[CentOS] Re: Installing/Activating GUI for Server Settings -- [OT] Linux for Users

[Bryan J. Smith]

Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com> wrote:
> If you can describe it in a task oriented step-by-step
> approach you could just as easily script it so that no one
> would ever have to do those steps again.

Not always, with all the variables.

> If you have a situation that fits the appliance-oriented
> approach (an office or home with one server and one 
> internet connection) you might like the SME server from
> http://www.contribs.org.
> Administration is all through web forms and is task 
> oriented. 

I agree with you there for SOHOs/SMBs.  Between IPCop and SME
Server, you have 95% of your necessary functionality -- from
an Internet security appliance that catches 95% of intrusions
to a LAN server that serves 95% of your needs.

> The next version will have Centos inside.  I'd just rather
> see something with similar concepts that could be added on
> to a stock distribution like webmin instead of making 
> something completely different.  Unlike webmin, it 
> maintains its own database to rebuild config files
> and in many cases it combines concepts for simplicity.

The problem is the "assumptions game."
Great for SOHOs/SMBs, not so good for MBs to enterprises.

> For example, if you create a 'group' you automatically get
> an email distribution group and a unix permission group at
> the same time.

Or why not a full LDAP entry for that matter, with all
services referencing it?  I think that's where Fedora
Directory Server is headed in terms of integration, which
RHEL (and CentOS) will then follow -- hopefully in RHEL 5.

> Likewise, you add an 'information bay' or ibay and get a 
> samba share, an ftp directory, and a web site all at the
> same time.

Again, such assumptions are great for SOHOs/SMBs, but not so
good for MBs and enterprises.

Once again, I don't think the problem is the format of the
book, it's the content -- too much all-in-one.  It was fine
for UNIX, when most users were also sysadmins.  But today the
Linux desktop is more than what UNIX users were, while not
always a sysadmin either.




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Bryan J. Smith                | Sent from Yahoo Mail
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