Open Source Solutions For Small Business Problems (Networking Series) (Paperback)

by John Locke (Author) "To fully answer the question of what open source is, we need to understand at a basic level how computers work..." (more)
Key Phrases: caching name server, consumer routers, proprietary software companies, Red Hat, Microsoft Outlook, Ximian Evolution (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Ninety percent of companies in the United States qualify as small businesses. Every day these employers have to deal with common computing problems, such as tracking electronic documents, scheduling, accounting functions, managing contact lists, and reducing spam. Many expensive software products are available to help solve these problems, but they often have features small businesses don’t need (or are missing the ones they do). Open source software presents easy-to-implement solutions at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, these solutions are relatively unknown to most small businesses.

Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems explores operational problems most small businesses share. It identifies good open source software that can help businesses solve these problems, and compares them to their proprietary counterparts. The strengths and weaknesses of the open source packages are discussed, and additional information is included on how to integrate open source with existing proprietary systems to achieve specific goals. This is the perfect reference for the tech professional looking for help choosing and understanding excellent open source software to deploy in a business setting, as well as for small business proprietors interested in streamlining their business problems using computer-based solutions.

KEY FEATURES
* Teaches small business how to use open source to solve common computing problems such as scheduling, reducing spam, setting up e-mail, and tracking electronic documents using open source software
* Compares open source business software with their proprietary counterparts and examines the strengths and weaknesses of each
* Explores fundamental security issues and how to utilize open source technologies to keep data and servers safe from attack

On the CD!
* The Open CD v. 1.2 - An open source project that provides an array of high-quality Open Source Software for Windows (including OpenOffice.org 1.1.0, Mozilla 1.5, The GIMP 1.2.5, and AbiWord 2.0.1), along with essays and a short video about open source
* Mozilla Thunderbird 0.5 - An open source stand alone e-mail client
* Mozilla Firefox - 0.8 An open source stand along Web browser
* TortoiseSVN 1.0.3 - A Subversion client that can provide a standalone repository

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows 98, Windows 2000, or later. Most applications will work in Windows NT 4.0; Pentium 233 MHz (Recommended 500 MHz or greater); at least 64 MB of RAM; 500 MB of hard drive space to install everything.

About the Author
John Locke (Seattle, WA) is the principal consultant for Freelock LLC, where he acts as a technology advisor helping small businesses solve operational and communication problems using open source software.

Product Details

• Paperback: 556 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1 edition (May 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584503203
• ISBN-13: 978-1584503200
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #901,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required for businesses considering switching to Linux, July 14, 2004

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the world of open source there is a plethora of books on installing and administering Linux. There are also many technical books available on setting up a web server or other specific areas of Linux. This book fills a very broad gap for the non-technical person who wants to know about open source products and how they can be beneficial to your needs. This is not a technical manual but a guide that gives a higher-level view of what the software can do and how to use it.

It includes information on obtaining and installing Mandrake Linux (but no troubleshooting if you have a problem), setting up an office network, setting up an email server, setting up a web server, customer relationship management, calendar and schedule management, document management, accounting, project management, security, and just about everything you need to know to setup and run your business on an open source solution.

Perhaps the best way to provide an indication of this book's perspective is to look at a specific chapter. One of the best ones for this purpose is the one on setting up a web server. The first thing addressed is why you need a web server in the first place. This is followed by an examination of the most common open source web server - Apache. It then provides enough information to understand some of the basics of configuration. This allows you to understand what the configuration files do and get a server up and running, but not enough information to actually configure a secure server.

So, what makes this book so unique that I would recommend it to anyone? It meets the needs of the manager in that it is general enough that someone who has no knowledge of Linux can understand what is going on and what to expect of an installation. Yet it also meets the needs of the technical Linux user who understands the details of all the configuration files but often does not have an overall view of what the complete system is supposed to do. For example, it gives a short conceptual view of Perl that is sufficient to let the reader know if it is something that they could use but provides no information on how to program it. Then again, there are many, many books on Perl programming available.

"Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems" is a very highly recommended book for anyone who is looking at the open source market and particularly anyone considering Linux as an operating system of choice either on the desktop or as a server. This is easily one of the best Linux books of the year; providing a management level view of the Linux world without the technical focus of other books.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique mix of business and technical information..., June 28, 2004

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I just finished a rather interesting and different book on Open Source Software. The title is Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems by John Locke (Charles River Media). The author contacted me and asked if I'd like to review the book, and I accepted. Since this is an area which is grabbing more of my interest these days, it was helpful in many ways...

First, the chapter layout:
Part 1 - Small Business Computing Infrastructure - Open Source Software in Your Small Business; Why You Need A Server; Setting Up Your Office Network; Open Source on the Desktop; Setting Up an Email Server; Setting Up a Web Server
Part 2 - Computing Your Business Operations - Customer Relationship Management; Calendar and Schedule Management; Document Management; Financial Management; Managing Resources, Schedules, and Projects
Part 3 - Extending Your Business With Open Source - Sharing Information with Your Partners; Marketing Your Message; Connect from Offsite; Providing Private Communications
Part 4 - Keeping Your Network Secure and Intact - Securing Business Data; Network Security in a Wireless World; Disaster Recovery; Viruses and Spam
Appendices - The Open Source Definition; Basics Of Networking; Common Open Source Licenses

When I first started reading it, I was expecting something non-technical in nature, something that would be targeted for the average business owner that knows s/he wants to spend less on software and is looking for alternatives. And to be sure, the book does deliver to that group. But there are also chapters (or areas within each chapter) where the content gets pretty technical. For instance, the detail on how to set up a web server isn't for the person who simply wants to turn on their computer and go. These areas are going to appeal to the in-house technical support person who's been charged with making it all work. While you could (and probably should) find whole books on many of these topics, there's enough detail to get you started in the right direction.

I think Part 2 is extremely valuable, in that it helps both the business owner and the techie figure out what's available in terms of open source alternatives to the typical business software. You learn about OpenOffice.org as a replacement to Microsoft's Office. You learn about MySQL as an alternative to Microsoft Access or many other more expensive relational database systems. You'd be able to find all this out if you dug around on the web long enough, but the author packages up the information in a single location and helps you start to understand what's available for you.

There's also a CD in the back of the book that contains many of the open source packages discussed in the book. Being that these packages move pretty quickly as far as release cycles go, I think I'd prefer visit the web site for the specific package and download the latest. Still, if you're wanting something quick, you'll have it on the CD.

At first, the mix of technical and non-technical content in each chapter didn't quite set right. I wanted the book to target one or the other. But the longer I read, the more I liked the fact that the book could serve as a single volume to allow both the tech and non-tech sides of a business to come together on common ground. The non-techies can ignore the parts that are over their heads, but still understand the possibilities. The techies will understand where the business is coming from, and will get a good start on implementing the software. As a result, I give this book high marks for anyone wanting to some or all of their business computing to an open source model.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars good but out of date, February 8, 2008

By	RAO - See all my reviews

The idea is very good, but every 6 months you might have something better, a better open source CRM .... so if you search on the internet you will get better content than the book