proposal - Migration tool from Windows

["Tom Musgrove" <TomM pentstar com>]

Companies that migrate from Windows to Linux will face a significant barrier
to doing so in terms of time and cost.  They must find out if the hardware
they want to use is compatible, install the system, if they want to use any
of their Windows software - they must setup and test the software, if they
want to use the Gnome/Free software with the Windows Documents they must map
the documents.  They must resetup the desktop for the user, reorganize the
file menus, etc.

All of the above translates to significant cost and time.

What I propose, is a Gnome Migration tool that would do the following

1) A Perl script would run once the CD is inserted, and catalog the hardware
and software profile of the Windows Operating system.

2) The script would then check its database to see if the hardware was
supported by Linux, and check if the software was known to run under Wine,
and if so - how well or poorly it did so.

3) The script would then report to the Admin/User whether they had hardware
that was supported/unsupported, what software was known to work, not work,
etc.  It would then ask if any of the unsupported hardware/software was
critical to the users needs.

4) If Yes, then the script would offer to email the appropriate news groups
with a query as to whether the hardware/software had been brought to a state
of support, etc.  (This would let the hardware hackers and Wine hackers
where focusing there efforts might be valuable in order to gain
marketshare...).

5) If No, then the information as to file structure, etc. would be written
to a floppy, and the installation would proceed.

6) The install CD would query the information from the floppy, thus not
requiring user intervention to set most things up.

7) The Install would query if the Admin would like the file menus and
desktop and other settings setup as they were on the Windows system.  There
would also be a choice to migrate the password and user settings.
(Lophtcrack would have to be run, but most systems would only take 5-10
minutes to do that added task...)

8) The Install would ask if the user data should be imported or mapped to
the Free Software equivalent.

Thus the users system could be set up almost exactly the same, the Admins
time would be cut dramatically, the company could delay migrating until
their 'mission critical' software were functional under Wine (or until an
adequate replacement were devised).

This would be a dramatic win for all of the Distributions in terms of
encouraging Businesses to migrate,

Tom Musgrove
TomM pentstar com