r/sysadmin • u/Halomora • 13d ago

Question Anyone survived a Windows to Linux user workstations migration?

Hey fellow sys admin,

I work at a VFX/animation studio (~400 users).

We're kicking off a project to migrate our artist workstations from Windows 10/11 VDIs to Linux. Flavor is pretty much locked it ll be Rocky Linux 9 with KDE.

I am curious if there's anyone here who's been through a similar workstation migration to linux?

What Linux flavor, did you end up on, and would you pick the same again?

How did you handle what GPOs used to give you?

For the Base OS deployment/imaging, did you use Kickstart + Puppet/Ansible, or something else?

Anything that looked easy on paper and turned into a one big pile of {Jurassic_Park}?

Tools that made your life easier along the way?

I am looking for any war stories, good or bad!

Thank you!

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u/chandleya IT Manager 13d ago

If you run an art shop that’s too broke for Mac’s but has 400 artists? Sounds like a dumpster fire

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u/redditusertk421 13d ago

Must be EA trying to cut costs.

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u/sorry_for_the_reply 13d ago

They could build microtransactions into the VDI for the staff?

8

u/AntiProtagonest 13d ago

Thought the same.

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u/segagamer IT Manager 12d ago

Like, Pixar? They're all on Linux IIRC.

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u/chandleya IT Manager 12d ago

Did Pixar transition anything to Linux because they had to save money on artist workstations?

Or is this the same Pixar that invented their own ecosystem?

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u/segagamer IT Manager 12d ago

You were speaking like doing any kind of graphic or motion design on Linux was just "not done".

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u/chandleya IT Manager 11d ago

I think you made a massive presumption. Op is pretending to play Pixar without half a plan or a stated goal. Not the same.