Powell Doctrine And Open Source Migration

The term "Powell Doctrine", named after General Colin Powell, then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who later became the Secretary of State of US, was extensively used in the press and TV with reference to the 1990-1991 Gulf War.

According to the Powell Doctrine, the US should only go to war...
...if there is a clear attainable national security objective and if there is an exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement and if ready to use overwhelming force to complete the mission quickly.

I can hear you protest, "But migrating to open source is not like going to war."

Yeah, I agree, it is different, somewhat! But I find that the Powell Doctrine is a good way of communicating this idea.

Sure, you can migrate to Linux on a home PC successfully...
...if you have a demonstrable benefit and if you do some prep work and if you go in with realistic expectations.

"Hey, that's a lot of ifs".

Well, that is my way of saying, Linux is not for everybody!

"So, Linux is for whom?"

I see and hear a lot of different views on this topic in blogs, forums and articles as well as in conferences and conversations. Mostly from techies and also from a lot of journalists. I am trying to put on my Product Management hat and look at it from the users' point of view. What are the demonstrable benefits to the users if they migrate to Linux and open source applications on a home PC?

Clear and present benefit

Let me try and talk about only the home user here. We will try to cover students, small businesses, schools, libraries and others in other blogs. Linux is for you, if:

1. You are assembling or getting a PC assembled from a kit or a bare bones PC and you find that the cost of Microsoft Windows and Office is a big chunk of the total cost.
   
2. You are on a tight budget. You are about to buy a netbook or nettop or even a budget PC or notebook and you find that the cost of Microsoft Windows and Office is a big chunk of the total cost.
3. You want to convert your dual-monitor PC or laptop into a dual-station (also known as dual-seat or dual-terminal) PC. (More about this in a later blog.)
   
4. You have an older PC that has usable hardware life but it doesn't have enough resources for Windows Vista or the forthcoming Windows 7.
   
5. You are a techie and you have decided to switch to Linux.
6. You want to avoid pirated software for legal or ethical reasons, but you can't or don't want to spend a lot of money for software licenses.
7. You have heard a lot of good things about open source and you are motivated to migrate to Linux.
   

Let us assume that you belong to one of the above categories. You have what a Product Manager would call, 'a strong business case'.

"So, why are we wasting time talking about it? Why not jump in?"

But first you have to do some prep work. This will help make this transition a smooth one for you.

Scout Motto: "Be Prepared"

1. Normally you don't directly work with the operating system that much. It is the applications that entertain you, inform you or let you get your work done. Almost all of the open source applications can run on Windows. Pick those applications that you more often use, download the open source versions for Windows and try them out first. At a minimum, you should try out the open source web browser, such as Firefox, and an office application, such as OpenOffice, and any other application that you use a lot.
2. Test drive Linux using one of the following ways:
   
1. The popular Linux distributions are available for download in the form of a Live CD. By booting from the CD, you can test drive Linux without going through an install. However, keep in mind that this will run somewhat slower than the installed version. You will not only get familiar with the new system, but you will also have the opportunity to test hardware compatibility and driver support.
2. Another way of test driving Linux before taking the plunge is to install it as a Windows application. This allows you to avoid making big changes to your system, such as partitioning your hard drive. Also you can uninstall it safely through the Windows Control Panel, like any other Windows application.
3. Also be prepared to do the following or have access to someone who can help you with these:
   
1. Be able to find the right discussion forum and search for answers and post questions, if needed.
2. Be able to search for and download drivers, if needed.
   
3. Be able to open a terminal in Linux and run commands, if needed. You can try this out in your test drive.
   

"OK. I have done the prep work. Now can I go ahead and...?"

Sure, with the business case ready and the prep work done, you can go ahead and install it. Here is what you should expect.

Look before you leap

Although you can download Linux and applications free of charge, please be aware that you may have to spend some money for the following. You may not need any of these, but it is good to keep a small budget to make your transition successful.

1. If you want the software in a CD/DVD, you may have to pay for that and the shipping charges.
2. Documentation is free and bundled with the software download. However, if you need printed manuals, you have to pay.
3. If you need phone or email support for installation, you will have to pay a small fee.
4. If you must have an application that only runs on Windows, such as Adobe Photoshop, you may have to buy that (or use what you already have). In order to run this Windows application on Linux, you may have to buy a connecting software, such as CodeWeavers Crossover, at a modest price.

Take the low risk path

To minimize risk, if you currently have a Windows PC, I recommend installing Linux in dual boot mode. This will allow you to select between Linux and Windows while starting your PC. This way, if you run into an issue on Linux, you will be able to fall back on Windows, until you get that resolved.

I know that I am stating a lot of things here very briefly without providing full justification or supporting data. I hope to drill down into these in forthcoming blogs...soon!

I welcome any and all comments - compliments and criticism alike. If you have "been there, done that" or you are considering open source software on a home PC, your feedback is especially welcome.

Also, I have posted a user poll covering the benefits listed above. If you have migrated to Linux or considering it, take a moment to check the boxes that apply to you. Thanks in advance.

Tags: open source, linux, desktop, opensource