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> Due to Microsoft Windows' dominance in desktop operating systems, Windows is the platform most targetted by spyware, viruses, and ransomware. This is poor re

> Due to Microsoft Windows' dominance in desktop operating systems, Windows is the platform most targetted by spyware, viruses, and ransomware. This is poor reasoning and a misunderstanding of how security works. Any org should be happy with any OS, as long as sufficient security controls for it exist. Anyone who oversees Windows estates, or works in desktop security, can tell you that they exist and are extensive, and are effective. I suspect this is a policy that's been pushed out by a C-level who simply hates Windows but is being justified with >15 year old reasonings. > macOS is preinstalled on Apple computers and Linux is available free of charge. To approve the use of Windows, GitLab would have to purchase Windows Professional licenses, as Windows Home Edition does not satisfy GitLab's security guidelines. More tenuous reasoning - macOS is not 'free'. By their logic they should _only_ be allowing Linux. But I think that just tells us it isn't driven by logic.

jaywalk 4y ago
I think there's a good bit of simple butthurt behind it as well, seeing as Microsoft owns their biggest (and far larger) competitor.
- mc32 4y ago
  This is probably key. They probably will be avoiding O365 in favor of the other dominant office SaaS solution.
- sneak 4y ago
  I mean, Windows has a ton of telemetry and spyware in it. It does not make any sense at all to run spyware from your largest competitor inside your competing business. That's nothing to do with "butthurt".
- lbotos 4y ago
  Heh. So, no, it was always a Mac/Linux place and around 2019 is when the team grew large enough that some new hires asked if they could get a Windows machine. That's when it was written down: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/-/commit/3a47ffa6c1d2dba2a8918e806892a0dfe113a418 https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/-/commit/3a47ff... This was after the GitHub acquisition but I know for a fact there was one engineer who really wanted a Windows machine but IT was not interested in adding it to the fleet as we were already heavily Mac/Linux. (Source: I work there.)
- Gigachad 4y ago
  I remember seeing this policy in place before GitHub was acquired.
chrisan 4y ago
> More tenuous reasoning - macOS is not 'free'. So very obtuse of them to word it this way. Windows has a cheaper license for HOME users who don't need Pro features of a business. It's not the other way. Definitely a c-level with an axe to grind.
- tpoacher 4y ago
  They didnt. OP did. The claim is Mac OS comes pre-installed but people don't claim money back for removing it, because it's considered part of the "Mac". With windows, people consider it an extra and claim back money for it. At least that's what that explanation was about. They never said Mac OS is "free".
tootie 4y ago
Can I run an OSX VM on another platform? Nope, not free. Not libre or gratis.
cwbrandsma 4y ago
Considering all the security software my corporation forces on all of us, each product hammering my CPU and RAM while I try to compile...windows is an issue for developer productivity. (I'm a windows based developer, I feel the pain)
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

jaywalk 4y ago

I think there's a good bit of simple butthurt behind it as well, seeing as Microsoft owns their biggest (and far larger) competitor.

mc32 4y ago
This is probably key. They probably will be avoiding O365 in favor of the other dominant office SaaS solution.
sneak 4y ago
I mean, Windows has a ton of telemetry and spyware in it. It does not make any sense at all to run spyware from your largest competitor inside your competing business. That's nothing to do with "butthurt".
lbotos 4y ago
Heh. So, no, it was always a Mac/Linux place and around 2019 is when the team grew large enough that some new hires asked if they could get a Windows machine. That's when it was written down: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/-/commit/3a47ffa6c1d2dba2a8918e806892a0dfe113a418 https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/-/commit/3a47ff... This was after the GitHub acquisition but I know for a fact there was one engineer who really wanted a Windows machine but IT was not interested in adding it to the fleet as we were already heavily Mac/Linux. (Source: I work there.)
Gigachad 4y ago
I remember seeing this policy in place before GitHub was acquired.

chrisan 4y ago

> More tenuous reasoning - macOS is not 'free'. So very obtuse of them to word it this way. Windows has a cheaper license for HOME users who don't need Pro features of a business. It's not the other way. Definitely a c-level with an axe to grind.

tpoacher 4y ago
They didnt. OP did. The claim is Mac OS comes pre-installed but people don't claim money back for removing it, because it's considered part of the "Mac". With windows, people consider it an extra and claim back money for it. At least that's what that explanation was about. They never said Mac OS is "free".

tootie 4y ago

Can I run an OSX VM on another platform? Nope, not free. Not libre or gratis.

cwbrandsma 4y ago

Considering all the security software my corporation forces on all of us, each product hammering my CPU and RAM while I try to compile...windows is an issue for developer productivity. (I'm a windows based developer, I feel the pain)

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]