We support only mature Linux kernels, it must be on the market for a while, with all the bugs worked out. For critical business applications, we are more interested in reliability than having the latest version.

Our system currently supports HedHat 6.2  (kernel 2.2), we will move to Ver. 7.x only after through in house testing.

Why LINUX instead of DOS/Windows, or Novell, or other PC-Networks?

Contrary to popular opinion, Linux is quite easy and gives you power that before now you have only dreamed of.
 

No more memory limitations! You can build executables up to 2 Gigabytes in size.

Linux supports multi-user AND multi-tasking AND multi- processing, all at the same time! Linux will allow many people to use it at once, with each doing many things at the same time, and toggling between them.

No more speed limitations (scalability)! You can start with a 386/SX (very Small system), and move up to machines with 2 to 100 processors. A Pentium 100 does a respectable job of supporting 5 to 10 simultaneous users. Scalability is one of the promises that NT has been holding out. Many buyers do not realize that Linux has had it for years.

More Speed! When you use a PC on a typical PC LAN, it stores its files on a Novell or similar file server. The PC does the sifting, sorting, indexing, etc. in the files. As a result far more data is transferred across the LAN not just the data the program is supposed to work with. In fact, often the whole file is transferred across the network cable hundreds or even thousands of times during a user session. This is impractical, and can really bog down everything on the network. It is practical to do word processing (Files are only occasionally retrieved or save, mostly manipulated in RAM) this way, but not data access, especially as the file sizes increase. A local user's PC on a LAN is often far less powerful than the network file server, and yet it is the one that actually has to do the seeking, calculating, indexing, etc. with database applications.

In a Linux configuration, the power of a host machine is shared between users. This relieves the network of all the extraneous data transfer.

Availability of larger file systems, RAID, Optical jukebox, LAN Wide backups! DOS does not handle large file systems very well. Linux systems can easily be configured for 1 to Hundreds of Gigabytes if you wish, using RAID (Redundant array of inexpensive drives) techniques, Optical media, and even optical jukeboxes.

In addition, Linux has Peer-to-Peer LAN capability to share file systems among machines. Linux file systems can easily be set up for fault tolerance. It is also easy to set up dual fault tolerant systems configurations if you wish. Linux can have file systems and I/O throughput rates that DOS users only dream about.

Inexpensive terminals OR PCs allow very low cost per user. You can connect inexpensive terminals costing 100-200 dollars to a very high-powered Linux server. This will be MUCH less expensive than a PC LAN because it does not require high-powered PCs at each station. The Linux machine in fact does not have to cost any more than a Novell Server would. Also sharing the hardware, and centralized maintenance can result in higher quality, and lower cost overall than PC LANs.

Centralized maintenance of one machine is often far more practical than maintaining separate software on a lot of PCs. Any update done on a PC LAN must be done on each station. On a Linux system it can be done in only one place, the main system for all users. Backups on the Linux system are generally done automatically and at night for all users, programs, and data.

You do not have to worry about individual CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT settings for individual machines when terminals instead of PCs.

Linux is a perfect Network Server for PC LAN or other Linux machines! You do not have to give up PC LAN capability to get Linux. Linux can support inexpensive terminals simultaneously to providing file service as well as print and other services to a network of DOS/Windows PC's.

Data Security! Linux brings complete and well-tested security mechanisms with it. You can choose to make your data as available, or as protected as you like. In a central Linux system with appropriate security, someone cannot just slip a diskette into the drive and walk off with your data files; they often can on a PC LAN.

Virus Protection! There are very few virus programs for Linux. Because of the way Linux is designed, it is nearly impossible to design a virus that will work in a destructive way.

Linux is super stable, tested, and proven. It has capabilities that NT and OS/2, and Novell are only just now beginning to talk about & implement. Linux is cost effective when used with inexpensive terminals. Linux can have graphical windowing, nearly indistinguishable from MS-Windows by users. Linux can run DOS and MS Windows applications while multitasking, multiprocessing these and other applications. Linux on the right hardware has power to burn.

You can use Linux as a file server to PC apps, as a database data server to PC clients for database programs. You can use it as an application server for big power-hungry apps, which are still displayed on the PC. Linux can be both an applications machine, and a server machine, even at the same time.