[ILUG] Small office project

[Brian McSweeney]

As a new user in Linux myself I think this would be a brilliant resource 
and look
forward to any responses.
Brian

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?
>
>Steve Jacobs
>
>
>