I think most of the abstraction in RH is so that it's flexible to put up with several ways of configuring it. GUI, yes, and also stuff like Redhat Network and Spacewalk (and kickstart, etc etc)
Well, obviously I want people to check out my blog, since I put the link in my signature, but that's definitely not why I posted the comment. If it sounded like I thought the subject matter was below me or something, I gave off the wrong vibe, and I apologize.
When I said 'I guess I just don't know what the submitter wants', it was sort of rhetorical. You quoted the sentence. He might as well have been asking for unicorns. Anything stable and lasting for decades is a tape at this point. Or cuneiform.
I have trouble with this in my mind, since so much of my work is devoted to making sure that information always exists and is accessible all the time. I look at these personal solutions for backup, and I'm so used to evaluating enterprise-type products that I scoff.
I guess that I don't know anymore what is appropriate for 'home users' when they say they want to keep data long-term. The submitter stated that tape drives were inadequate when that's still the most reliable method that enterprises use.
Sure, there are VTLs, but to not keep your data offsite as well would be counterproductive. I guess I just don't know what the submitter wants.
It's a testament to the fact that I need to get back to work that I didn't even bat an eyelash when you said that, and it wasn't until the anonymous reply that I realized that Bevets was a fark thing.
User interface? You've never done it. There wasn't an interface, other than a keyboard and text. It was a progressive script hacked together and we were grateful, because we didn't have to write the X11R86.conf file from scratch anymore.
*That's* something I don't miss from Slack. Trying to figure out which kernel on the boot disk would make things work. I'm glad they switched to the bighuge a while back.
I agree that upgrading 99% of the software might not make perfect sense, especially if the machines don't have local accounts, but if you don't regularly upgrade the packages that provide services (ssh, apache, bind, etc), then you're opening yourself to a world of hurt.
You operate by what I refer to as the "soft juicy center" security model. There's a hard outside and a completely unprotected center that, if reached, is completely and utterly vulnerable.
Logically, your external network connections might be secure, but you should consider physical security as well. How difficult is it for someone to plug something into a data jack and get access to the network? Or how difficult would it be for a "maintenance man" to put a laptop in the ceiling?
You're probably saying "no one would even want access to my networks" but that's definitely not assured. Aside from your competitors, you've also got people at your company (or who used to work at your company).
It's good practice to make sure that you are protected internal and out, and it makes for a lot less excuses later if something does happen.
I really appreciate your outlook, but the facts that you're mentioning also allow the other distros to scale adequately.
I'm the sole technical resource of a company that manages an unbelievable amount of data across three states and 5 data sites, I do all server, storage, security, network, and user support. I really just ran out of time administering Slackware.
I do agree that not including the development files necessary is a huge pain in the ass that should be fixed, but I'm not aware of the best way to do it.
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Cool, glad gentoo works for what you're doing.
I think most of the abstraction in RH is so that it's flexible to put up with several ways of configuring it. GUI, yes, and also stuff like Redhat Network and Spacewalk (and kickstart, etc etc)
Well, obviously I want people to check out my blog, since I put the link in my signature, but that's definitely not why I posted the comment. If it sounded like I thought the subject matter was below me or something, I gave off the wrong vibe, and I apologize.
When I said 'I guess I just don't know what the submitter wants', it was sort of rhetorical. You quoted the sentence. He might as well have been asking for unicorns. Anything stable and lasting for decades is a tape at this point. Or cuneiform.
I've got all kinds of external drives > 500GB. One for each day of the week to do dailies onto. We use La Cie drives for it. http://standalone-sysadmin.blogspot.com/2008/05/backup-scheme.html
It's a bit costly, but Iron Mountain provides physical (and online) backups.
You'd have to replace the power supplies occasionally, but I suppose it might work.
I have trouble with this in my mind, since so much of my work is devoted to making sure that information always exists and is accessible all the time. I look at these personal solutions for backup, and I'm so used to evaluating enterprise-type products that I scoff.
I guess that I don't know anymore what is appropriate for 'home users' when they say they want to keep data long-term. The submitter stated that tape drives were inadequate when that's still the most reliable method that enterprises use.
Sure, there are VTLs, but to not keep your data offsite as well would be counterproductive. I guess I just don't know what the submitter wants.
They're empty packages that software requirements can remove without removing the software they're pretending to be.
It's not perfect, but it'll improve.
That's pretty much what I'm saying too. I don't care if you say your gasoline is for the Ford Focus as long as I can run my Mazda on it.
Thanks for the update, that's an improvement, anyway.
Also, just so you know, Ubuntu fixed most of the bizarre weirdness with dependencies by using dummy packages.
It's a testament to the fact that I need to get back to work that I didn't even bat an eyelash when you said that, and it wasn't until the anonymous reply that I realized that Bevets was a fark thing.
To quote the ballsiest man in mock news,
"This man believes the same thing on Wednesday that he did on Monday, regardless of what happened Tuesday".
Oh yea? Well your momma dresses you funny, and you need a mouse to copy files!
As long as you take the aforementioned guards against bears and elk, I think you'll be fine :-)
"Because if I wear it anywhere else, it chafes" ;-)
X11R6.conf I mean. :-)
User interface? You've never done it. There wasn't an interface, other than a keyboard and text. It was a progressive script hacked together and we were grateful, because we didn't have to write the X11R86.conf file from scratch anymore.
It's so much like BSD anyway, ports would fit right in.
Do you really find Gentoo to save you more time than using RH/CentOS? I'm interested in hearing how that time breaks down.
I had a matsushitsu drive do that to me once.
*That's* something I don't miss from Slack. Trying to figure out which kernel on the boot disk would make things work. I'm glad they switched to the bighuge a while back.
I think we have much in common.
I agree that upgrading 99% of the software might not make perfect sense, especially if the machines don't have local accounts, but if you don't regularly upgrade the packages that provide services (ssh, apache, bind, etc), then you're opening yourself to a world of hurt.
You operate by what I refer to as the "soft juicy center" security model. There's a hard outside and a completely unprotected center that, if reached, is completely and utterly vulnerable.
Logically, your external network connections might be secure, but you should consider physical security as well. How difficult is it for someone to plug something into a data jack and get access to the network? Or how difficult would it be for a "maintenance man" to put a laptop in the ceiling?
You're probably saying "no one would even want access to my networks" but that's definitely not assured. Aside from your competitors, you've also got people at your company (or who used to work at your company).
It's good practice to make sure that you are protected internal and out, and it makes for a lot less excuses later if something does happen.
I know I'm going to regret this, but why do you have a VAX in your basement?
psst...your sarcasm detector might be on the fritz
I really appreciate your outlook, but the facts that you're mentioning also allow the other distros to scale adequately.
I'm the sole technical resource of a company that manages an unbelievable amount of data across three states and 5 data sites, I do all server, storage, security, network, and user support. I really just ran out of time administering Slackware.
I do agree that not including the development files necessary is a huge pain in the ass that should be fixed, but I'm not aware of the best way to do it.
It's not. Around that same time was when PamSlam came out and Cartman boxes all over the net were able to be compromised ridiculously easily.
Things are better now, and PAM is terribly useful and gives more benefits than it's complexity takes away.