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BOSTON--While many Linux converts are focused on moving their data centers off of Unix, a second front for Linux migration soon could take shape on corporate desktops.

Among the 6000 attendees at last week's LinuxWorld Expo were several IT professionals touting big savings and improved performance as the drivers to migrate server applications to Linux. Meanwhile, some users are beginning to look at Linux on the client side as a way to ease Windows desktop management and support headaches.

Linux desktops are starting to take off at Cisco Systems, which has about 2000 engineers using Red Hat Linux for writing software code, and hardware and chip design.

Migrating corporate users from Windows to Linux PCs presents both technical challenges and obstacles in overcoming corporate culture, says J. Craig Manning, IT manager at Cisco. In addition to supporting Cisco's internal network, Manning chairs the Open Source Development Lab's Desktop Linux Steering Committee.

Not an Immediate Money Saver

If users think they are going to save money on software or support by switching to desktop Linux, they will be in for a surprise, Manning says.

Factors that even out the Linux/Windows desktop costs include retraining employees; installing software that supports Windows applications on Linux; and support subscription fees from Linux vendors such as Red Hat, which are necessary for software updates and patches, Manning says. As more Linux desktops are added, Cisco also will have to look into a new desktop backup solution that supports both Linux and Windows--another cost.

The advantage of Linux on the desktop is simpler administration, Manning says. Linux includes many built-in tools, such as Secure Shell (SSH), which can let a remote administrator easily access and troubleshoot a desktop. Also, the ability to hide and partition underlying system files and operating system underpinnings from users on Linux is helpful.

Manning estimates that it takes a company one desktop administrator to support 40 Windows PCs, but just one administrator to support 200 to 400 Linux desktops.

Easier Than Ever

Many tools are now available that can help a Windows-to-Linux transition, such as Codeweaver's Crossover Plug-in, which Cisco uses to support Microsoft Exchange clients on Linux desktops. The evolution of other open source, Linux-friendly applications, such as OpenOffice and Firefox, also make migration easier, Manning says.

With many of the company's tech-savvy users now on Linux, Manning says the next challenge is spreading the technology. He is working to create a stable, standard laptop build for Linux, as so many of the company's employees use notebooks. The technology also has a key supporter inside the firm: Cisco CIO Brad Boston uses a Linux desktop, according to Manning.

Another systems administrator at the LinuxWorld conference agreed that an all-Linux desktop environment would be preferable.

Josh Bernstein, a systems analyst at the University of Arizona at Tucson, describes supporting Windows desktops as "a nightmare."

He supports Windows PCs, Linux desktops, and a cluster of Linux servers in the university's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Troubleshooting Linux PCs with remote management tools such as SSH is less time-consuming than Windows machine maintenance, Bernstein says. "With Linux, I don't have to get up and walk over to the system and see what's going on," he says.

To this end, several vendors at LinuxWorld announced new client-side tools. Versora showed off its Progression Desktop tool, which moves files and converts PC settings from Windows to Linux. Win4Lin also announced a new version of its software that lets Windows 2000 and XP applications run on Linux desktops.