It's more of the familiarity than anything else. For example, up until just a few days ago I was running an XBMC Live install on a Revo box as one of the HTPC clients in my house. Everything was fine, until I decided I wanted to sync its library with my other XBMC client, which is running on a windows server on the network.
Upgrading XBMC on the Windows machine was a simple as downloading and installing the release. On the Revo, I had to burn the new Live ISO, install it, then spent hours trying to redo the settings and config files to get the remote and sound working. I just don't use Linux at all, so basic things like remembering to set the proper permissions for files and folders, and the directory structure for where things like config files live under Linux. Then getting to things like installing firefox and plugins its a pain. It's not that I can't use Linux, it's that I don't use it every day so every time I do use it there are millions of little details that i have to re-learn. So in the case of this project, where we need to get it up and running in a matter of days, I can't screw around with Linux. But you're absolutely right - we should be running Linux because of the security, and that is likely the route we will be taking in the long term. --------------------------- Brian Weeden Technical Advisor Secure World Foundation <http://www.secureworldfoundation.org> +1 (514) 466-2756 Canada +1 (202) 683-8534 US On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 2:39 PM, Mesdaq, Ali <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes you can do everything you mentioned. You can basically install anything > you want and configure it anyway you want. I think you guys might be > thinking linux configuration is harder than windows. I am by no means a > linux pro but for me I can setup a linux webserver with a db way faster and > easier than windows especially if using ubuntu linux. Basically you run two > commands > sudo apt-get install apache2 > sudo apt-get install mysql-server > > That will automatically download and install apache and mysql server on the > box. Not pushing you to go linux but just letting you know it's not that > hard in case you were not aware. > > Thanks, > ------------------------------------------ > Ali Mesdaq (CISSP, GIAC-GREM) > Sr. Security Researcher > Websense Security Labs > http://www.WebsenseSecurityLabs.com > ------------------------------------------ > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Weeden > Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 11:03 AM > To: [email protected] > Cc: hwg > Subject: Re: [H] Question about a hosted server box running web services & > Matlab > > I'm fully aware of that and I think long term we will be looking at a Linux > solution. The concern for right now is that neither he nor I has much > experience using linux, and we need to get this running as soon as > possible. Later, I think we will bring someone on board with Linux > experience or he might be able to pick it up. > > One quick question, since I've never used a VPS box/service. It's basically > a remote computer that you have full control of, right? So you can use it > to host a database, download data into that database, run Matlab and other > programs to manipulate the database, and then also run a web server to > provide that data to the world? > > Or is the web sever part a separate thing? > > --------------------------- > Brian Weeden > Technical Advisor > Secure World Foundation <http://www.secureworldfoundation.org> > +1 (514) 466-2756 Canada > +1 (202) 683-8534 US > > > On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 1:56 PM, Mesdaq, Ali <[email protected]> wrote: > > > If this is non production then windows works great. But if he wants any > > reasonable level of stability then I would highly suggest going linux. > > Matlab has a linux version and I am pretty sure his scripts would work > > transparently on either platform. It's just with windows you have more > > moving parts and you need to deal with things like security, patching, > > crashes, etc. With these vm's your IP is totally open to the world unless > > you buy the firewall services from the hosting provider. Just some things > to > > keep in mind. > > > > Thanks, > > ------------------------------------------ > > Ali Mesdaq (CISSP, GIAC-GREM) > > Sr. Security Researcher > > Websense Security Labs > > http://www.WebsenseSecurityLabs.com > > ------------------------------------------ > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto: > > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Weeden > > Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 10:39 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Cc: hwg > > Subject: Re: [H] Question about a hosted server box running web services > & > > Matlab > > > > Thanks Ali, this is just what I was looking for. I talked to my friend > and > > he's not very comfortable with Linux. But we did find kickassvps, which > > does essentially the same thing (as far as I can tell) as Slicehost, only > > with Windows. > > > > --------------------------- > > Brian Weeden > > Technical Advisor > > Secure World Foundation <http://www.secureworldfoundation.org> > > +1 (514) 466-2756 Canada > > +1 (202) 683-8534 US > > > > > > On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 1:23 PM, Mesdaq, Ali <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > I suggest going with virtualized hosting providers that give you root > > > access on the box and you can do whatever you want on it. The biggest > > name > > > would probably be amazon ec2 instances but there are several other > places > > > like slicehost and similar. I have used amazon ec2 instances with R > which > > is > > > very similar to Matlab from my understanding. You could get one ec2 > > instance > > > and set it up as your webserver + matlab processing machine or get two > > > instances and split up the work. There are some nuances you/they will > run > > > into when working with ec2. If you need something super simple at first > > you > > > might want to go with slicehost type of hosting provider they make > > certain > > > things a little easier. Their assumption is you will be using the vm's > > for > > > web content related stuff and with amazon ec2 they don’t make any > > > assumptions about what you will be using the vm's for so there is a lot > > more > > > setup work. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > ------------------------------------------ > > > Ali Mesdaq (CISSP, GIAC-GREM) > > > Sr. Security Researcher > > > Websense Security Labs > > > http://www.WebsenseSecurityLabs.com > > > ------------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [email protected] [mailto: > > > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Weeden > > > Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 10:08 AM > > > To: hwg > > > Subject: [H] Question about a hosted server box running web services & > > > Matlab > > > > > > I have a friend who has developed a very cool Google Earth layer for > > > viewing > > > satellite orbits. The problem is, he's currently running it on his > home > > > server which only has campus Wifi to connect to the world. Needless to > > > say, > > > I'm trying to find a more professional (and stable) way of hosting it. > > > > > > Normally I would go with a standard web hosting service like > SquareSpace, > > > but this is a bit different. The layer displays images (specifically, > > > graphs of a satellite's orbit over time) which are calculated using a > > > custom > > > Matlab script. Every day, he downloads the tracking data and runs the > > > Matlab routine to generate the graphics. All told it's about 1 GB of > > data. > > > So if we just had a web server that hosted the images, he would still > > need > > > to ftp 1 GB of data from his personal computer to the web server every > > day > > > over a WiFi connection. Not ideal > > > > > > So, my question is - does anyone have experience with a company that > can > > > provide a hosted box which will do web serving and can have Matlab > > > installed > > > and run custom C++ programs, all from a remote login? > > > > > > I know the ideal long-term solution is to build our own server and then > > > find > > > a home for it, but right now time is critical - ideally we'd like to > have > > > something up and running as soon as possible. Funds are not really a > > > problem at this point (within a few thousand USD). > > > > > > Ideas? > > > > > > --------------------------- > > > Brian Weeden > > > Technical Advisor > > > Secure World Foundation <http://www.secureworldfoundation.org> > > > +1 (514) 466-2756 Canada > > > +1 (202) 683-8534 US > > > > > > > > > To report this as spam, please forward to [email protected]. Thank > > you. > > > > > > > > > Protected by Websense Hosted Email Security -- www.websense.com > > > > > >
