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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: March 21st, 2024

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  • I need to migrate a server off Windows

    Why is this? I think we’re missing a step here. Especially in the self hosted community, it’s safe to say we are all very pro Linux, but it’s not an automatic benefit for every possible use case. Why is the business seeking to move off Windows Server and why do they care about this?

    I’m only a level two tech with not a wealth of experience, but deviating from industry standard tools like Windows Server is setting off alarm bells because:

    • No professional would do this unless there was a very niche purpose or requirement
    • Is the business trying to cheap out on a Windows Server license? If so, as a tech it immediately brings their operations and priorities into question
    • How will the server be managed long term? If you’re not the one doing it, it’s going to require specialised technicians that are experienced with Linux, which is going to be more expensive
    • Not being a professional setup, how do you plan to address security concerns and protecting the server? Will there be any intrusion detection or prevention?
    • This breaks the principle of least astonishment

    If a tech was called in to look at why the CCTV isn’t working, or the music not playing, the place they call is going to send out a level 2+ tech, and they’re expected to know Windows Server and figure out third party applications on that server (or find their support line for further information). That tech is not going to expect a Linux server, and they’re going to rightfully walk the fuck away from that, and tell the business to call a Linux technician, which are way less common, probably remote only and more expensive.



  • I’ve worked in business IT before, so I have a (very small) bit of background I can probably share from your bosses side.

    If you’re not recommending a distro that has a support contract (e.g. Red Hat), what you’re creating is a bus situation - if you get hit by a bus, who is going to maintain the Linux terminals when they go down? Would that contract cover supporting LibreOffice? How will normal staff be able to figure out how to use Linux, and will there be a measurable increase in productivity from them, or will they be slow to adjust?

    Regarding OneDrive (or more realistically, SharePoint and Microsoft 365), Microsoft has a service level agreement for this. I can’t read it on my phone because it’s in docx format, but I dare say that it does have some coverage for if data is leaked, otherwise most enterprises wouldn’t even touch it.

    Your boss likely doesn’t have concern in that aspect because of the SLA assurance, and thus it makes more financial sense to move completely over to M365 and away from on premise servers that require constant maintenance, upkeep and power costs.

    I’m not sure of the business size you’re in, but I’d hazard a guess that its a small business if your boss is in a position to potentially change out the existing IT infrastructure. You’re facing an uphill battle in convincing your boss to move to Linux because the desktop support for it is limited and likely expensive, and the alternative is to keep you and probably hire other Linux technicians to maintain those Linux systems when they go down.






  • There’s always more to the story than what a news article and lawsuit will give, so I think it’s best to keep that in mind with this post.

    I maintain that the parents should perhaps have been more perceptive and involved with this kid’s life, and ensuring this kid felt safe to come to them in times of need. The article mentions that the kid was already seeing a therapist, so I think it’s safe to say there were some signs.

    However, holy absolute shit, the model fucked up bad here and it’s practically mirroring a predator here, isolating this kid further from getting help. There absolutely needs to be hard coded safeguards in place to prevent this kind of ideation even beginning. I would consider it negligent that any safeguards they had failed outright in this scenario.






  • Here you go https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/10/30/h-265-hevc-license-pricing-updated-for-low-cost-devices/

    The license to use macOS is not free. You must run it on a Macintosh computer and, keeping in terms of the license, cannot be run on non-Macintosh hardware. You must therefore purchase a Macintosh computer to use macOS. See Page 2, Section 2 of the Software License Agreement.

    You keep repeating this argument of “show me where I can possibly pay for it” presumably because you know that it is not for sale and this is common knowledge.

    What is being omitted here is that because anyone has the ability to put a PC of their own components together, Microsoft has two roads for these people: give Windows away where Microsoft sees none of that money back, or sell you a license to use Windows - they choose the second option. This is why you can buy a license for Windows. If you could only use prebuilt machines and were unable to make your own PC, the license cost would be passed onto the manufacturer and thus amortised in the final sale price, and you would also not have the ability to purchase a Windows license directly

    Apple doesn’t need to do these extra steps because they are both the software vendor and manufacturer, thus the development costs associated in macOS is also amortised in the final sale price.

    Please stop defending a trillion dollar corporation over specific pedantics and omissions. macOS is complementary software, it is not free.