Which brings us back to the fact that a browser, especially internally with Lotus customer companies, is second best to the Notes client. That means that if you want to use Linux, you still really need to have Notes clients out there. And the only option for Linux right now is the Notes 5 client under Wine. However, no matter how well the Notes client runs under Wine, it's not a prime-time environment for large-scale use.

For example, users of Wine applications see a Windows file system c:\.. when they detach files or do something else with the file system. When they try to access that detached file from a Linux application, they see a Unix file system /home/.. Now that's okay for technical professionals who can understand what's going on and make the mental switch. However, you cannot expect end users to do this, and I don't think you should.

Go beyond the technical issues; note the license for Wine usage specifically states "Should the library prove defective, you assume the cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction." This may have some bearing on why Lotus doesn't formally support Notes under Wine. I don't think that any company should commit its prime email and collaboration environment to an unsupported environment, however good it seems to be.

Before you say support for Wine is available, remember that Wine is a volunteer effort; they have no financial interest in the well-being of your company. You have not paid any support or maintenance fees to make anyone beholden to help you if you have problems. So should you have some catastrophic failure, where will you get support from to get your business working again? Can you get it working again before your business starts to suffer? Could you afford to take that risk? Should you even try?

So, should IBM do a Linux Notes client? In part two of this series, I'll show you why, for Lotus, it seems to be a matter of the heart saying yes, but the head saying no. I'll conclude with what you're all waiting for: where I come down on this issue. Stay tuned to find out.

Mick Moignard has been working and travelling with Notes since Release 2.0 in 1991. Mick is a DominoPower Senior Technical Editor and a Principal CLP with Unipart Advanced Learning Systems, a Lotus Advanced Partner in the UK. If you want to discuss anything to do with this article, or indeed anything else to do with Notes and Domino, contact Mick at mickmoignard@unipart.co.uk. UALS will also happily discuss any opportunities you may have with any Notes and Domino application development or infrastructure projects you need help with. Contact Mick at mickmoignard@unipart.co.uk, or via http://www.uals.co.uk.