DL 330:
Running Non-native Applications on Novell Linux Desktop 9

Pete Goodall

Product Manager, Novell Linux Desktop

Novell, Inc.

Guy Lunardi

Product Manager, Novell Linux Desktop

Novell, Inc.

Agenda

Why Linux on the Desktop?

Novell Linux Desktop Overview

Linux interoperability with existing Windows users

Why Run Windows Applications?

VNC Overview

RDP Overview

Mono Overview

Wine/Code Weavers Overview

Alternatives

Why Linux Desktops in the Enterprise?

Enhanced control and vendor flexibility

Lower cost for software and manageability

Improved security

Public sector considerations

Brazil, Peru, Spain, Germany, Thailand, Malasia, China, etc.

Assessment is Critical to Success

Today, Linux desktops aren't for everyone

Segmentation is critical

User assessment considerations:

Application needs

Hardware requirements

Network services

File formats

General categories emerging

Kiosks

Limited function workstations

Engineering workstations

Novell’s Open Desktop Initiative (ODI)

Most employees moved to OpenOffice in 2004

All engineering running SUSE LINUX

Approximately 50% of company running Linux desktop

Real-world input into

Novell’s Migration offerings to customers

OpenOffice development efforts

Novell Linux Desktop development efforts

What is Novell Linux Desktop?

Novell Linux Desktop 9
Overview

Novell Linux Desktop 9 is an enterprise-ready user productivity environment that gives businesses what they need to leverage Linux and open source with confidence.

Complete Business Productivity Suite
for the most important business tasks

Enterprise deployment and maintenance features
cut costs with pattern-based installs

Powered by SUSE LINUX
ensuring high performance, security and reliability

Backed by Novell
helping businesses deploy Linux with confidence

Novell Linux Desktop 9
Enables End-user Productivity

Novell Linux Desktop provides the basic applications required to support a productive workforce

Novell Evolution

Linux Kernel 2.6

Mozilla Firefox

OpenOffice.org

Novell Edition

Office Suite

Email, Calendaring and Collaboration

Web Browser

Broad Hardware Support

Novell Linux Desktop 9
GNOME and KDE desktops

Interoperability with Windows Users

Linux Interoperability with Existing Windows Users: Network Services

SAMBA3

File and printer share access

SMB (server message block)/CIFS (common internet file system) protocol

Integration of Linux desktops and servers with Windows domains and Active Directory

http://www.samba.org/

Novell Open Enterprise Server

Enhanced interoperability with Windows clients:

Automated printer configuration - iPrint

File sharing – iFolder

Directory driven management

http://www.novell.com/products/openenterpriseserver/

Linux Interoperability with Existing Windows Users: E-Mail

Novell Evolution

Support for IMAP, POP, SMTP and Authenticated SMTP

iCalendar support allows users in disparate collaboration servers

Support for LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) enables users to access their existing company address books.

User share contact information via vCard support

Support for Microsoft Exchange

Novell Evolution

Novell Linux Desktop 9
Instant Messaging

Gaim

Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows.

Supports simultaneous logins to popular messaging services

AIM, ICQ, IRC, Jabber, GroupWise Messenger, Gadu-Gadu, MSN, Zephyr and Yahoo!

Novell Linux Desktop 9
Office Productivity Suite

OpenOffice.org 1.1.x Novell Edition

Integrated for look and feel with the Novell Linux Desktop

Novell Evolution integration

Send document as email (from File menu)

Evolution contacts are an accessible data source (e.g. for mail merges)

Supports native Microsoft Office file formats

Improved document fidelity through font matching

Export to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)

Novell Edition

Novell Linux Desktop 9
Internet Browser

Mozilla Firefox

Compatible with many IE-specific web sites

7% browser market share and growing

Broad corporate sponsors

AOL, IBM, Sun, Google, Novell

Tighter Security

Blocks popups

Protects from ActiveX controls

End-user Accomodations

Built-in Google, Dictionary, Yahoo!, etc.

