I just added a topic on my wiki.

It is only useful for an infinitessimally small number of people...but important nonetheless.

I recently completed a migration from Windows to Linux for a few blogs and wiki - PerCS being one of them! What follows is a record of the process - from initial motivation, through migration and lights-on. If you are interested in a reality-based Linux v. Windows comparison, NFS exports, hardened Apache, or the latest in Drupal then by all means read on!

Motivation
I was hacked by script-fiends. I was pissed off that my hardened Windows server had been breached. As a small business owner I need a low-touch system - for me that means three things:

• minimize adminstrative events (remediation, monitoring, patches)
• secure my data assets
• provide community-based security

If you are reading this post then no doubt you are well versed with this situation. If you are a Windows-head you are probably thinking, "You should have used fill in the blank to protect your Windows servers." If you are a Linux-head you are probably thinking, "What'd you expect!" But before the finger-pointing - whichever camp you call home - the fact remains I had a compromised system that needed to be fixed. So let's take a look at the actual hack (if you don't care about analysis then skip to migration).

On Friday my team was mixing in post-code freeze decompression. One of our developers was explaining a WinXP configuration setting vis-a-vis Control Panel. Of course there was the extra step of switching to classic mode - and simultaneously everyone wished a collective: "get out of my way." The principle was that even medium-versed users of Windows XX products are often forced to take an unnecessary step or two in their use of the product(s).

And then I read this:

This one came up on the FlexWiki mailing list the other day. I should have known it, but I missed it, and it's worth spreading around.

I recently let go of a twenty-five year grudge by purchasing a Mac mini. The grudge? In 1979 my Dad brought home an Apple II Plus. Being genetically predisposed to hacking I wanted to learn everything I could about it. Unfortunately we could not afford a diskette drive so I was stuck using a cassette tapes for I/O. That just didn't cut it for me...and I was left feeling that a computer == frustration. It took me a few years to shed my initial opinions of PCs - and once we got an IBM PCjr, I was off and running.

I have been spending less and less time using Windows OSes, preferring Linux (Gentoo being my fav distro). In fact I plan to migrate PerCS from DasBlog to an open-source Linux solution (possibly a mod of Drupal). Enter the Mac mini. A couple months ago I found myself with a few "technology wants": 1) dvd burner; 2) safer OS for my wife; 3) staging server for various web services. I hoped the Mac mini would be an inexpensive solution to each...so I set aside my differences and took the plunge.