[Techtalk] Why is life without X important? (was: Re: info)

[Caitlyn M. Martin]

Hi, Carla,
> 
> Is this really an issue?

To anyone who has been a sysadmin for a long time, yes, it's a real
issue.  If X stops working you need to be able to live at the command
line.

> Are you working on the Last Computer On Earth? I 
> always have a connected, functioning PC available. When I visit client sites 
> I bring my trusty notebook.  You can't depend on the sick PC to help!

Ah... but I administer many headless Sun boxen, as in no video card. 
These are production servers.  I inherited one with filesystem
corruption which died a week after I got here.  I had to use that
notebook you mention to get a console terminal through a serial port. 
So.. no X.  Also no network.  Just a serial port.  No command line=no
fix.

Oh, and on many administrative servers we deliberately don't even
install X.  If someone hacks in why make their life easier?  Also, if
the box is, say... a NIS/DHCP/NTP/Loghost server, why do I need to use
the resources X takes up?  Why not leave the memory free for real work? 
Ditto our CVS repository.

Also, where I live (in the boondocks) DSL is six months from being
available, there is no cable, and satellite internet is expensive and
has latency.  So... if something cooks late at night I need to VPN in
and fix it.  I'd sure rather do that at the console at dial up speeds. 
Much, much faster and easier.

Anyone who does serious systems administration needs to be able to live
without X.  My examples are three of many.

Later,
Caity