quanta and IBM's Websphere HomePage Builder
websites.

There's a "Dreamweaver for Linux" petition at
http://www.execulink.com/~cboden/dwlin/ so it might be an idea for you
to sign up there. 

As far as DTP is concerned, freshmeat turned up with Scribus
(http://web2.altmuehlnet.de/fschmid/), which is an Open Source project.


k.