"This is usually one of the first things I tell just to ensure the cause of the (compatibility) problem can be found faster."
What actually happens is they refuse to continue until you try the Windows platform solution. If you don't tell them it's Linux, they assume it is Windows and the question never arises. The likelihood that they have problems with Windows/MAC uses it usually quite high too. You can then provide something which you magically got to work and they thank you for getting them out of the situation. "I never accept a job if they don't allow me to use Ubuntu." You are braver than me. I'd rather avoid the issue until contracts are signed and I'm onsite. It's harder to back out of a contract than not to sign in the first place. "If I tell them first and have it as a precondition to even start working there, I have more arguments that they need to at least provide the minimum required environment to use Thunderbird for example (e.g. activating the IMAP service at the Microsoft Exchange server)." This is the utopian view, but I find that clients will simply move to the next CV. Most exchange servers now have web access enabled so employees can work from home. This means support is not an issue for email, LibreOffice will do a pretty good job of interfacing with Microsoft Office stuff and you can CIFS mount the windows shares. I find it is better basically not to tell anyone you are using Linux until you either have to (for support/request reasons) or after you have been working on the clients project awhile (like a month) and then reveal it. Once you have established that it is not a hindrance to the project and working relationship they are more likely to just let you get on with it. To tell them beforehand sets all sorts of bells ringing (for the wrong reasons) and then you become the "problem" with your weirdo software. I have worked with 10+ clients onsite on their internal networks since I started to use Linux and I have a 100% hit rate this way. Trust me, I do ensure they know I'm using Linux and let them find out why as the working relationship progresses, but I'm careful to ensure it is introduced the right way and the FUD is seen for what it is. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu 4 dz, which is subscribed to the bug report. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1 Title: Microsoft has a majority market share Status in Club Distro: Confirmed Status in Computer Science Ubuntu: Confirmed Status in LibreOffice Productivity Suite: New Status in dylan.NET.Reflection: Invalid Status in dylan.NET: Invalid Status in EasyPeasy Overview: Invalid Status in Ichthux - Linux for Christians: Invalid Status in JAK LINUX: Invalid Status in LibreOffice: In Progress Status in The Linux Kernel: New Status in The Linux Mint Distribution: In Progress Status in The Linux OS Project: In Progress Status in The Metacity Window Manager: In Progress Status in The OpenOffice.org Suite: In Progress Status in Tabuntu: Invalid Status in A simple player to online TV streaming: Invalid Status in Tv-Player: Invalid Status in Ubuntu Malaysia LoCo Team Meta Project: In Progress Status in Ubuntu: In Progress Status in Arch Linux: Confirmed Status in Baltix GNU/Linux: Invalid Status in “linux” package in Debian: In Progress Status in Fluxbuntu: The Lightweight, Productive, Agile OS: Confirmed Status in openSUSE: In Progress Status in Tilix Linux: New Bug description: Microsoft has a majority market share in the new desktop PC marketplace. This is a bug which Ubuntu and other projects are meant to fix. As the philosophy of the Ubuntu Project states, "Our work is driven by a belief that software should be free and accessible to all." "Ubuntu software is free. Always was, always will be. Free software gives everyone the freedom to use it however they want and share with whoever they like. This freedom has huge benefits. At one end of the spectrum it enables the Ubuntu community to grow and share its collective experience and expertise to continually improve all things Ubuntu. At the other, we are able to give access to essential software for those who couldn’t otherwise afford it – an advantage that’s keenly felt by individuals and organisations all over the world." * http://www.ubuntu.com/project/about-ubuntu/our-philosophy Non-free software leaves users at the mercy of the software owner and concentrates control over the technology which powers our society into the hands of a few. Additionally, proprietary software stifles innovation, maintains artificial scarcities, and enables malicious anti-features such as DRM, surveillance, and other monopolistic practices. This bug is widely evident in the PC industry. Steps to repeat: 1. Visit a local PC store. 2. Attempt to buy a machine without any proprietary software. What happens: Almost always, a majority of PCs for sale have Microsoft Windows pre- installed. In the rare cases that they come with a GNU/Linux operating system or no operating system at all, the drivers and BIOS may be proprietary. What should happen: A majority of the PCs for sale should include only free software. * http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html * http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines * http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/clubdistro/+bug/1/+subscriptions _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~algeriatul Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~algeriatul More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
