8 ms·

Funny. I just started @ IBM. Can't run Windows because I have privileged access to systems. Can't BYOD because same. Can't hackintosh because licensing. And off

by tbyehl 12y ago

Funny. I just started @ IBM. Can't run Windows because I have privileged access to systems. Can't BYOD because same. Can't hackintosh because licensing. And officially they don't buy Macs.

gscott 12y ago
Seems like that only leaves OS/2 to use.
fiatmoney 12y ago
So run Linux; what's the problem?
- aye 12y ago
  Yup, either RHEL or OpenSUSE should fit quite well into the culture.
  - tbyehl 12y ago
    Some weird IBM flavor of RHEL 6.5 is what they gave me. On hardware that is near top-of-the-line and thus poorly supported. I bought a docking station and it was an ordeal just to get it to recognize a monitor attached to the dock. And it crashes on undocking. But the kicker is that my job here revolves around VMware and Windows. VMware's web client needs a newer version of Flash than you can get on Linux outside of Chrome. And Chrome dropped RHEL 6.x ages ago. And every RDP app packed with RHEL 6.x is junk compared to CoRD or RDCMan. If I could BYOD I'd happily go buy a new MBA and IBM could toss it into a Blendtec when I'm done here.
    - sespindola 12y ago
      I'm currently a fellow IBMer. Go to w3, search for "approved OS" and take your pick. I'm currently running fedora 20 with mate desktop. Works like a charm on a T430.
    - aye 12y ago
      > On hardware that is near top-of-the-line and thus poorly supported. Haha, there's got to be a name for that paradox: you want to run Linux on your brand new computer, but the hardware isn't well supported. Do you: a) Settle for a Linux install that sometimes does weird things (on my Lenovo Yoga 2, I have to close the laptop lid and re-open it to get the computer to come back from suspend properly). b) Settle for Windows 8? Unless you've got the time to write your own device drivers, the MBA is the most "rational" choice for a new laptop. (IBM pun not intended.)
throwawayaway 12y ago
IBM's level of paranoia is truly inspiring.
- ForHackernews 12y ago
  IBM has always represented itself as a serious company for serious, boring grown-ups. Presumably that extends to taking security seriously as well.
  - cynwoody 12y ago
    Back in the day, it was said you'd get in trouble at IBM if you went home with your desk not locked. Looks like it's still the case: http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/37916/what-are-the-purposes-of-these-security-policies http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/37916/what-are-t...
viiralvx 12y ago
The last sentence is debatable. IBM Design and certain other groups with IBM Software Group have Macs. Systems doesn't though.
- tbyehl 12y ago
  There's always an exception somewhere. At a previous job the IT department wouldn't buy Macs for anyone. Except themselves. They took a little too much joy in swapping my Mac for a Dell when I left IT...

by tbyehl 12y ago

Funny. I just started @ IBM. Can't run Windows because I have privileged access to systems. Can't BYOD because same. Can't hackintosh because licensing. And officially they don't buy Macs.

gscott 12y ago

Seems like that only leaves OS/2 to use.

fiatmoney 12y ago

So run Linux; what's the problem?

aye 12y ago
Yup, either RHEL or OpenSUSE should fit quite well into the culture.
- tbyehl 12y ago
  Some weird IBM flavor of RHEL 6.5 is what they gave me. On hardware that is near top-of-the-line and thus poorly supported. I bought a docking station and it was an ordeal just to get it to recognize a monitor attached to the dock. And it crashes on undocking. But the kicker is that my job here revolves around VMware and Windows. VMware's web client needs a newer version of Flash than you can get on Linux outside of Chrome. And Chrome dropped RHEL 6.x ages ago. And every RDP app packed with RHEL 6.x is junk compared to CoRD or RDCMan. If I could BYOD I'd happily go buy a new MBA and IBM could toss it into a Blendtec when I'm done here.
  - sespindola 12y ago
    I'm currently a fellow IBMer. Go to w3, search for "approved OS" and take your pick. I'm currently running fedora 20 with mate desktop. Works like a charm on a T430.
  - aye 12y ago
    > On hardware that is near top-of-the-line and thus poorly supported. Haha, there's got to be a name for that paradox: you want to run Linux on your brand new computer, but the hardware isn't well supported. Do you: a) Settle for a Linux install that sometimes does weird things (on my Lenovo Yoga 2, I have to close the laptop lid and re-open it to get the computer to come back from suspend properly). b) Settle for Windows 8? Unless you've got the time to write your own device drivers, the MBA is the most "rational" choice for a new laptop. (IBM pun not intended.)

throwawayaway 12y ago

IBM's level of paranoia is truly inspiring.

ForHackernews 12y ago
IBM has always represented itself as a serious company for serious, boring grown-ups. Presumably that extends to taking security seriously as well.
- cynwoody 12y ago
  Back in the day, it was said you'd get in trouble at IBM if you went home with your desk not locked. Looks like it's still the case: http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/37916/what-are-the-purposes-of-these-security-policies http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/37916/what-are-t...

viiralvx 12y ago

The last sentence is debatable. IBM Design and certain other groups with IBM Software Group have Macs. Systems doesn't though.

tbyehl 12y ago
There's always an exception somewhere. At a previous job the IT department wouldn't buy Macs for anyone. Except themselves. They took a little too much joy in swapping my Mac for a Dell when I left IT...