Quick survey

[Robert Dege]

Okay, let's be reasonable here.  Running a GUI is not a calling to
hackers.  XFree only opens a single port (xfs), which can be deactivated
if you properly modify the XF86Config file.  And I'm not aware of what
ports Gnome, or KDE open to run correctly, so don't bother with the
battle.  Portmapper, NFS, and NIS is more of a calling than your GUI.

Next, so long as you're running init3 on boot, you're not even accessing
xdm, which means having it installed does nothing.  The only bad thing is
that by default the xfs daemon is started via init.d.

I personally, so not use GUI's on any of our servers at work.  However, I
do install the XFree86 package, and libs for the use of xauth (which ties
in with openssh), and to allow remote Xapp usage over openssh.

The only downfall of GUI is (1) it's wasted on servers becuase of the ease
of remote administration via telnet/ftp/ssh/sftp/etc.  (2) wastes
CPU/memory (XFree is a pig) (3) depending how X is configured it might
load drm modules.

-Rob

> 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/ */
> ?>
>
>



Dege

I'm just not up2date on my al-kee-hol-*hic* lingo
Although, I do have that slurring part down ;)