FAQ
Linux Here Now!: Linux and hundreds of open source applications are available now. These solutions are often more stable than the more popular and expensive technologies that are in widespread use. Why aren't they used? People don't know about them. People are skeptical. People think they are too small to get prosecuted for running illegal copies of software. People don't want to have to be responsible for their decisions. As the adage goes, "Nobody ever got fired for buying... {name your favorite multibillion dollar company}".
Brief Linux History: Unix was developed in Bell Labs in 1969. This was the first portable operating system written in a high level language, C. This made the operating system more easily available on a wide range of hardware architectures. However, the licensing constraints created much concern and in-fighting in the industry. The Open Systems movement of the late 1980's lead to a renewed interest in developing standards for infrastructure technologies. This lead to increased participation in POSIX and IEEE standards committees as well as independently run forums for developing and integrating technologies into a business class operating system. This provided the groundwork for rewriting the Unix operating system and once and for all escaping the licensing restrictions and royalties associated with propriety technology. Linus Torvalds took up this task, creating the Linux operating system. Today there are many versions of Linux based upon the original Linux implementation.
Choosing a Linux System: There are many different versions, distributions or distros' of the Linux operating system. Each has slightly different objectives. Some are very small to run on old or limited hardware. Some are developed with ease of installation. Some are developed as robust business systems. Some are created for real-time or machine control systems. The list goes on... Those that are very easy to install, may not have all the features required. Those with all the features may be more complex to install and configure, etc. This can make the choice of systems very confusing for the home user, business or information system manager. One must define their requirements and compare them with the available systems. Unless one has an interest or the necessary background, he or she may want to get help in this process.
A Matter of Philosophy: Providing solutions using open source and Linux requires a different philosophy. The implications of such a philosophy touches everything about a company, from service definition, technology selection, customer relationship, right down to how a company is structured and run. White Rabbit Systems, LLC is founded upon principles of providing services and value, rather than getting the bulk of its profits from the resale of products. The difference is significant. Services and value are for the people paying for the service or working for the company. Profits, inventories, margins are for balance sheets, profit and loss statements and people who passively participate (if at all) in the workings of a company.
Stability: The founder has worked with Unix systems since the early 1980's, and like most IT professionals found himself drifting into the mainstream office products, primarily for ease of information exchange with colleagues and customers. About three years ago he took on a java programming project and selected Linux and NetBeans as his development platform. Since he now had a server, he also used it to serve files to his Windows PCs. The java project, successfully completed, the server ran on and on, until one day he remembered with a start that he hadn't rebooted the server in months. This drew his attention to the little box humming away in the corner and he began to recall that it hadn't crashed while he was using it and when he added software or changed configurations he rarely, if ever, had to reboot the machine. This lead to a lab for testing Linux and open source software and to the establishment of White Rabbit Systems.
Flexibility: The system should be able to be adapted to a wide range of functions from data entry, office work, graphic design, accounting, software development, database, etc. Furthermore, the system should be reasonably easy to adapt to different uses with a minimum of effort and problems.
Scalability: While the founder had purchased a supported version of Linux for his software development PC, he had additional criteria that prompted him to test other version of Linux in his lab. He wanted a Linux that would be applicable to a modest PC used by a casual user, a powerful server providing the computing for a small to mid-sized company, and everything in between. The number of distros to select from was then reduced by their ability to be configured for a wide range of computers.
Usability: While there are many good distros for Unix and Linux users who have not been conditioned by the Windows look and feel, the majority of the potential customers of White Rabbit Systems would be familiar with Windows. Therefore, the ability to gently migrate these users to a new environment would be paramount.
Portability: Linux runs some of the best open source and free development environments and is an excellent software development platform, particularly for c, java and any of the web scripting languages. Linux offers binary portability via vines or TaFusion CrossXOver to run most Windows applications.
Support: Support is an extremely important aspect of any open source technology to be deployed in a business environment. Two distros bubbled to the top, as a result of their dedicated support community. The founder selected the Debian kernel for their support community as well as their ability to meet his other selection criteria.
What can Linux be used for? Linux is an excellent platform for file servers, print servers, data base applications, web servers and software development. More recently, through the work of may open source communities Linux has become so easy to use, it is a low cost and reliable replacement for end user computing for home or office.
What's in a name? White Rabbit Systems, LLC is a break from mainstream computer support companies in terms of technology offerings and company philosophy. The name was derived from the popular movie "The Matrix", in which the hero, Neo, makes a choice to break from the programmed existence and set out on a new path by following the white rabbit.
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