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From a quick look, I can say that at least half the things listed on the article can be done on Windows Server through an intuitive GUI interface. The simple f

From a quick look, I can say that at least half the things listed on the article can be done on Windows Server through an intuitive GUI interface. The simple fact that newbs and admins alike will never have to lookup the man pages for arcane commands to accomplish simple tasks like setting the timezone (dpkg-reconfigure tzdata) is a big difference in terms of usability.

mindstab 17y ago
the other side of the coin is I can administer a server over a text based connection with linux, and I need a bandwidth heavy and low latency connection to do remote GUI admin for windows. Not that anyone would any more but you can fairly easily administer a unix server over a 56K modem still. Windows, not so much. And once you get it, the console has a lot of expressive power that isn't as easy to reproduce graphically.
- olefoo 17y ago
  Actually, having a bandwidth efficient channel for managing your machines still matters. I've fixed servers using an ssh client on my phone, and while it's obnoxious and not my preferred mode, it's not as bad as having to find a place with a decent internet connection when you're on the road.
  - axod 17y ago
    Agreed. I've fixed servers using my iPhone whilst on the train a couple of times now. That's a pretty big win for linux/cmdline.
- JeremyChase 17y ago
  When I am visiting my parents I have to use their 56k dial-up connection; so being able to ssh makes it possible to admin my servers.
- nfnaaron 17y ago
  Command line: here is an alphabet, grammar and dictionary. With these, you can utter any command, submit any query, and make automatic decisions based on the results of any command or query. You can also create your own grammar and dictionary; recurse as desired. GUI: here are the sentences you're allowed to utter. Which one would you like?
commx 17y ago
Ten years ago, I was a Windows Server admin and Win32 developer. Honestly, in the years I've spent with Linux since then, I can't imagine going back to that world.
pkulak 17y ago
I used to work in a Wondows shop and configuring things like IIS was always a giant pain. I could never remember which of the 14 tabs the setting I needed was on.
gnaritas 17y ago
As a Windows and Linux administrator, I'll say there's nothing intuitive about a GUI or the random ways they change from version to version; I'll take a Linux box and text files any day, it is vastly superior and easier to manage than a bunch of windows boxes. Frankly, the best way to manage a Windows machine is to install Cygwin, ssh, and cron and pretend it's a Linux box.
iuguy 17y ago
The locations and names of things in those GUI interfaces tend to change (a lot) in the Windows World, whereas there tends to be less fundamental change (although some for some distros) in the Linux/BSD world between releases. I'm not suggesting that a GUI is better than command line or vice versa (different strokes for different folks and all that) but that having less change for critical files has saved me a lot by way of time.
samdk 17y ago
While I think your argument is very valid for consumer-level interfaces, I don't think it holds for more skilled and specialized tasks like server administration. Someone who's never done it before should be following a guide regardless (for security reasons if nothing else), and if you set up servers often enough that you don't need to at least glance at a guide or checklist to make sure you're not forgetting something, even the more arcane commands are going to be second nature to you.
joubert 17y ago
What about the other half?

mindstab 17y ago

the other side of the coin is I can administer a server over a text based connection with linux, and I need a bandwidth heavy and low latency connection to do remote GUI admin for windows. Not that anyone would any more but you can fairly easily administer a unix server over a 56K modem still. Windows, not so much. And once you get it, the console has a lot of expressive power that isn't as easy to reproduce graphically.

olefoo 17y ago
Actually, having a bandwidth efficient channel for managing your machines still matters. I've fixed servers using an ssh client on my phone, and while it's obnoxious and not my preferred mode, it's not as bad as having to find a place with a decent internet connection when you're on the road.
- axod 17y ago
  Agreed. I've fixed servers using my iPhone whilst on the train a couple of times now. That's a pretty big win for linux/cmdline.
JeremyChase 17y ago
When I am visiting my parents I have to use their 56k dial-up connection; so being able to ssh makes it possible to admin my servers.
nfnaaron 17y ago
Command line: here is an alphabet, grammar and dictionary. With these, you can utter any command, submit any query, and make automatic decisions based on the results of any command or query. You can also create your own grammar and dictionary; recurse as desired. GUI: here are the sentences you're allowed to utter. Which one would you like?

commx 17y ago

Ten years ago, I was a Windows Server admin and Win32 developer. Honestly, in the years I've spent with Linux since then, I can't imagine going back to that world.

pkulak 17y ago

I used to work in a Wondows shop and configuring things like IIS was always a giant pain. I could never remember which of the 14 tabs the setting I needed was on.

gnaritas 17y ago

As a Windows and Linux administrator, I'll say there's nothing intuitive about a GUI or the random ways they change from version to version; I'll take a Linux box and text files any day, it is vastly superior and easier to manage than a bunch of windows boxes. Frankly, the best way to manage a Windows machine is to install Cygwin, ssh, and cron and pretend it's a Linux box.

iuguy 17y ago

The locations and names of things in those GUI interfaces tend to change (a lot) in the Windows World, whereas there tends to be less fundamental change (although some for some distros) in the Linux/BSD world between releases. I'm not suggesting that a GUI is better than command line or vice versa (different strokes for different folks and all that) but that having less change for critical files has saved me a lot by way of time.

samdk 17y ago

While I think your argument is very valid for consumer-level interfaces, I don't think it holds for more skilled and specialized tasks like server administration. Someone who's never done it before should be following a guide regardless (for security reasons if nothing else), and if you set up servers often enough that you don't need to at least glance at a guide or checklist to make sure you're not forgetting something, even the more arcane commands are going to be second nature to you.

joubert 17y ago

What about the other half?