LSDG is a new research and development group established by Linx, LLC. LSDG’s systems will utilize the Linux operating system and all resources will be accessed using Linx LLC’s Microsoft Active Directory Domain. In order to simplify productivity with the sharing of resources and technical support, Linux LLC wants to migrate all their current operating systems from Windows 7 and Windows XP to a Linux operating system. This proposal describes an implementation procedure for the hardware that will be required with the new operating system, a plan to migrate to the new operating system, the installation options for the new system, how users will log onto the new system, how IP addresses will be received, how DNS will be accessed, how files will be accessed and printers will be shared, and data encryption.
Linux OpenSUSE
The new system that will be implemented by LSDG is the Linux OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. First and foremost, compared to other OS, the OpenSUSE offers a variety of software that is easy to install. By using the web portal “software.opensuse.org”, one could easily install software from the origin. “OpenSUSE is a great symbol of a community-driven project.” Compared to other OS, an update does not cause complicated changes to the system. OpenSUSE also provides convenience with a technical support feature named “Bugzilla”. Bugzilla helps to trach software problems numerous ways in which they can be rectified by using interactive communication channels, support database and open documentation of issues. OpenSUSE also features the Open Build Service (OBS). This tool is used to develop a suitable package for installation. OpenSUSE all employs YaST (yet another set-up tool.) YaST is a control center which enhances networking, software updates, and all other settings. With respect to the listed features, OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, which is the LSDG OS of choice offers a rolling release. This feature sends security updates as they become available.
Hardware Requirement and Migration Plan
Windows XP OS has not been supported by Microsoft in a long time due to obsolescent and an urge to fully migrate into a newer OS. The current desktop and laptop configuration for Windows XP is shown in the table below.
Desktop / Laptop Configuration for Windows XP
Processor Intel Core 2
Memory 2GB RAM
Hard Drive 80GB
USB Ports 4 USB 2.0
Monitor 15inch LCD
Network Card 10/100 Mbps
However, due to the flexibility of the Linux OS, it has optimum performance on less powerful and older hardware. It is also easy to configure, it provides befitting hardware support without having to quest for drivers. The minimum requirements for Linux openSUSE OS are shown in the table below.
Desktop / Laptop Configuration for openSUSE
Processor AMD64 or Intel64 Processor
Memory 1 GB RAM (2GB recommended)
Hard Drive 3 GB for disk space, 5GB for graphical desktop
Sound and graphics cards Support most modem sound and graphics cards.
Display 800 x 600 display resolution
Installation Media DVD drive or USB port
All systems that will be used by Linux LLC exceed the above-listed requirements so there will be no need for additional hardware.
After concluding on the OS to used migration plan will commence. Migration will be done fully, carefully, efficiently and very well planned. The first step of the migration would be the backup. All customers data, emails, files, and other documents of the current Windows 7 and XP OS will be secured and backed up properly and back up will be retrieved after the migration is complete. A backup will take place with an ISO file. This will help in the process of rolling back to retrieve files in a situation whereby files are corrupted during migration. Furthermore, the new OS will be put to test by installation on a Virtual Machine (VM). After installation is completed on VM the following steps below will take place to plan configuration.
I. A complete requirement evaluation will be carried out to outline the objective of the migration.
II. A plan of action will be established and evaluated to achieve the requirement above.
III. Open Build Service will be deployed to build the preferred and most efficient package that will be installed on all the computer systems.
IV. YaST will be used to initialize installation of the preferred package on all the computer systems.
V. (BtrFS, XFS, or Ext4) File system will be utilized. And it will be organized on the computer hard disk.
VI. Multiple partitions will be created based on the user access requirements to information and the category of files held.
Installation Options
After the plan for configuration is complete, installation of OS will be accomplished by the following steps:
I. ISO file will be downloaded, burned, booted, and installed using a CD/DVD drive.
II. A standalone installation will be performed using the openSUSE media because the network will not be required.
III. Installation from the network server based on the capabilities of the company’s network. The installation will be done automatically using DHCP, or manually by configuring the host IP, netmask, gateway, nameserver, and domain name, or through a proxy server.
IV. Instlux will be implemented to enhance the transition from the Windows XP OS to Linux OS. Instlux is a program which prepares an installation of openSUSE with no need to configure boot order of BIOS. Instlux will also be used to test the Linux OS on a VM before deployment into the network.
V. The installation will be selected from images to speed up the process. Images comprise of compressed snapshots of set up systems which correspond to the choice of patterns. And all software packages that are not included in the images installed will be deployed through updates.
User Authorization and Authentication
All users will utilize Active Directory (AD) to log in their current credentials. System Security Services Daemon (SSSD) will be implemented on computer systems in order to provide constant authentication between Active Directory on the servers and systems running the Linux OS. Automatic login or no-password login will be disabled through group policy in order to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the computer system.
IP Assignment and DNS
During the installation of openSUSE with YaST, network connections will be set up with the wizard. The checkbox will be utilized to determine whether DHCP settings would be stored automatically by using the LDAP server. Afterward, network specifics will be provided for all the clients that will be managed by the DHCP server. The wizard will prompt for IP addresses of the primary and secondary servers, domain names, an address of time server, addresses of print and WINS servers, gateway address, and lease time as shown below.
File Access and Print Sharing
File sharing will be done by first installing Samba. Samba will be installed by using the following command: sudo apt-get install -y samba samba-common python-glade2 system-config-samba. After installation is complete, the file /etc/samba/smb.conf will be opened to fine-tune the file shares. WORKGROUP will be changed to reflect the network needs. Furthermore, the file will be saved and restarted with the following command: sudo service smbd restart. After this process has been done, everyone that has access on the network will be able to access files and folders. In addition, files can be shared using directories locally, but it is not recommended due to security reasons.
The YaST wizard will be used to set up printing sharing. The printer will be connected through USB or parallel port, or over TCP/IP. Printers will be automatically scanned on the network by YaST. If a local printer is found on the network, the YaST wizard will verify if the configurations are preexisting. If there are no preexisting configurations, YaST will try to find a matching driver. If a printer is added after the initial installation, the following tools may be used to configure a printer: YaST printer module, KDE printer tool setup, CUPS web frontend, and CUPS command line.
Encryption
There are different tools that could be employed for data encryption. The first tool that will be implemented is the Linux Unified Key Setup-on-disk-format (LUKS). This tool enables encryption of partitions on Linux computers. Also, the Gnu Privacy Guard (GnuPG) will be implemented. GnuPG Shell will help provide a user-friendly GUI for GnuPG. GnuPG Shell can help a user access a file in a situation whereby a private key is compromised or lost by using a public key.
Conclusion
After implementing the proposal above which describes an implementation procedure for the hardware that will be required with the new operating system, a plan to migrate to the new operating system, the installation options for the new system, how users will log onto the new system, how IP addresses will be received, how DNS will be accessed, how files will be accessed and printers will be shared, and data encryption. The outcome will provide efficient functionality for LSDG. Implementation of the OpenSUSE Tumbleweed OS will help to provide ease of choice and usage, availability, stability, and longevity of LSDG network systems. Implementation of YaST will enhance the whole installation process.
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