I'm a Linux fan, Mandriva (previously Mandrake), I run all my home server stuff with Linux. I like the transparanecy and control I have over my Linux setup and ofcourse its free :) I spent time learning linux by initially building Linux From Scratch. So you would think I would be a big Linux advocate.

Going into my new client role has proven interesting, the previous technical manager was obviously a Linux fan and EVERYTHING runs on Linux - and to be honest its a complete mess. We have voip running on linux, volume management systems, routing firewalls, file sharing, authentication, plus a whole host of Linux servers going on - problem is nothing is documented, no one knows whats running on each box or how its running.

Once the previous technical manager left he also took the office Linux skills with him; suddenly everyone is panicking as they have no idea what boxes they can unplug or migrate or how to administer them when things goes wrong. There are no failover boxes and many critical services run from a single shared boxes. If one box goes down we loose voip, dhcp, dns, routing, firewall and file sharing - scarey stuff.

The new CTO is a Microsoft man and has come in looked at the mess before him and proclaimed "See this is what happens when you use Linux, you end up with an unmaintainable mess that no one knows how to work". Worst part is, he's right. I have linux skills but even this office setup scares me and I want to get on with my development job, not get bogged down and side tracked into maintaining Linux systems. So now Linux has been outlawed with a push towards Microsoft Server 2003. Where ever possible networking stuff will be handled by dedicated devices, which are cheap and reliable. Existing staff will be sent on short Microsoft courses on how to Administer the servers via GUIs and everyone is happy.

This isn't to say that Linux doesn't have its uses in SMEs - but it shows a need for skilled staff and discipline in the design and implementation of the network, or if your requirements are simple outsource to a firm with proven implementation designs; organically grown Linux networks are destined for disaster. There can be no denying the learning curve for Microsoft 2003 Server and its applications is significantly less than Linux, retraining to complex command line configurations was not a happy prospect for much of the existing staff.

While it is true that Windows based networks can also be a complete mess if grown organically I think there is a lot more potential for damage in the Linux world. There is also the argument that which maintains that the quality of Linux trained staff is generally higher compared to the Microsoft certified engineers; you could argue that the results for each is comparable in an SME environment, but the more skilled the engineer the more you have to pay them.