Want to replace microsoft windows XP pro with Linux Desktop

[ishfady]

Hi

I have small office with 20 pc's. I am currently have microsoft windows Xp Pro on each pc's and office 2003 pro, small business server 2003, email server.

I am thinking to moved away from microsoft and to Linux. But I am finding difficult, which Linux desktop and server to choose. I would live to have wndow base desktop, which is installed on each pc and easy for my staff to used.

Please can some one recomand any decent Linux desktop and server.

many thank

[GNU-Fan]

Hello,

I recommend Debian Stable for both the server and the clients.
If you will need a lot of commercial support for the machines, go for RedHat Linux.

[|cpm]

I can recommend Novell Suse (Server & Desktop versions), it comes with Novell's customer support for I think a reasonable fee. Please check the details if interested:
Linux OS | SUSE Linux Enterprise

[graysky]

Debian Lenny is great. I would recommend it over etch (which is nearly 2 years old now). Lenny is a few weeks away from an official release and has been rock solid for months.

Stay away from ubuntu which is kinda bloated and on my system quirky. Debian = security and reliability. Ubuntu = not so much

[cheapscotchron]

I've been using opensuse for a few years now. Very stable. Running 10.3 64 bit on servers (mail, sql, www), 10.3 32 bit on workstations (hp, dell) and laptops (hp and sony).

ms win ... R.I.P.

[oz]

ishfady, you can also check this poll for favorite server distro as voted by our membership:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/cof...rs-2008-a.html

Hope it works out, and do let us know what you go with.

[L4Linux]

What are the specifications of the clients & the server?
Ubuntu, OpenSuse & Mandriva are the most user friendly distribution and if you want you can get commercial support for them. They also come with live-cds, so you can see which is better for your colleagues. Let them try before you take the decision.

[jayd512]

Depending on the level of support you have from your IT staff, or support you need from a distributions development team, I would advise either CentOS or RHEL. Simply because they are the same OS, but the latter has a paid support team that may come in handy.