Thread: No License Needed Linux

Though you can purchase boxed commercial versions of Linux that include support, every distribution is also available for free under the terms of the open-source GNU General Public License, or GPL. Once you figure out which distribution you'd like to use (see below), you can simply download, burn, and install it on as many systems as you choose. Your software licensing fee is zero, in contrast to the price tag that you pay for the full version of Windows Vista Business Edition. And (another bonus) Linux lacks Microsoft's intrusive activation requirements. Besides working with thousands of other free applications, most Linux distributions come with a copy of Open Office.org. Though it is not a feature for-feature substitute for Microsoft Office, it does the job, and for $500 (approx Rs. 22,000) less per work¬station than Office Professional 2007. Open Office.org lacks an equivalent to Microsoft Outlook, but just about every Linux distribution includes Novell's free Evolution personal information manager.

A few key Windows-based applications, such as AutoCAD, lack Linux re-placements, but for many workplaces. will run at native speed under Linux via the Wine utility that comes with most distributions. For those apps that don't work with Wine, two more options exist: You can install a copy of Windows using one of the available free virtualization utilities, such as KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine, built into the Linux kernel) or VMWare Server, or you can install Linux to dual¬boot with Windows.
For most distributions, the same disc will contain server applications, theMySQL database engine, virtualization software, and support for leading commercial databases and CRM applications.



The Samba networking software emulates Windows Server's networking features admirably, and for free (versus Windows Server 2008's starting price of $999; approx Rs. 45,000). You can even replace your costly Exchange server installation with the free, open-source Zimbra Collaboration Suite. Whether you will be using desktop or server versions of Linux, the operating system is famous for one other important feature that Microsoft is still addwill run at native speed under Linux via the Wine utility that comes with most distributions. For those apps that don't work with Wine, two more options exist: You can install a copy of Windows using one of the available free virtualization utilities, such as KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine, built into the Linux kernel) or VMWare Server, or you can install Linux to dual¬boot with Windows.

For most distributions, the same disc will contain server applications, theMySQL database engine, virtualization software, and support for leading commercial databases and CRM applications. The Samba networking software emulates Windows Server's networking features admirably, and for free (versus Windows Server 2008's starting price of $999; approx Rs. 45,000). You can even replace your costly Exchange server installation with the free, open-source Zimbra Collaboration Suite. Whether you will be using desktop or server versions of Linux, the operating system is famous for one other important feature that Microsoft is still adding gradually to Windows: security. Linux isn't somehow magically immune to viruses, worms, and other Internet based attacks, but the vast majority of threats target Windows and Windows apps. Largely by designas well as because of its minority status-Linux is simply not subject to most of the Netbased malware that threatens PCs.