Fourth, Linux is customizable like no other software. Not only that, you can pick and choose what you want, and use just what you want. You want to run it off a floppy with just network support? You can have that. There are many single floppy distributions out there including the Linux Router Project that we brought to you in January (page 80). Want to run a fully configured enterprise server with RAID and high-bandwidth Internet gateway and firewalls? Take any good distribution of Linux, including the one you have in the accompanying CD-ROM, and you can have it. Want a supercomputer running Linux? BeauWolf will give you that too.

Fifth is support. One of the stated plus points of commercial software is that there’s a structured support program that you can avail of. But reality is often different. Those of you who have had occasion to ask for help would know that often it’s not from the structured support programs, but from non-structured ones like user groups and Internet news groups that you get more precise and faster help.

The informal channels of Linux support have now matured to such an extent that last year the Infoworld magazine awarded the best support award to the Linux user groups. For last one year or so, the Linux-India news group <Linux-india@grandtedon.cs.uiuc. edu> and various city user groups like those in Bangalore, Delhi, Cochin, Chennai, etc, have been instrumental in providing support to many users in the country, both individual and corporate. The advantage of such a support system is that your question goes out not to one or even twenty support technicians, but to hundreds or even thousands of users. Chances that at least one of them has actually encountered and overcome the situation, and is willing to share the solution with you are extremely high.

Sixth, Linux doesn’t need the latest, fastest, hardware to run on. Hardware that you brought last year or may be the year before, and are now in the process of replacing can happily run Linux. Your ancient 386 and 486 can become routers on your network. The Pentium 100 that you are about to junk could perhaps become your mail server. At PC Quest we run our mail server on a P133 with Linux. So, especially if you are on a tight budget—and who is not these days—you should be taking a look at Linux, like a lot of corporations are doing.

And last but not the least, because it’s free, it gets into schools and colleges, into the hands of a generation that’s eager to experiment. And some of you, gentle readers, are possibly amongst those students of yesterday who already have a few machines up with Linux, running critical functions for your organizations.