I will step in here a bit. In December I left a job in a top 40 market station (actually 3 of them) that ran a combination of Windows for audio servers (only at the larger market stations) and a Linux based automation system for 19 other stations in 3 states. It took someone full time to keep the Windows boxes at that one location running. Luckily the Windows based audio servers were quite stable (by Windows standards). The Windows audio servers were only used for web browsing in a very unusual situation that required tech support. The audio servers had all email functions removed and many programs removed to keep them from being an easy target. They were also behind a (Linux based) firewall.
For the other 19 stations the Linux servers required some tech support I would guess once or twice every couple of years, if that much. If you want to generate work, sure go ahead and run Windows for an audio server (or 3). By the time you add a few more boxes (for web browsing or email) you will have plenty of work to hire someone full time to keep all the boxes running (and there will be some very busy days with various trojans, malware and keylogers). If you don't have the expertise for Linux I would suggest either learning it or finding someone that does. It will save you time (uptime that is) and will give someone time to get other tasks done. If you have the budget to dedicate people full time to keeping Windows boxes up for on the air servers, go right ahead. I don't mind, however I can't find enough time available to waste mine doing such support. If you do want to go either route I can suggest people that are available for hire. I would be glad to disclose the Windows based system that these stations used and who to call (off list). They did do well, at least much better than I was expecting. I can tell you that if I was doing support for them though, that I would be spending much more time supporting them than an audio server on Linux. Some of the things I don't have to do with Linux: Fix registries Defrag drives Remove viruses Remove key loggers Remove malware Reload the OS or drives or programs (at least not often) Find someone else for support Update software keys Dave On Wed, 2011-10-05 at 19:22 +1300, James Laurence wrote: > Just something I'd like to throw in, which I think has been overlooked > in the discussion thus far. > > Not all radio-stations have a Linux person at their disposal who can > build, customise, maintain, and troubleshoot, a broadcasting > automation solution based on Rivendell/Linux. What say the > radio-station is in a relatively small locality where there is simply > no such person available or willing to become part of the equation? > > While there is absolutely no doubt that Linux has significant > advantages (in numerous areas) over Windows, and is an IT guru's > paradise in that the sky's the limit as to what can be achieved, it's > no use at all if there's no-one available to do the ongoing hands-on > work inevitably entailed. > > Many Linux IT people have a well-justified [and almost pathological] > hatred of Windows, but the fact remains that there are some > installations which consist of mainly non-IT staff who would prefer > to buy a Windows broadcasting product out of a shiny box (so to > speak), read the instructions in the Manual, install it the standard > Windows way, then run their automation/station under a standard > Windows system. Simply because: (a) it is adequate for what they > want, (b) their focus is not on technical or ideological perfection, > (c) they know Windows and are comfortable with it, and (d) their > system can be maintained without the need for a constant and ongoing > [and exhausting] attempt to keep abreast of the open-source world and > its limitless boundaries. > > In summary, there are some very good broadcasting automation > systems out there which run perfectly adequately on Windows > configurations, and are reliable and robust. These are ideal > for broadcasting situations which have non-IT people who have no > interest in getting their hands dirty, but just want a stable system > which is not constantly hands-on. > > Just because Rivendell is not heading in that particular direction, > doesn't mean that we should condemn those folk who prefer the > alternative, and want an easier life and a more 'standard' way of > achieving their goal. In the vast majority of cases, listeners will > never know the difference, and that's the point to be remembered. > Windows is not totally bad, and Linux is not for everyone. > > James L. > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2011 22:01:09 -0500 > From: t...@wnsp.com > To: rivendell-dev@lists.rivendellaudio.org > Subject: Re: [RDD] Windows and Rivendell > > Ok, I've got to put my two cents in... > The company that runs more servers than just about anyone else on thr > planet runs Linux. > Microsoft runs their web servers for microsoft. com on linux. > Why. bulletproof stabiity, what more would you want in a production > enviroment? > For years before Rivendell became available I was hoping for a linux > based broadcast suite for just this reason. > I just had a Rvendell box go down recently because the hard drive > failed, it had been in service without a reboot for 1283 days. > Port Rivendell to windows? For what purpose. Unless maybe you want > to run it along side some viruses or malware :) > Cheers > On Oct 4, 2011 8:41 PM, "James Harrison" <ja...@talkunafraid.co.uk> > wrote: > > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > Hash: SHA1 > > > > As Tim has already mentioned- why Windows? > > > > I just recently stepped down as engineer of a station which started > out > > 100% Windows two years ago and is now 90% Linux (switching to > Rivendell > > for main playout was judged too dramatic a change - the station was > just > > granted an FM license, which is a big deal here, and management > didn't > > want to change playout at the same time- possibly they'll move in a > > year's time). Rivendell is used there for backup playout and outside > > broadcasts, though. > > > > Windows has a multitude of downsides when it comes to audio, > management, > > stability and reliability. For instance, our main playout box has a > big > > of a snag in that you can't install Windows Updates without it > > bluescreening next time it reboots, and we have to reboot everything > > every month or two just to keep things running smoothly. Not great > from > > an engineering standpoint. Then there's the issues with security, > user > > accounts, remote access, time synchronization, system updates (that > > don't break everything), and so on. There's no real upside! > > > > The amount of work required to port things like the core audio > engine, > > interprocess communications daemon and other services would be > > nontrivial, and with Windows being such a huge step backwards from > Linux > > on nearly all important points from the perspective of radio > stations, > > where's the point? The only benefit of Windows is familiarity, and > it > > doesn't take long to get familiar with Linux. We transitioned most > of > > the desktop stuff without any training whatsoever and everyone > picked it > > up fast enough. > > > > But as mentioned already- it's open source software. If you can > write C, > > get porting! If you really had to have Windows for your frontends, > you > > would only need to port (I think) rdairplay, rdlogmanager, > rdlogedit, > > rdcatch and ripcd- you could remote the rest to a Linux hosted audio > > engine/import system... in theory at least! Still going to take you > a > > long, long time. Perhaps better spent learning Linux? :) > > > > Cheers, > > James Harrison > > > > > > On 05/10/2011 02:25, Logan Corliss wrote: > >> Hi, I am currently running Rivendell on ubuntu and its ok and all > but I > > also am really looking for a Radio Automation program that runs on > > Windows. I was wondering if there was any plans to make this working > on > > Windows or if there is a code in progress that would allow Rivendell > > with all of its features to run on Windows. This would be really > great. > >> > >> -- > >> Logan Corliss > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Rivendell-dev mailing list > >> Rivendell-dev@lists.rivendellaudio.org > >> http://lists.rivendellaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > > Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32) > > Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ > > > > iEYEARECAAYFAk6LtakACgkQmJV2s0zjsDhrUwCfbownaEhcEmogFtAV8PWaB7Tw > > 8QAAn10VHl0O9DbhJlElZFBqkgbsZw8S > > =JqrV > > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Rivendell-dev mailing list > > Rivendell-dev@lists.rivendellaudio.org > > http://lists.rivendellaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev > > > _______________________________________________ Rivendell-dev mailing > list Rivendell-dev@lists.rivendellaudio.org > http://lists.rivendellaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev > _______________________________________________ > Rivendell-dev mailing list > Rivendell-dev@lists.rivendellaudio.org > http://lists.rivendellaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev _______________________________________________ Rivendell-dev mailing list Rivendell-dev@lists.rivendellaudio.org http://lists.rivendellaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev
