[Sussex] LINUX takes on Xserve

[Iain Stevenson]

--On Friday, January 10, 2003 9:05 am +0000 Neil Ford 
<neil at smudgypixels.net> wrote:

> Due to Apple's insistence of sticking so much in the Netinfo database,
> close configuration of a Mac OS X box is not as easy as on other
> comparable operating systems. In conjunction with Apple's relative
> tardiness in getting updated versions of things like OpenSSH make it a
> less than suitable platform for a secure application. Too much on the box
> is still proprietary for it to compete against a truly open source system.
>

It has lagged with SSH .. but not that far behind.  How many Linux systems 
really run the latest version?

> The Xserve's strengths are it's familiarity for existing Mac shops and
> integration with Mac OS clients.

Debatable - OS X isn't like the old OS9 since it abandons treasured parts 
of the MacOS like the need not to use file extensions and introduces that 
damned dock (yes, I'm a 21 year Apple veteran with OS9 and a great 
unwillingness to pay Apple prices for a poorer user experience).  Anyone 
adopting OS X has to accommodate many changes as discussions on the 
Yellowdog Linux mailing lists frequently point out.

Netatalk supports AppleShare volumes on Linux so unless the user wants the 
simpler configuration of OS X and/or Apple's web tools they may as well get 
their Unix-like experience with Linux.

  Iain