I'm working in a legacy MS Windows environment. It bogs. This isn't\r\na matter of sticking with GNU/Linux -- I'm switching to it, but looking\r\nfor interop with a largely legacy MS Windows environment. Including the\r\nability to run an MS Windows desktop for some purposes.

I'm an independent contractor. I can supply my own tools and\r\nmaterials. I'm planning on supplying a GNU/Linux system, in the form of\r\na mini-PC I can lug with me where I go. I still need to be able to work\r\nwith some tools (noteably SAS, for which the GNU/Linux alternative is a\r\n$6k out-of-pocket expense) which require legacy MS Windows. I'm happier\r\nworking principally in GNU/Linux, with the alternate in a VPN box, than\r\nthe other way around. Among other things, I can map and/or unbind\r\nhotkeys more flexibly under GNU/Linux, and I live and die by my hotkey\r\nbindings. Too: though Cygwin's nice enough, there are only a certain\r\nnumber of packages available for it, and the packaging itself sucks.\r\nI've wrestled several times with simply printing (or creating) usable\r\npostscript files. I'd prefer a full-blooded GNU/Linux system.

I'd also like to introduce GNU/Linux to the client for a number of\r\nother reasons -- to demonstrate its viability (I'm not cramming it down\r\ntheir throats, I'm showing it's a useable desktop system), to introduce\r\nsome tools (in particular TWiki -- they desperately\r\nneed a documentation system, preferably one that works), and just using\r\nit in their world. I prefer the low-key approach, there's been some\r\ncasual interest expressed. Perhaps the demonstration will be\r\nfruitful.

Still, I'm going to need desktop access to the existing legacy MS\r\nWindows system. Some of this I can bypass via fileshare (Samba-mounting\r\nfileshares -- this under an NT-managed domain, may be interesting), some\r\nvia ssh access to the 2K box (I'm planning to test whether or not SAS\r\ncan be run batch mode this way, which would be slick), some via WINE\r\nrunning legacy MS Windows apps either over the Samba share, or by\r\ncreating installs of apps on the GNU/Linux box itself. With all of\r\nthat, there's still a need for desktop compatibility. Hence VNC.

Crawl back into your hole, Ross.