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Asshole IT staff at my employer have banned Linux workstations from the network, even though we need it for running Cadence and other intensive simulation tools

by madengr 12y ago

Asshole IT staff at my employer have banned Linux workstations from the network, even though we need it for running Cadence and other intensive simulation tools. The solution is for them to run a Linux server into which one will VNC to do graphic intensive IC layout. We all get a sanitized windows 7 shitbox, because a IC deign engineers needs are the same as a secretary (not that we have secretaries anymore).

mqsiuser 12y ago
> not that we have secretaries anymore Saving on them, or are they managers now ?
iamthepieman 12y ago
I have a good friend who is a simulation engineer for integrated circuits (don't know his official job title, we work in different fields at different companies). He has the exact same setup as you and I've never once heard him complain about it. It's really interesting because even though we both work at desks on computers and both do system design and programming, he is so much less in tune with trends in his field. He VNC's to his graphic intensive simulation program on his crappy Win 7 laptop and gets stuff done. I complain if I can't run several VM's on my developer PC without noticing that they are there.
drzaiusapelord 12y ago
> The solution is for them to run a Linux server into which one will VNC to do graphic intensive IC layout. Why VNC? NX or just plain x11 window forwarding. Maybe they want all their IC data on a server that gets backed up, etc as opposed to littered on a bunch of random desktops that might or might not be backed up.
- madengr 12y ago
  I forgot to add, it's actually worse, in that it's Cadence running on Linux under a VM on some Windows server, which itself is probably a VM. Remote Desktop is allowed to the host running the VM, but not into the VM itself. We had a centralized Linux server and tape system backing up all the Linux workstations, but they fired the guy who ran that server due to stack ranking; i.e. firing 10-15% of you staff yearly, even though he was a really sharp guy. IT rules the roost around here, even though we are an engineering company that produces physical items; not software. It's supposed to be the other way around; IT is supposed to provide a service.

by madengr 12y ago

mqsiuser 12y ago

> not that we have secretaries anymore Saving on them, or are they managers now ?

iamthepieman 12y ago

I have a good friend who is a simulation engineer for integrated circuits (don't know his official job title, we work in different fields at different companies). He has the exact same setup as you and I've never once heard him complain about it. It's really interesting because even though we both work at desks on computers and both do system design and programming, he is so much less in tune with trends in his field. He VNC's to his graphic intensive simulation program on his crappy Win 7 laptop and gets stuff done. I complain if I can't run several VM's on my developer PC without noticing that they are there.

drzaiusapelord 12y ago

> The solution is for them to run a Linux server into which one will VNC to do graphic intensive IC layout. Why VNC? NX or just plain x11 window forwarding. Maybe they want all their IC data on a server that gets backed up, etc as opposed to littered on a bunch of random desktops that might or might not be backed up.

madengr 12y ago
I forgot to add, it's actually worse, in that it's Cadence running on Linux under a VM on some Windows server, which itself is probably a VM. Remote Desktop is allowed to the host running the VM, but not into the VM itself. We had a centralized Linux server and tape system backing up all the Linux workstations, but they fired the guy who ran that server due to stack ranking; i.e. firing 10-15% of you staff yearly, even though he was a really sharp guy. IT rules the roost around here, even though we are an engineering company that produces physical items; not software. It's supposed to be the other way around; IT is supposed to provide a service.