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NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

nhsbuntu.org

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Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#41

Post by UK-AL »

reacweb wrote: post #40
UK-AL wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NHS would need to pay someone for Linux desktop support. It's normally as expensive as windows.

I do not know how people can entertain this myth that linux support is as expensive as windows. The stability of linux applications is incredible compared with the brutal changes of windows (xp -> vista/7 -> 8 -> 10). Remote administration is far more easier and deployment on many machines is trivial. Machines rot is a lot slower, reducing the cost of machine replacement. IMHO, the main cost is replacing the old wind…

It's nothing to do with the support guys. It's do with the support by the vender.

When you deploy an os over something as large as the NHS, your going to hit a few snags, perhaps at the code level. You will need somebody who you can phone up, who will then go bug fix those issues.

Vendors like redhat have support licences that support this. And those licences are still fairly expensive.

If NHS was going to deploy a Linux Distribution, they will have to bring a Linux distribution vender onboard which would take the role Microsoft does now.

Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#43

Post by em3rgent0rdr »

adrianN wrote: post #32
escapologybb wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know, this kind of reminds me of that seen from Goodfellas where Ray Liotota's character is explaining about protection rackets. The quote goes something like "Having a bad day, f k you pay me. Your loved one is sick, f k you pay me. Business going badly, f k you pay me." And that's exactly how I feel about all of these proprietary device providers that have all these massive contract with the NHS. It really shou…

What do you do about legacy software? Porting all the crap they're currently using to a new operating system isn't free.

Legacy sortware could be isolated, for instance in a VM.

Also there is ReactOS which is an open source older windows which might be useful for running old windows software on a relatively secure OS.

Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#45

Post by dpwm »

escapologybb wrote: post #33
adrianN wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you do about legacy software? Porting all the crap they're currently using to a new operating system isn't free.

Yeah, and I mean this without a drop of sarcasm or joking. That's where being one of the richest countries on earth comes in. We should just pay up.

And this could provide well-paid, satisfying jobs and apprenticeships in the UK resulting in systems that don't have to be rewritten in under a decade because a monopolist decided to break compatibility.

Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#46

Post by escapologybb »

parennoob wrote: post #15
signal11 wrote: post #9

I do think running hospitals on Linux is a good idea. However just sticking a skin over $YOUR_FAVORITE_DISTRO may not quite work. Hospitals have to work with proprietary devices -- for example, retinal scanners etc, many of which only have Windows drivers. Also, while updating individual Linux systems is easy, patching Linux at scale across the thousands of desktops in the NHS needs a proper, thought-out patching str…

> Hospitals have to work with proprietary devices -- for example, retinal scanners etc, many of which only have Windows drivers. Then the tenders for buying those devices should state "Devices that work with $YOUR_FAVORITE_DISTRO will be given preference.". If it's a reasonable one, they will make a driver for it. Customer demand always generates product; and the NHS is about the biggest customer there is.

Exactly, the NHS spends an absolute fortune each year and if they put out a tender somebody will support it no matter the specifications. Sure, some of the larger Vendors will get their noses bent out of shape but who cares?

I mean we are talking about large multinational pharmaceutical, medical equipment and software companies buying something from the largest employer in the world with a tech budget of roughly £1 billion a year (I think).

If the NHS stuck to it's guns, somebody would provide the goods.

Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#47

Post by reacweb »

UK-AL wrote: post #19
Sean1708 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Active Directory works with Linux, I'm not sure how easy it is though.

It doesn't work very well with group policy.

Trying to solve windows specific issues using windows solutions has a tendency to not work very well. Once you get accustomed, administration of a linux park is far easier. Try to avoid dependencies from these piles of crap.

Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#48

Post by haspok »

signal11 wrote: post #9

I do think running hospitals on Linux is a good idea. However just sticking a skin over $YOUR_FAVORITE_DISTRO may not quite work. Hospitals have to work with proprietary devices -- for example, retinal scanners etc, many of which only have Windows drivers. Also, while updating individual Linux systems is easy, patching Linux at scale across the thousands of desktops in the NHS needs a proper, thought-out patching str…

You missed the part of their presentation when they show that ~80% of the computers or resources are actually used for administrative purposes - in a regular office environment. No propietary devices involved.

Also - yes, any OS could be used including Windows. However the problem is that if the system is not free (in the FSF sense), the NHS is not in control. This is the real problem, not costs or missing drivers in my opinion.

Of course, nobody thinks that this project will "save" the NHS or influence it in a major way. But it could at least be the start of a discussion. Or am I too naive?

Re: NHSbuntu – an OS for the NHS [video]

#49

Post by UK-AL »

reacweb wrote: post #47
UK-AL wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't work very well with group policy.

Trying to solve windows specific issues using windows solutions has a tendency to not work very well. Once you get accustomed, administration of a linux park is far easier. Try to avoid dependencies from these piles of crap.

But there isn't good alternative for client operating system. The best you can do use devops tools, but you can tell they're really built for server deployments.
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