On Thu, Mar 20, 2008 at 5:50 PM, Chris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to convince various clients > and employers to adopt OpenBSD. Most people, I find, are resistent > to change and would not use anything they are not familiar with. > Others would say that if I leave the job, it would be hard to find > people who can use (or even heard of) OpenBSD and in some places > Management never heard of OpenBSD and have very little clue as to > how good or bad it is compared to Linux/ Solaris and Windows thus > they will just knock off the proposal in 2 seconds. > > Is there any way I could convince these people to make the move to > OpenBSD? Suggestions, tips and tricks along with real life examples > would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Introducing a new operating system into an already working environment can be a tricky proposition -- politically even more than technically. If you want to bring in OpenBSD, look for specific needs that aren't being met by any existing systems, and show how OpenBSD can meet those needs. It probably won't be the main company server, at least at first. As it becomes more familiar, and the benefits become clear, management will be more open to expanding its role in the company. A few good resources: http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/bsd/2001/10/18/Big_Scary_Daemons.html http://advocacy.daemonnews.org/ http://www.oreillynet.com/sysadmin/blog/2004/11/bsd_success_stories.html In the PDF linked from that last article, I'd look particularly at the success story that Michael Lehey describes with OpenBSD (starting on page 8), but also to the advocacy advice offered by Joe Warner (page 16): "When I first started using FreeBSD, I was so amazed and taken with it that I could be heard preaching the BSD gospel almost every day. Keep in mind that most people will continue to use whichever operating system or application they are comfortable with. Don't be such an advocate that people become afraid to even mention the words 'FreeBSD','NetBSD', 'OpenBSD' or 'BSD' around you. Remember, the louder you are, the harder it can be to hear you. The phrase, 'Action speaks louder than words', certainly applies here. Quietly learn about the BSDs, how to use them, and offer the amazing demonstration when the opportunity presents itself."
