Quick survey

[Joshua R. Altemoos]

WTF any server with an GUI is a calling to hackers. Why in gods name
would you use a rpm on a server when using ./configure and make lets you
do a custom job on the install to make it how YOU the sysadmin wants it
not how RH Or Fedora preset it. But this is my opion and I did that
survey

Later
Josh

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nflug at nflug.org [mailto:owner-nflug at nflug.org] On Behalf Of
John Seth
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2003 4:03 PM
To: NFLUG
Subject: Quick survey


Hey all, I've come up against some conflicts where I work for an
unfortunate living. My chief systems administrator is training a linux
newbie for a backup systems admin position to himself and myself since
our Network Admin left the company.  In doing so, he installed Fedore
Core 1 (Yarrow, latest
release) and is now showing him how to install a server, and compile
programs.  No big deal, usually....

My problem is this: normally, servers do not need to be installed with
their GUI installers, doing so, usually installs X-Windows components
onto systems with need for them, at least with RedHat. The trainee is a
newbie, so I'm not too concerned, the fact that they should know both
ways is best... but my sys admin won't show him text install for the
reason "Who doesn't install with the GUI on a server these days? What
does it matter if X is on a server or not?".

I feel 1) it's a waste of disk space, 2) if it is running on a server,
that's increased memory, cpu & resource hogging and 3) security issues
could compromise the server but wouldn't if X wasn't installed.

The last thing is, he's showing the trainee how to compile programs. No
big deal again. It's good to know how to run your own ./configure & make
statements.  However, being this is RH/Fedora, I feel he should also
teach him how to use things like "RPM --build" and learn about things
like the .spec files needed for RPM based systems.  Again, I was met
with "why? who cares if it's RPM or not? Just overwrite the old RPM with
the new compiled program...".  Hmm... so having, for example,
httpd-1.3.28-devel-48.7.rpm installed, and compiling Apache 2.0.48 and
installing it over the top of the old RPM installation.  I see problems
with this, maybe not Apache, but other programs.

Being I've now written a novel to the mailing list ;) How about you tell
me what you do with your systems... do you use the gui install? do you
install Xwin to a server? why? Since I don't feel like spamming the
mailing list, feel free to visit my website where I can more easily
tally the results. 
Mind you, it's a quickly thrown up survey...

http://www.phoenixwing.com/ has the survey.  Thanks for listening to my
gripes ;)

 - Tony

-- 
<? print(pack("c*", 74,117,115,116,32,/* Tony Evans                  */
 65,110,111,116,104,101,114,32,80,72, /* Linux/Web Implementation    */
 80,32,72,97,99,107,101,114,46,10));  /* http://www.phoenixwing.com/ */
?>