4 ms·

> Except if you're on a team of sysadmins running a fleet of systems not trying to be rude but this doesn't sound like "most people"

Daneel_ 2y ago
Interesting comment actually. I would have assumed that the vast majority of people using Linux are still sysadmins in small and large companies - this is certainly my personal experience. I wonder how many home users there are versus systems managed by sysadmins. I would still think there’s more in the corporate world, while I would think the opposite for Windows.
- Swizec 2y ago
  > I wonder how many home users there are versus systems managed by sysadmins Isn’t Android the most popular Linux distro these days? Probably also most TV set-top boxes and other IoT devices
  - kelnos 2y ago
    And ironically an Android user (well, an Android user that uses the "official" OS image from the device's manufacturer) is not the system administrator of their phone/tablet, unless they essentially break into it, or install a different OS image designed to allow root access.
  - prmoustache 2y ago
    Can you tell me how many users of android, TV set-top boxes and other IoT device users are using sudo?
- VeninVidiaVicii 2y ago
  I hate to sound elitist, but I straight-up can’t do any serious coding on anything other than a Linux box. Most of what I do these days is statistical inference on bacterial genomes in the context of antibiotic treatment. I understand that I’m not the average user, but then again, nobody really is.
  - bowsamic 2y ago
    That sounds like scientific coding, not serious coding
    - cruffle_duffle 2y ago
      Serious coding like writing TODO apps for the latest WebTV?
      - bowsamic 2y ago
        Business applications are far more serious than any scientific code could ever hope to be
  - IgorPartola 2y ago
    It’s because you are a Linux noob. Use a real Unix like macOS! /s Let the flamewars begin!
  - sanarothe 2y ago
    If one is really hard pressed to use a windows box, I have found WSL to be a godsend. (eg at work, which is luckily at a relatively small company where IT isn't as locked down as other places I've worked.) On the other hand, I tried to use powershell the other day for some simple admin tasks and ooooh wow I sure don't have anything nice to say. Also my living is made on the Windows side, and not the Linux side, so I guess I don't know the pain points of WSL.
- jcelerier 2y ago
  The ratio of linux desktop users:sysadmins I know is something like 50:1
  - TheSpiceIsLife 2y ago
    Other way round for me
    - aerzen 2y ago
      What kind of sysadmins are they then? I don't want to sound dismissive, but is a "windows sysadmins" a thing? Do companies run windows on servers?
      - fsckboy 2y ago
        windows sysadmins are very much a thing. desktop and laptop MS Windows installed in any company doing anything important is sysadmin'ed centrally. If you require security (not to leak company info) you must disable the ability for users to install anything. The side benefit of this is that the admins can admin other things like mail servers, ip addresses, etc. My gf (accountant) has to call the sysadmins to plug in an external display at home, which they can do remotely at 2 in the morning.
      - bigstrat2003 2y ago
        Companies absolutely run Windows servers. In fact, every single company I've ever worked for (except one very small company) has had them. Usually at a minimum, you will have servers running Active Directory, and perhaps DNS (because AD-integrated DNS zones are useful). Then, more often than not companies are MS Exchange shops, plus Sharepoint is common enough. Generally people aren't running web servers on Windows, but the internal IT infrastructure world uses a ton of Windows servers.
        Aloha 2y ago
        > Generally people aren't running web servers on Windows, but the internal IT infrastructure world uses a ton of Windows servers. With good reason I'd note, its a use case which windows is profoundly good at - whereas web servers are not something I would say windows is very good at.
- plank 2y ago
  I guess this is a matter of ‘bubbles’. Most people I know that have a Linux box at home - including my parents - are not and have never been sysadmins. But this is probably because there are not that many sysadmins in my bubble? Kind regard, Roel (former physicist, developing Android apps (for fun) on my Linux laptop, owner of multiple NAS, but never having been a sysadmin in any company)
throw0101d 2y ago
>> Except if you're on a team of sysadmins running a fleet of systems > not trying to be rude but this doesn't sound like "most people" Sure. But sudo still serves a purpose for those folks. I also use sudo on my macOS system(s) (e.g., MacPorts).

