conundrum: Ubuntu Desktop or Server to host an alt-media #openvideo #opentech portal?
A Friday afternoon conundrum: Ubuntu Desktop or Server to host an alt-media #openvideo #opentech portal on a commercial server?
An alt-media project expanding within the constraints of very limited funding (which doesn’t provide for a paid sysadmin) aspires to offer a portal for a variety of ‘community’ managed video channels.
The previous iteration was self-hosted running on Ubuntu Desktop behind a DSL gateway in their office. They’ve since moved to commercial hosting on a non-dedicated server ( http://www.ovh.co.uk/products/rps3.xml ). Additionally but perhaps not a deal-breaker, it is envisaged that the project could eventually lead to a roll-your-own distro.
Their mission commits to open standards, open source, #openvideo, #opentech and thus to use a GUI wherever possible. For this reason they’d prefer to use Ubuntu Desktop to as far as possible limit any divide between geeks and video producers. This would then be administered using Remote Desktop. Any unavoidable use of the command line would be limited to very precisely documented short sessions. The portal is Liferay Community Edition – little known in the UK third sector but used more extensively by grassroots organisations in the US – https://www.liferay.com/ linking to a MySQL database. As an alt-media project security becomes an issue, some of the content on some of the channels is highly likely to come under attack from hackers. When/if hacked they envisage a scenario of an easy-ish restoration process of re-installing the OS and necessary MySQL, openJDK, etc and then loading up latest backups of the database and the portal directory (although in truth they really lust after a mirror to switch over to).
So is this a sensible strategy, or would they be better advised to abandon this degree of openness and go with Ubuntu Server with the administration restricted to yet-to-be-found geeks?
Sep 11th 2010
I have a dedicated linux server from http://www.bytemark.co.uk. It has a mirrored disk 2 x 500gb and 4gb ram. It costs around £100 per month. I have deployed Liferay Portal 5.2 on a java ee 5 deployment environment. You can see this here http://www.niportals.com. I also have a java ee 1.42 and java ee 6 environments serving in access of 50 business applications. Most apps and the portals use mysql also hosted on this machine and some of the older apps use the java db (derby) engine.
Bytemark manage the connectivity, power and physical environment. I solely
manage all software on the machine. This arrangement has worked very well over the last 3 years and I am about to rent a second server to deploy the
new java ee 7 environment and liferay portal 6.
Let me know if you need any help with installation or hosting of Liferay
or other java servlets.
Kind Regards,
Paul.
Sep 11th 2010
There are already geeks working on alt-media projects and video sharing. Will this project really provide anything completely unique or would you be better working with some of them? Get in touch with the Indymedia UK video people and see who’s doing what at the moment.
Personally I’d say that if you’re running a Java-based CMS with MySQL on a Linux machine then you’re already pretty geeky and the extra steps of learning command-line over gui won’t be too difficult for you. However, security is indeed a big concern, and that probably would require you to bring in extra people to help.
Why are you planning on rolling your own distro? Again, there are already distros out there which handle editing and to some extent hosting. See also projects like Cinelerra Server and some of the Drupal stuff the Indymedia people are doing.
The managing of servers clearly is not part of the group’s core skills, so why not let others manage this and concentrate on creating the art?
Sep 13th 2010
I would strongly advise against installing desktop software on a server.
The more stuff that is installed the more vulnerabilities there are for hackers. Maintaining a desktop system as a server would be a nightmare.
If you want a opensource GUI for a Ubuntu server then check out http://www.zentyal.com/
Sep 13th 2010
Hi Alice, thanks for your comment.
The project isn’t new and is already established within the alt-media community, engaged long-term with the Indymedia UK Video list, part of the Open Video Network, etc.
As I say above, a key part of the mission is to provide a community portal which helps break down the divide between users, video producers and techies. That explains the wish to use a GUI where possible/practical. Further to that many creative types are often dyslexic – learning the command line isn’t for all.
Sep 13th 2010
repost of cKs Paula responding on the ukriders list:
Sep 24th 2010
Thanks for all the feedback, as Steve say it has to be about “break(ing) down the divide between users, video producers and techies”
It takes a push in this directions to make more real the possibility of technology playing a positive role in making the world a better place:
Users need to be incureaged/empowered to interact more, to become
producers who have to look after there own tools more and geeks have to work with users and producers to make this happen.
Braking down the client/server model as much as possible is a start.
Me thinks.
Hamish