Faith-based computing 

Given the passion with which both friends and foes regard it, Linux might easily be mistaken for a religion or political system rather than a simple OS.

Proponents will tell you that Linux is the free, stable, and righteous alternative to high-cost proprietary systems that entangle you in some vendor’s viselike embrace. Detractors argue that Linux is clumsy to implement and manage, integrates poorly with Windows apps, and may cost you more in the long run.

The funny thing is, they’re both right, as David Margulius notes in this week’s cover story.

In many ways, of course, Linux is more than a simple OS. It’s a pillar of the open source movement, which is nearly as much about politics as about technology. It’s a lightning rod for anti-Microsoft sentiment. And, increasingly, it’s a powerful commercial force.

InfoWorld has long advocated open source, including Linux. See our recent reports on 64-bit Linux servers, Linux server OSes, and Linux clustering, all in the Aug. 4 issue. And we put our IT where our mouths are. The InfoWorld Web site is served entirely by Apache running on Linux. Elsewhere, we use MySQL, Resin, and CVS.

But we don’t try to hide Linux’s blemishes either. That’s why Margulius tackled the provocative question of whether “free” really means cheaper — and discovered that the answer depends on your situation.

If you’re running an all-Unix shop where the transition to Linux involves systems that perform computationally intensive chores but don’t require much interaction with Windows, then Linux could save you a bundle. But if you’ve got an all-Windows environment where Linux can never be more than a tiny part of the solution, or if you require high-performance systems that scale up and not out, Linux could be a costly way to make budget.

Fortunately, as our CTO Chad Dickerson notes, this is not an either/or decision. You can use Linux for chores it does well and stick with proprietary solutions elsewhere. Today, for most companies, that balance probably tips toward the proprietary world. What will happen tomorrow, as Linux support and management tools expand, is anybody’s guess. If you have an opinion, please drop me a line.

On another matter, this is your last week to submit nominations for the InfoWorld 100. These are annual awards we give to companies that enhance their businesses with new and emerging technologies. You can see winning projects by checking out last year’s roundup. If you know of a project that should be considered, please submit it. But do so this week. Nominations close at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 8.