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Re: [LUG] Learning "web" programming

 

On 09/01/13 19:27, Simon Avery wrote:
>
> I've decided that my problem is simply that my brain doesn't work the
> right way to admin windows servers. Despite giving quite a lot of time
> to attempting to learn on the hoof, I've decided it's not something I
> want to spend time on any more if I can avoid it.
> 
> I'm curious to hear from other admins who have tried both linux and
> windows adminning; which was easier to learn and which is less work
> overall?

Windows is generally easier till it goes wrong and you need to
troubleshoot, then you discover it doesn't log what you need, and
logging it involves installing an instrumented executable (and of course
things only ever go that wrong on live systems, not in test). Although
installing and updating third party software can be hard work.

The mindset thing is key. As long as you build a Windows server to do
one job, set it to do the job, and never fiddle, it'll probably do it
adequately. When it goes wrong as soon as it gets non-trivial just
replace/reinstall. This works fine till it is an Active Directory
controller when whatever you do eventually seems to degrade the ADS
configuration in a way 'novel to you' overtime (I suspect if you know
enough of the innards and have tools to watch the ADS like a hawk it is
survivable).

In that sense virtualization should be good for Windows, as you can add
a DNS server, and a mail server, and an ADS server.... except Microsoft
probably want you to pay N times for that.

Also I still find automating tasks under Windows a pain, but that may be
that we aren't up to date enough. I usually just install Cygwin and
pretend everything there isn't an icon for can be done like GNU/Linux,
but I fear that is letting my prejudices show.

I've reached that point where if I want software for something, and I
can't install it and all its dependencies with one command, I start to
wonder if I've missed a better way.

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