RE: access as/400 database files w/Visual Basic 6

>
> It's only free if you don't value your time, and you don't want "real"
> support.
>

My time costs the same amount whether I'm installing OS/400, Windows or
Unix.  The only difference is that Windows takes longer to install, and
has more problems, consequently takes more time.

I don't understand the "real" support comment.  You think Microsoft's
technical support is in some way superior??!  I find that VERY hard to
believe.  The best I ever get from MS is something like "re-format the
drive and reinstall the software and see if that works"

The professional support companies that support Linux and FreeBSD far
exceed Microsoft's.   They are more akin to the IBM business partner's in
their level of support.   The only drawback is that you have to pay them
for support -- so you first try a mailing list (much like this one, but
for Linux or BSD) and if that doesn't do it, you call a professional.

The same would be true of IBM if I didn't pay for maintenance, I'd have to
pay them by the hour for support.

>
> >...master to as many DNS zones as you like...
>
> Multi-master actually allows multiple machines to act as the primary DNS for
> the same zone. As you mention, there's never been a DNS server that couldn't
> act as the master to several zones.

Having multiple master servers is a very bad idea.   It allows for
conflicting DNS zones, two masters that aren't configured identically.
Instead, use slave ("secondary") servers, that's what they're for.
And again, every DNS software I've ever seen supports them.

>
> >I can install ANYTHING from a remote location.
>
> You can? How do you install Windows 2000 SP3 on 1000 workstations from a
> remote location via telnet? I thought we were referring to replacing our
> servers with SAMBA/Linux, not the workstations. RIS allows me to setup a GPO
> that says "When this guy logs in, push SP3. -- Oh, but if it's a slow dialup
> connection, don't bother"

Oh, sorry... I didn't realize that you were installing the software on the
workstation.   To do that, you'd need to use VNC or PCAnywhere to log on
to each workstation, individually...

>
> >...If you're talking about policies ... Unix...has better and more robust
> ways of doing security.
>
> GPOs are _like_ the old policy (.POL) files, only 1000 times better and more
> robust. They allow you to control all sorts of stuff on the client like the
> ability to do a 'Start|Run' or audit logs, or the right to create printers,
> the location of "My Documents" etc. All pushed from the server to the client
> and these options can change based on your Group membership and even
> location in the network (LA vs. NY vs. South Africa etc)

Are you sure that Samba doesn't support acting as a server for group
policies?   I've used the .POL policies with a Samba server, but I've
never experimented with the group policies.   However, Samba's
documentation seems to suggest that it supports those as well.