Sudo Show 10: Open Source Desktop Migrations

Episode 10 of the Sudo Show is a retrospective, and it’s a good one. Brandon had a hand in one of the largest corporate Windows to Linux desktop migrations around fifteen years ago, and we used this episode to look back at how that actually worked.

We get into the real mess of it, things like running Internet Explorer 6 through Crossover Office because half the internal web apps wouldn’t run any other way, syncing files between a Linux desktop and a Windows laptop with an old Novell tool called iFolder, and Brandon’s genuinely wild reverse SSH setup for remote support before anything like Remotely existed. We compare that to what’s available now, things like Fleet Commander, c file, and how much easier application delivery has become with tools like Foreman and Katello. The Office compatibility conversation alone is worth the listen, since it’s a problem that’s been slowly improving for over a decade and still isn’t fully solved.

We also got into the productivity corner again, comparing how Brandon and I structure our days. He’s a Pomodoro and time tracking guy through GTG and Hamster, and I talk through how I’ve used the Pomodoro technique myself with mixed success depending on how stacked my meeting schedule is that week.

If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to move a company off Windows, or just want to steal a productivity trick or two, this one’s worth your time.