[NCLUG] local end-user support

Brian Wood bwood at beww.org
Fri Nov 9 13:21:08 MST 2007


Chad Perrin wrote:

>>
>> I think you are saying that the people accessing those web pages or
>> popping mail off the server are the "end users", I suppose it would
>> depend on whether these folks are our employees or outsiders.
> 
> As I see it, the people accessing those web pages or email accounts on
> those servers are using the servers too -- and they're the "end" of the
> chain of use.  All a sysadmin is doing is making sure the thing keeps
> running -- which means the sysadmin is in some respects the support
> infrastructure for those "end users", rather than being an end user
> himself.

I guess in this case I am the "end user" as far as server
hardware/software is concerned. The "end goal" is to put a usable server
on the net.

The people accessing the servers are end users of the information, and
are end users of the HW/SW they use to access the servers, but are not
involved or concerned with the servers themselves.

Certainly as far as the server vendor is concerned I am the "end user".

I guess it's just a question of whose chain you are looking for the end of.


> Even if there are limits on who they'll support, I'd still be interested
> in the existence of non-MS/non-Apple third party support providers.
> 

Certainly Sun Microsystems supports Solaris systems, as do a lot of
third-party consultants.

IBM, HP and possibly others will support Linux systems they have sold.

Oracle will help you troubleshoot problems with their software installed
on a Linux system, even if the problem is OS related, as long as it's
one of their "supported" Linux distros and you haven't mucked with it
(much).

As for getting paid support for installing FC8, or getting your Linux
version of Firefox to display Shockwave Flash or the like, I'm not sure.

There are some outfits selling pre-built Linux MythTV systems, I'm not
sure what level of "support" they provide. This actually caused some
problems, as the listing data was being provided for "non-commercial"
purposes only, which led to a squabble  over whether "non-commercial"
applied to just the end user, and if the rule was being violated by
selling such systems (ie: what's the difference between selling hardware
and giving instructions on how to set it up and actually setting it up
prior to a sale).

(These problems have apparently been alleviated, at least for now)

Another case: Somebody sells a Linux system capable of ripping or even
just playing commercial DVDs. This is a technical violation of the DMCA
in the US. Who broke the rule, the system builder or the buyer (or both,
or neither) ? If you "support" such a system are you in potential trouble?

Business people don't like unknown potential liabilities, and Linux
systems are capable of creating them quickly.

beww



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