[TriLUG] Availability of Fedora 28

[John Vaughters via TriLUG]

Dr. Boyle,

I remember discussing this before and how disgusted I was that a company would choose a Fedora version for production. If they are in DGAF mode, then that tells you they are really trying to discourage Linux use. I also will choose Windows as a last choice, but in evaluating all situations there are reasons to go that route. And this might be one of them. An example on my end is a 15 site duplicated server situation where 14 are Windows and one is Linux. I would be the first person to move that one site to Windows, because the custom upgrade process is so complex that it takes about 2-3 weeks on the first one and then about 4 days after we get the procedure down. So guess which one is last, Yup... Linux. Cuz it can take 4-5 weeks just because it is a one off.

In your case you will be constantly fighting with these releases and I would wager they probably pay attention to Windows more than Linux based on your explanation. The good news is that Windows 10 actually can run a Linux Kernel with much of the shell scripting that Linux users are used to, so if they support Windows 10 or Windows Server version that supports WSL you will feel closer to home on your management of the computer. There is always a limit to how much time I am willing to put into a platform that vendors only support because they feel like they have to. I will transition to their main platform just to save time. 

The problem I have with finding versions out there, are trust issues. I do not trust too many sites to download unsupported versions. I am not saying you cannot find it reliably, but I just err on the safe side. Keep in mind we have high profile security requirements with public trust concerns. For you if you decide on Fedora 28, lock it down and force any gateway traffic through a proxy server and check it. I would probably lock down all outgoing traffic from that box except approved known requirements. All of which is a significant effort, which is why I opt for the Best Bad Idea - Windows.

Good Luck in your Endeavors,

John Vaughters