EnabledPeople, the company that is working on the Linux XP distribution, has screenshots of their newest product for integrating GNOME with Active Directory. There is an overview article ‘Linux Integration Service for Active Directory‘ and another article ‘Why Windows 2003 Is the Best Server for Linux‘, describing how it works. Meanwhile, Novell has gotten Evolution 2.8 working with Exchange Server 2003.
I have a hard time telling what to do when I look at those screenshots. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or just being plain angry.
OTOH, Linux XP is not a bad idea. And some of the wizards and preferences from Windows are better than the equaivalents in Gnome – or simply plain missing.
But still – eek…
EDIT: Fixed typo
Edited 2006-11-07 22:16
It definitely could give one the “heebie-jeebie’s”.
But, when I think back to why I moved away from Windows (not 100% void of Windows, but close), I think about issues like:
o too intrusive (eg. balloon pop-ups)
o hidden files/data (eg. regitry)
o takes too many liberties (eg. AOL shortcuts on my desktop)
o stupid defaults (eg. hide file extensions)
Microsoft didn’t run me off because it was a bad OS, ugly or costly. I don’t mind paying for quality software that I’m going to get my money’s worth out of. I just don’t like an OS forcing me to do things their way.
So, what does that have to do with this thread? Well, I don’t think emulating Window’s good qualities is bad, as long as you can avoid their annoyances.
And, where did this distro come from anyway? It’s really gotten no publicity.
And, where did this distro come from anyway?
I missed them too, but DistroWatch announced them a month and a half ago.
http://distrowatch.com/index.php?distribution=linuxxp&month=all&yea…
o too intrusive (eg. balloon pop-ups)
…
o stupid defaults (eg. hide file extensions)
Excellent! I carefully itemized the things I don’t like about Windows, but I missed those two.
http://jackson.io/linux/windows_explanation.html
Linux Longhorn is the next release.
Correct?
Shows AD plugin for controlling GNOME, so that’s Windows server screenshots not GNOME or Linux XP screenshots
Yes yes – but look at some of the other screenshots from the Linux XP distribution itself. They are clearly GTK-applications – but with look and layout from Windows.
Probably a good idea if you want to catch Windows sysadmins.
Won’t they get excommunicated for dealing with the Devil?
Hi all, I have been using LinuxXP for a year now. Because there was no U.S. website and no English Forums, I have had to learn how to use the Gnome interface. I have always used KDE and LXP has the only Gnome interface I have ever liked! I found the trial version of LXP by accident and after downloading the iso and installing it on my computer I was shocked to see that it found and configured every single piece of hardware and played encrypted DVDs right out of the box.
I am running my copy of Crossover Office 5.0.3 and using the MS software I need to get work done. Opera runs like the wind and Open Office is now available through LXP add software program.
Being based on Fedora Core3, I found that I can use yum to install packages since, at the time, there was no support from “Enabled People”. I have really enjoyed the adventure and also found out that I really do like Gnome.
The SR2 release is an improvement of an already good product and the English Forums has given me a place to discuss and use LXP with other users-great!
penguin7009
While this looks interesting, the way they are approaching it is incorrect. Individual lockdown should not be applied on the ldap user account, but by policy, applied by group membership. Having to edit each and every account to manipulate user rights will be a pain in the butt, and I suspect every potential client of theres will say the same.
We need something on the linux desktop that can understand and parse .adm files. That way, we can use .adm for a mixed environment to control free/open source software. Imagine using the same OpenOffice.org .adm file to configure OO.org on both Windows and Linux machines, only applying it at the domain level to standard domain users – without the schema extensions seemingly required by EnabledPeople’s product.
I’m free for consultancy if their devs are listening, I’d love to get involved
One of the greatest strengths that Unix based systems have is the multiuser, client-server concept that allows you to install one executable on a server and run it on hundreds/thousands of client systems without installing software on the clients.
All the “integration” concepts I see for working Linux into a Windows environment try to dumb down Linux and actually defeat the very strengths that makes one Linux/Unix admin more productive that 5 windows administrators.
Methinks that the best way to use Linux in the enterprise is to apply it to those tasks for which it is best suited and stop trying to ape the notoriosly broken Windows paradigm. Applications like OpenAFS now have windows clients that allow Windows users to benefit from Linux /Unix applications. That is the direction we should be heading and should not be trying to infect Linux with the neanderthal crypto-junk of the Window registry.
Is their Linux Integration Service only available on LinuxXP? Or is it something that can be used on other distros (ie, Ubuntu)? Being able to easily connect to a Windows domain via AD from Linux would be a blessing. Some folks have to at work and currently it’s a PITA.
is this a serious company???
http://www.linux-xp.com/faq/1987.php
from ther FAQ:
”
Q: I found that GNOME graphic environment was installed with Linux XP Desktop. Is KDE available for Linux XP Desktop?
A: Forget about KDE. KDE is for hackers and that is why it sucks in end-user oriented distribution.
We are not supporting it in any way. You can install it from Fedora repositories and use it on your own risk.”
WTF??
from ther FAQ:
”
Q: I found that GNOME graphic environment was installed with Linux XP Desktop. Is KDE available for Linux XP Desktop?
A: Forget about KDE. KDE is for hackers and that is why it sucks in end-user oriented distribution.
We are not supporting it in any way. You can install it from Fedora repositories and use it on your own risk.”
Par for the course I’m afraid. I’ve never seen a KDE using company or organisation say this, but companies or organisations that have an affinity with Gnome feel the need to com up with this stuff for some reason. Go figure.
Is this AD integration software open source or not?
How did they learn about AD protocols – by reverse-engineering, licensing from MS or using knowledge from something like Samba?
I’ve been able to connect Fedora Core and Mandriva and Suse to Active Directory. Ubuntu is still lacking a GUI for setting it up, but it’s possible to do it to with a bit of hacking the right files.
Though for me it didn’t work quite the same as using a Windows XP computer on it, but it did connect the proper network shares as per the user’s account, etc.