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If I use the self hosted software now, how to keep it up to date? Also if they start charging, how will it be different than AirTable? I get the privacy aspect

If I use the self hosted software now, how to keep it up to date? Also if they start charging, how will it be different than AirTable? I get the privacy aspect of self hosted solutions but there is a huge overhead cost of maintaining it and updating it. I am not even sure self hosted is safer than SaaS.

bram2w 6y ago
It depends a little bit on how you are going self host it. There are updating instructions at the bottom of https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-ubuntu https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-ubunt... and https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-cloudron https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-cloud... We are going to make it much easier to self host and update in the future.
- zwayhowder 6y ago
  You lost me when there wasn't a docker image. I'd strongly encourage having one that can be dropped into a docker-compose config.
  - bram2w 6y ago
    There are going to be production ready Docker images soon.
    - zwayhowder 6y ago
      Oh look they appeared. https://baserow.io/docs/guides/demo-environment https://baserow.io/docs/guides/demo-environment Thank you!
vineyardmike 6y ago
You know (probably) that the binary you download and self host will always run. You can avoid updates, and avoid future paid requirements too. It’s more work, but if you host something on LAN you eschew many security concerns. You can more easily track what it’s pinging and who it talks to. If it’s open source, you can audit and adjust the code too. It’s all about priorities.
ajsnigrutin 6y ago
You update the software. If they start charging, you don't care, because you can keep your free copy. I don't know about the "huge overhead cost" of running an update now and then. ...but, the data is yours, the software is yours, the solution built on it is yours. Noone can raise the prices, noone can give unrealistic/stupid limits (eg. how many queries can you do per month in your paid/free package,...), and noone can take your data away.
- chaps 6y ago
  "I don't know about the "huge overhead cost" of running an update now and then." Clearly you've never had to go to hours and hours of change management meetings for a minor release.
  - ajsnigrutin 6y ago
    If the 'frontend' stays the same (and i literally mean all frontend, from GUI to APIs), then noone cares. If something changes, you atleast can delay the change, until you fix other components (or maybe even not update, if it's some internal stuff), because with SaaS, you have no say about it. Even if the project becomes unsupported, you can still run the old version, until you find 'something new' (or again, keep runing the old for internal stuff). If you build anything around a SaaS provider, they alway have yu by the balls,... be it with ever changing pricing or killing the project, "just because" [0] [0] https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/
    - chaps 6y ago
      The moment that a major security bug is discovered in your app, you will need to upgrade it. It's not as simple as just saying that you can still run the old version. That's just one issue of many. There are many, many more hidden costs than you're giving free software credit for.
      - ajsnigrutin 6y ago
        Of course... if it's outside facing... internal stuff can be delayed (and often is).... but again, that's why you pay admins for. Usually feature updates (api changes) and security updates are kept separate (unless you waited with the feature update, until there was a security issue).... but again, the thing is still yours. it's like a taxi vs a free car + free parts, and all you need is gas and time to do service.

bram2w 6y ago

It depends a little bit on how you are going self host it. There are updating instructions at the bottom of https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-ubuntu https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-ubunt... and https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-cloudron https://baserow.io/docs/guides/installation/install-on-cloud... We are going to make it much easier to self host and update in the future.

zwayhowder 6y ago
You lost me when there wasn't a docker image. I'd strongly encourage having one that can be dropped into a docker-compose config.
- bram2w 6y ago
  There are going to be production ready Docker images soon.
  - zwayhowder 6y ago
    Oh look they appeared. https://baserow.io/docs/guides/demo-environment https://baserow.io/docs/guides/demo-environment Thank you!

vineyardmike 6y ago

You know (probably) that the binary you download and self host will always run. You can avoid updates, and avoid future paid requirements too. It’s more work, but if you host something on LAN you eschew many security concerns. You can more easily track what it’s pinging and who it talks to. If it’s open source, you can audit and adjust the code too. It’s all about priorities.

ajsnigrutin 6y ago

You update the software. If they start charging, you don't care, because you can keep your free copy. I don't know about the "huge overhead cost" of running an update now and then. ...but, the data is yours, the software is yours, the solution built on it is yours. Noone can raise the prices, noone can give unrealistic/stupid limits (eg. how many queries can you do per month in your paid/free package,...), and noone can take your data away.

chaps 6y ago
"I don't know about the "huge overhead cost" of running an update now and then." Clearly you've never had to go to hours and hours of change management meetings for a minor release.
- ajsnigrutin 6y ago
  If the 'frontend' stays the same (and i literally mean all frontend, from GUI to APIs), then noone cares. If something changes, you atleast can delay the change, until you fix other components (or maybe even not update, if it's some internal stuff), because with SaaS, you have no say about it. Even if the project becomes unsupported, you can still run the old version, until you find 'something new' (or again, keep runing the old for internal stuff). If you build anything around a SaaS provider, they alway have yu by the balls,... be it with ever changing pricing or killing the project, "just because" [0] [0] https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/
  - chaps 6y ago
    The moment that a major security bug is discovered in your app, you will need to upgrade it. It's not as simple as just saying that you can still run the old version. That's just one issue of many. There are many, many more hidden costs than you're giving free software credit for.
    - ajsnigrutin 6y ago
      Of course... if it's outside facing... internal stuff can be delayed (and often is).... but again, that's why you pay admins for. Usually feature updates (api changes) and security updates are kept separate (unless you waited with the feature update, until there was a security issue).... but again, the thing is still yours. it's like a taxi vs a free car + free parts, and all you need is gas and time to do service.