In this section we will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of choosing Ubuntu or Windows for your first OpenERP installation.
For the most part, Ubuntu has been the platform of choice for most OpenERP installations. However, there are some reasons why you may choose to run OpenERP under a Windows installation.
Some people who bought this book may have already jumped ahead and installed OpenERP on their Microsoft Windows computer. So, for you go-getters, that working installation of OpenERP may function just fine for researching and testing its features. Often, the Windows all-in-one installer provides a simple method for getting OpenERP up and running in a snap on your hardware. Basically, you do not have to install a new operating system.
If you are familiar with Windows and have no Ubuntu experience, you may get going a little faster by sticking with a Windows installation for your first setup. Downloading and installing modules and making changes to configuration files will be much easier if you are familiar with the operating system.
While Microsoft Windows does not really need an introduction, it is probably worth giving a brief introduction to Ubuntu. In short, Ubuntu (pronounced 'oo- boon-too') is a very popular open source operating system based on the Linux kernel. It has enjoyed increasing popularity because it is easy to install and very stable. Ubuntu can be installed either as a server operating system without a graphical interface, or as a desktop operating system with a graphical interface that closely resembles Windows.
You can learn more about the Ubuntu operating system and why it is so popular at:
It is generally accepted that Ubuntu is the recommended operating system for running a production installation of OpenERP. There are several reasons why this is true:
While OpenERP is released for Windows and is still well-supported, the Ubuntu installation continues to be favored. The development team for OpenERP works primarily with Ubuntu for bug fixes and platform releases. It can be expected that for the most part, OpenERP development will be optimized around the Ubuntu OS, not Windows.
Installing OpenERP on any Windows operating system is going to require a license from Microsoft. While using OpenERP on your Windows desktop is a viable and perhaps desirable solution for testing and development, it is unlikely you will want to run OpenERP on a Windows desktop system for any production environment. Why? Well, this requires Windows Server, which has much higher license costs than desktop editions. With an Ubuntu installation, you get an entirely open source and virtually cost-free solution.
It is possible to configure a more scalable solution under Ubuntu than you can currently configure under Microsoft Windows Server.
The fact is that a vast majority of the production installations of OpenERP are running under Ubuntu. When you run into trouble or management issues with your OpenERP installation, you may find it easier to get assistance if you are running an Ubuntu installation.
Tip
At the time of publication, the latest all-in-one installation of OpenERP 7 for Windows requires that you create a login on the OpenERP website to add any applications. However, the same build version in Ubuntu does not require a login. This moderate inconvenience may lead to the Windows versions of OpenERP becoming even less accepted by the active OpenERP community.
Although this book will focus on Windows and Ubuntu installations, you do have several other options. In the past, OpenERP has been deployed under a variety of Linux distributions and even the Macintosh OS. There are also many community members actively developing client frontends for mobile platforms such as Google's Android OS.