Tabbed browsing

Macromedia Flash Player

Themed to match Novell Linux Desktop

Over 150 free extensions available online

Running Windows Applications on Linux

Why Run Windows Applications?

Linux equivalents might not be as functional

Line of business applications still needed

Custom line of business applications

e.g., payroll

Packaged corporate applications

e.g., Lotus Notes, Siebel client

No analog: There are a few applications for Microsoft Windows for which there is no viable equivalent in Linux

Microsoft Access

Adobe Photoshop

Quicken

Reliance on Microsoft Office

Many companies have documents that cannot yet be migrated to OpenOffice because they use MS-Office-specific features

VB Macros

Pivot tables in Microsoft Excel

Large Excel spreadsheets

Legal black-lining in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Access databases

OLE integration with line of business applications

Approaches to Running Windows Applications on Linux

Remote desktop

Establishing a remote client session with a physical Windows client running elsewhere on the network

VNC

RDP

Citrix

Virtual machines

VMWare

API runtime compatibility on Linux

Mono for .NET applications

Wine for win32 applications

Remote Desktop

What is VNC?

VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is an open-source project developed by AT&T Laboratories in Cambridge, England

Allows a user to display the desktop environment of another computer from a remote location

There are many different implementations of and projects built around VNC

What is RDP?

Remote Desktop Protocol

RDP Server

Included in Windows Server 2000/2003 and Windows XP (Pro)

Enables easy to remotely connect to a Windows workstation

Commercial version from Citrix

RDP client protocol

Included on Windows

Linux client support - rdesktop

Terminal Server Client

GNOME front end to rdesktop

PowerTerm for Enterprise Application Access

Access to Enterprise Windows and Legacy Applications:

PowerTerm provides secure access to enterprise applications running on Windows Terminal Server 2000 / 2003 and Legacy Systems (IBM Mainframe, IBM AS/400, UNIX, Linux, OpenVMS, etc) from Linux desktops

Access both Windows and Legacy applications from one desktop

Full Integration between local Linux Desktops and remote Windows applications and Legacy Applications

No modifications to Legacy and Windows applications

Windows Connectivity:

Seamless Windows Applications with Application Publishing

Windows Compatibility : 100% Compatibility with any Windows Application and file format

Enhanced Security:

SSH and SSL encrypted sessions

Single Sign On: Kerberos

Access Windows and Legacy Applications

Access mission critical Windows and Legacy applications – with no changes to the existing applications:

Windows Application Access

Seamless Windows applications are fully integrated into the local Linux Desktop:

Windows Access without Seamless Applications

Users must switch between local and remote desktops to access Windows Applications:

Local Application

Remote

Desktop

Window Application

PowerTerm: Seamless Windows Applications

With PowerTerm - Remote Applications appear integrated as local applications:

Seamless

Remote

Application

Local

Application

Local

Application

Windows Runtime Compatibility

What is Mono ?

Open source effort sponsored by Novell

Implementation of the .NET development framework

Includes

C# compiler

CLR (.NET Virtual Machine)

Set of APIs (.NET and Linux/Gnome bindings)

ADO.NET & ASP.NET for web application and web services development

Embedding API (Perl, C, C++, …)

And more… (Java, VB.NET, …)

How Does Mono Fit in the Stack?

Mono: Extending the .Net Framework

(Implementation of ECMA #335)

Purchased separately from Novell Linux Desktop

Supported by CodeWeavers

Wine with ease of installation and use

Integration with the desktop

About Crossover Office

Server Edition

The benefits of thin clients without the price

Support for non Linux Unixes (e.g. Solaris)

Changes to Wine returned to Wine

Other Commercial Approaches

Win4Lin from Netraverse

Win4Lin enabled kernel to run Windows alongside Linux

Linux manages IO interaction

Terminal server version available

http://www.netraverse.com

VMWare

Enables multiple operating systems to be installed under Linux or Windows

Virtualization and sharing of underlying hardware

http://www.vmware.com

Citrix

Commercial terminal server

Supports Mac, Windows, Linux and UNIX clients

http://www.citrix.com

Demos

Section break slide

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