Switching to Linux... Company scale

misbehavin

So, for financial and ease-of-management reasons, I have convinced the higher-ups to let me switch the company to a Linux architecture. Now, non-techies will be using these machines, so I was planning on running Ubuntu on the client machines (fully configured by myself before use, and then locked down).

Currently the only app that the users will miss is Photoshop. OpenOffice has proven itself a worthy replacement for Word and Excel, which is the primary 2 apps we use from Office, and PowerPoint is replaceable rather easily by KPresenter.

I know that Ubuntu comes with Gimp by default, but it this really a viable alternative to Photoshop? And if not, how difficult would it be to get Photoshop working on Wine for those that really need to use it? Or should I keep a smattering of Windows machines around specifically for Photoshop use?

EggyToast

If you already have the photoshop licenses, I would suggest keeping a few machines around. Baby steps & all that.

misbehavin

EggyToast wrote: »

If you already have the photoshop licenses, I would suggest keeping a few machines around. Baby steps & all that.

You're probably correct... But over the long-term, will Gimp provide an eventual replacement, or should I plan to keep Photoshop machines around indefinitely?

japan

There's an interface hack for GIMP called GIMPShop that attempts to give GIMP an interface as similar as possible to Photoshop. GIMP is missing a couple of features compared to Photoshop, but if I remember rightly, they're mostly related to print work.

Other than that, it's certainly possible to run Photoshop under WINE.

I do suggest that you try to get the people that use Photoshop to move to GIMP voluntarily, though.

EggyToast

yeah, I would personally set up the GIMPShop hack and tell people that they can either start using it on their own computers, or they can get up and go over to the photoshop computers.

People like staying at their desk, so it would provide good motivation *without* disrupting any particular projects or workflow. If someone has a huge project they're working on in Photoshop, the last thing you want to do is force them to recreate everything.

Of course, we don't know what people are using all of these programs for, and as for replacements, you'll need to have people who are actually using the programs for their jobs tell you if they're using things that are photoshop specific. If you're working in a field where sending .PSD files are commonplace, for instance, your hands are tied. If it's just manipulating .tiff files, people can start shifting over at their convenience.

misbehavin

EggyToast wrote: »

yeah, I would personally set up the GIMPShop hack and tell people that they can either start using it on their own computers, or they can get up and go over to the photoshop computers.

People like staying at their desk, so it would provide good motivation *without* disrupting any particular projects or workflow. If someone has a huge project they're working on in Photoshop, the last thing you want to do is force them to recreate everything.

Of course, we don't know what people are using all of these programs for, and as for replacements, you'll need to have people who are actually using the programs for their jobs tell you if they're using things that are photoshop specific. If you're working in a field where sending .PSD files are commonplace, for instance, your hands are tied. If it's just manipulating .tiff files, people can start shifting over at their convenience.

All Photoshop work is done for internal projects, so the extension is irrelevant. The only documents where extension might be important is .doc and .xls for external presentations (which OpenOffice can save to).

japan

OpenOffice.org's .xls files can still be a little flaky if you're sending them externally, just something to bear in mind. If possible, it might be an idea to go with PDFs if the recipient won't need to edit them.

Jimmy King

japan wrote: »

OpenOffice.org's .xls files can still be a little flaky if you're sending them externally, just something to bear in mind. If possible, it might be an idea to go with PDFs if the recipient won't need to edit them.

Same for their Word .doc format. I've found OpenOffice to be like 99% compatible but a few things are weird. Like my resume formatting ends up off by a tab when converting between the two, the bullets are different sizes which can throw off text formatting, etc.

Fristle

Two words to ease the pain of transitioning OS'es: Virtual Machines.

If there's some Windows application you can't find a Linux substitute for, run Windows in a VM using VMWare or VirtualBox or something. If need be, possibly get a VMWare Server and have people timeshare access to a Windows system (or systems).

DISCLAIMER FOR THE PA MODERATORS: Obey all software license agreements when using virtual machines.

Also, would what they need work under Crossover, or Wine? Edit: I now see Wine has already been suggested.