linux program running on Win Server 2003

linux program running on Win Server 2003

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croxsons

Original Poster:

1,841 posts

199 months

Saturday 1st December 2007
quotequote all
Chaps,

Some thoughts ...

We are installing a new server on Monday, moving away from a RedHat server to WS2003.

We use an old accounting program called Merlin (?) but are moving across to Sage at the same time as the server install.

We don't want to copy all of the invoice data over, as it would mean exporting vast amounts into Excel as a CSV then manipulating, then importing into Sage. There are network files held on the linux server which are accessed using a Win 95 machine.

Is there a way of copying the files over to the new server, and using Merlin on a Vista business machine? This would save us having to use the old server and old PC to access the data for the next few months.

Any thoughts?

Plotloss

67,280 posts

270 months

Saturday 1st December 2007
quotequote all
Merlin runs on Linux, yes?

Why not run a Linux virtual machine on the new box?

croxsons

Original Poster:

1,841 posts

199 months

Saturday 1st December 2007
quotequote all
Plotloss said:
Merlin runs on Linux, yes?

Why not run a Linux virtual machine on the new box?
that sounds good, but ...

I no nothing about linux, and enough to get my way around a SME server and answer most "local user issues" or the infamous ID10T errors ... but one might have to help me out here!

I am not installing the server, but I would like to go to the installers and say this is what I want done ...

Plotloss

67,280 posts

270 months

Saturday 1st December 2007
quotequote all
www.vmware.com

Download the VMWare Player

Then find a package for the distro of linux you/it favours, run and install Merlin, copy the data across the network, done.

croxsons

Original Poster:

1,841 posts

199 months

Saturday 1st December 2007
quotequote all
Plotloss said:
www.vmware.com

Download the VMWare Player

Then find a package for the distro of linux you/it favours, run and install Merlin, copy the data across the network, done.
excellent. Cheers for that, will have a bash on Monday and Tuesday ...

off_again

12,305 posts

234 months

Saturday 1st December 2007
quotequote all
I can vouch for the VMware stuff too (as Plotters has said).

Works a treat and allows you to do pretty much anything that you want. Its a great solution and works very well. Only thing to be cautious of is that it will consume memory. Make sure you have plenty to spare as you are effectively running a new OS and applications on the existing one! So think about how much you need.

You can use the VMware server for free (beta version 2 is also out) but this doesn't provide some of the advanced features that you may need (though chances are you wont have a problem). Otherwise its a commercial product, but not massively expensive though. Oh, and if you are using a commercial Linux / Windows, make sure you have the valid licenses if you care about things like that.