[CentOS] LVM hatred, was Re: /boot on a separate partition?

[Steve Clark]

On 06/25/2015 11:03 AM, James B. Byrne wrote:
> On Wed, June 24, 2015 16:11, Chuck Campbell wrote:
>> Is there an easy to follow "howto" for normal LVM administration
>> tasks. I get tired of googling every-time I have to do something
>> I don't remember how to do regarding LVM, so I usually just
>> don't bother with it at all.
>>
>> I believe it has some benefit for my use cases, but I've been
>> reticent to use it, since the last time I got LVM problems, I
>> lost everything on the volume, and had to restore from backups
>> anyway. I suspect I shot myself in the foot, but I
>> still don't know for sure.
>>
> At the risk of some ridicule I suggest that you look at installing
> Webmin.  It is a web based system administration tool that I find
> invaluable.  The two most common complaints I encounter when I discuss
> its merits are 'security' and 'transparency'.
>
> The security issue is trivially dealt with. Install Webmin and
> configure it to listen on 127.0.0.1 using its standard port TCP10000.
> Install Firefox on the same host and then run firefox from an 'ssh -Y'
> session using the --noremote option.  If you are totally paranoid then
> firewall TCP10000 as well, configure Webmin to use https only, and
> then only start the webmin service when you are performing
> maintenance.
>
> There are less draconian measures that are in my opinion equally
> secure from a practical standpoint but I am sure that you can figure
> those out on your own.
>
> The transparency issue is really unanswerable.  There exists a school
> of thought that if you are going to administer a Linux system (or OS
> of the proponent's choice) then you should learn the command syntax of
> every command that you are called upon to use.  This is the
> one-and-only path to enlightenment.  Like upholding motherhood and
> promoting the wholesomeness of apple-pie this sort of moralizing
> really brooks no answer. You can guess my opinion on that line of
> puritanism.
>
> As you have painfully discovered, infrequently used utilities and
> commands are difficult to deal with.  The process of learning, or
> relearning, the correct arcana is particularly noisome given the
> notorious inconsistency of syntaxes across different utilities and the
> spotty coverage of up-to-date documentation.  Google can be a
> dangerous guide given the wide variation of practice across differing
> flavours of *nix and the widespread aversion to providing dates on
> writings. In consequence I consign transparency arguments and their
> proponents to the religious fanatic file.  Nothing personal but there
> is no point in arguing belief systems.
>
> If you want to get infrequently performed sysadmin tasks done reliably
> and with a minimum of fuss use something like Webmin and get on with
> the rest of your life.
>
>
That is fine until suddenly you find yourself without your crutch.

-- 
Stephen Clark
*NetWolves Managed Services, LLC.*
Director of Technology
Phone: 813-579-3200
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