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    Linuxfest at IBM Connect 2017

    Bill Malchisky  February 18 2017 04:54:59 PM
    Hi Everyone!

    Just a quick update on Linuxfest... As I've been involved since Lotusphere 2010 offering the first two Linux Installfests with Joe Litton, and co-offered Linuxfest at Lotusphere, Connect, and ConnectED ever since, I wanted to take a moment and provide a quick update.

    Wes Morgan and I had a few conversations on this year's event and the new city. We both concluded with the new development schedule within IBM, the we should skip a year. Thus, Linuxfest VIII will be delayed a year (presuming there is a conference in some capacity in 2018). We wanted to see a few more feature packs be released and gain more clarity around new offerings and operating system environment decisions over 2017.

    Rest assured, Linux remains a strategic OS for IBM and they are committed to it for their software deployments. From here, let's see what 2017 brings and we'll have plenty to discuss in 2018. In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to ask below as a comment, join our ICS Linux Skype Chat, or attend MWLUG in Washington, D.C. in August 2017 as I will be offering a regional Linuxfest there at Richard Moy's request!

    Have a great year!
    Comments

    1Lars Berntrop-Bos  2/18/2017 5:34:27 PM  Linuxfest at IBM Connect 2017

    So what do you think about as of fp8 dropping Linux client support

    2Bill Malchisky  2/18/2017 6:08:13 PM  Linuxfest at IBM Connect 2017

    Hi Lars - Let's be clear about "Support":

    1. IBM is continuing technical support for Notes on Linux with the current release structure, as long as ND9.0.1 is officially supported, up through FP7

    2. IBM is no longer offering fixes or officially supporting future client-based Linux OS releases, beyond what FP7 supported

    3. IBM is fully supporting RHEL on the server side for server-based software releases

    Having stated that, I am disappointed with the decision overall, as they made such an effort to deploy Linux desktops both within IBM and to their clients. See my slides on

    "Raising the ROI of IT with IBM Client for Smartwork" with Antony Satyadas, and "Lotus Apps on a Linux Desktop: From OS Install Through Running the Apps" with Joe Litton

    ({ Link })

    IBM had over 50k Linux desktops with the Smartwork build and customer sites embraced the MS-free desktop approach.

    In 2015 or 2016 the strategy changed and despite input from the community, IBM made their decision. I understand why they went in a new direction, being purely business consolidation to cut costs (amongst other reasons, which I am unable to offer here). The decision does not remove the sting to administrators and developers that used Linux for their ICS access/utilization.

    Having stated that, we can run 9.0.1 FP7 for quite a while, and possibly just keep a separate VM for that setup so you can get what you need when you need it. Hardly optimal long-term, but it does buy time til Linux users determine their next leap.

    The nice thing is that the web mail clients work fine on Linux (YMMV). Hopefully that will remain an OS agnostic decision from here. Application access is another matter, but can work as well, via a browser.

    Thanks for posting a comment Lars.

    3Lars Berntrop-Bos  2/20/2017 2:37:09 AM  Linuxfest at IBM Connect 2017

    I understand that you cannot divulge private information, and share your disappointment about the Linux client.

    Given that a 64 bit Mac client IS still being developed, which also has Unix-like underpinnings (albeit BSD instead of Linux) it would seem that a 64-bit Linux client would be possible.

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