Do Linux desktop distros work for business settings?

Do Linux desktop distros work for business settings?

I hear a lot about desktop Linux distributions, but I don't hear much about anyone using them in business (not school or government) settings. What's up with that? Also, how well would the desktop distros play in the enterprise environment? Are they all the same, or is one better than the other?

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

    When you register, my team of editors will also send you resources covering Linux administration and management; integration and interoperability between Linux, Windows and Unix; securing Linux and mixed-platform environments; and migrating to Linux.

    Cathleen A. Gagne, Senior Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchEnterpriseLinux.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchEnterpriseLinux.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

There are definitely businesses using Linux on the desktop; however, the number is relatively small. Many more companies are evaluating Linux desktops with a pilot program to see how the transition from Windows goes; assuming the pilot goes well, they will consider a wider rollout.

With regard to which is the right distribution for you, there are a plethora of good choices. Red Hat, SUSE and Mandriva all have commercially-supported desktop-oriented products as well as community-based products. There are also other community distributions available like Debian, Gentoo and Ubuntu. All of them provide good and similar functionality.

From the editor: You may also find the following links useful:

This was first published in June 2005