Daneel_ 2y ago

Interesting comment actually. I would have assumed that the vast majority of people using Linux are still sysadmins in small and large companies - this is certainly my personal experience. I wonder how many home users there are versus systems managed by sysadmins. I would still think there’s more in the corporate world, while I would think the opposite for Windows.

Swizec 2y ago
> I wonder how many home users there are versus systems managed by sysadmins Isn’t Android the most popular Linux distro these days? Probably also most TV set-top boxes and other IoT devices
- kelnos 2y ago
  And ironically an Android user (well, an Android user that uses the "official" OS image from the device's manufacturer) is not the system administrator of their phone/tablet, unless they essentially break into it, or install a different OS image designed to allow root access.
- prmoustache 2y ago
  Can you tell me how many users of android, TV set-top boxes and other IoT device users are using sudo?
VeninVidiaVicii 2y ago
I hate to sound elitist, but I straight-up can’t do any serious coding on anything other than a Linux box. Most of what I do these days is statistical inference on bacterial genomes in the context of antibiotic treatment. I understand that I’m not the average user, but then again, nobody really is.
- bowsamic 2y ago
  That sounds like scientific coding, not serious coding
  - cruffle_duffle 2y ago
    Serious coding like writing TODO apps for the latest WebTV?
    - bowsamic 2y ago
      Business applications are far more serious than any scientific code could ever hope to be
- IgorPartola 2y ago
  It’s because you are a Linux noob. Use a real Unix like macOS! /s Let the flamewars begin!
- sanarothe 2y ago
  If one is really hard pressed to use a windows box, I have found WSL to be a godsend. (eg at work, which is luckily at a relatively small company where IT isn't as locked down as other places I've worked.) On the other hand, I tried to use powershell the other day for some simple admin tasks and ooooh wow I sure don't have anything nice to say. Also my living is made on the Windows side, and not the Linux side, so I guess I don't know the pain points of WSL.
jcelerier 2y ago
The ratio of linux desktop users:sysadmins I know is something like 50:1
- TheSpiceIsLife 2y ago
  Other way round for me
  - aerzen 2y ago
    What kind of sysadmins are they then? I don't want to sound dismissive, but is a "windows sysadmins" a thing? Do companies run windows on servers?
    - fsckboy 2y ago
      windows sysadmins are very much a thing. desktop and laptop MS Windows installed in any company doing anything important is sysadmin'ed centrally. If you require security (not to leak company info) you must disable the ability for users to install anything. The side benefit of this is that the admins can admin other things like mail servers, ip addresses, etc. My gf (accountant) has to call the sysadmins to plug in an external display at home, which they can do remotely at 2 in the morning.
    - bigstrat2003 2y ago
      Companies absolutely run Windows servers. In fact, every single company I've ever worked for (except one very small company) has had them. Usually at a minimum, you will have servers running Active Directory, and perhaps DNS (because AD-integrated DNS zones are useful). Then, more often than not companies are MS Exchange shops, plus Sharepoint is common enough. Generally people aren't running web servers on Windows, but the internal IT infrastructure world uses a ton of Windows servers.
      - Aloha 2y ago
        > Generally people aren't running web servers on Windows, but the internal IT infrastructure world uses a ton of Windows servers. With good reason I'd note, its a use case which windows is profoundly good at - whereas web servers are not something I would say windows is very good at.
plank 2y ago
I guess this is a matter of ‘bubbles’. Most people I know that have a Linux box at home - including my parents - are not and have never been sysadmins. But this is probably because there are not that many sysadmins in my bubble? Kind regard, Roel (former physicist, developing Android apps (for fun) on my Linux laptop, owner of multiple NAS, but never having been a sysadmin in any company)

throw0101d 2y ago

>> Except if you're on a team of sysadmins running a fleet of systems > not trying to be rude but this doesn't sound like "most people" Sure. But sudo still serves a purpose for those folks. I also use sudo on my macOS system(s) (e.g., MacPorts).