I just started a new job and am the only non-Windows user (so far as I know). I was given a computer with XP and permission to dual-boot Linux but was more than a little nervous about whether I could make it all work; I know that my new boss wouldn't be happy about me spending a lot of time to get the same functionality I'd have with the setup already prepared for me.
So, once I'd done the basic install and set up X, I decided to start
tackling the integration issues:
1) Windows shares from Win2K servers. Samba worked out of the box - 'nuff
said.
2) Exchange. The sysadmin had already enabled IMAP for another user
months ago; I pointed Kmail at the server and it work perfectly the
first time I clicked "Check mail".
3) A little proprietary app to track whether employees are in our out of
their offices. It's a Windows app that is run directly off the
fileserver (no local installation). I installed Wine, but Wine
complained that it wasn't configured. I install winesetuptk and tried
again, and kept clicking "Next >" to accept the defaults. When that
was finished, the app loaded and ran and I was able to log in and out
of the system without any further action. I was pretty happy at this
point - until I clicked the "minimize" window gadget. When I realized
that the program had added an icon in my KDE panel's system tray and
that I could right-click the icon to log in or out in *exactly* the
same way that I would running Windows, and that the icon was absolutely
indentical to that of the other programs in the system tray, I was
completely amazed. In short, it looked and behaved exactly like any
other program I run.
I've been using Linux for quite a while and have been impressed with the
advances its made over the years, but I don't think I really appreciated how
far it's come until today.
Good job, everyone. You just made my job a lot easier.
--
Kirk Strauser
In Googlis non est, ergo non est.
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