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### LG hosting

Ben Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:26:36 -0400

Hello, Gang -

After a number of years of providing hosting services for LG (and a number of others), our old friend T. R. is, sadly, shutting down his servers. Whatever his plans for the future may be, he has my best wishes and the utmost in gratitude for all those great years; if there was such a thing as a "Best Friends and Supporters of LG" list, he'd be right at the top.

(T.R. - if we happen to be in the same proximity, the beer's on me. Yes, even the realy good stuff.)

I've arranged for space on another host, moved the site over to it, and have just finished all the configuration and alpha testing. Please check out LG in its new digs (at the same URL, obviously), and let me know if you find any problems or anything missing.

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

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Thomas Adam [thomas at xteddy.org]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:11:29 +0100

On 20 September 2010 22:26, Ben Okopnik <ben at linuxgazette.net> wrote:

    > Hello, Gang -
    >
    > After a number of years of providing hosting services for LG (and a
    > number of others), our old friend T. R. is, sadly, shutting down his
    > servers. Whatever his plans for the future may be, he has my best wishes
    > and the utmost in gratitude for all those great years; if there was such
    > a thing as a "Best Friends and Supporters of LG" list, he'd be right at
    > the top.
    >
    > (T.R. - if we happen to be in the same proximity, the beer's on me. Yes,
    > even the realy good stuff.)
    >
    > I've arranged for space on another host, moved the site over to it, and
    > have just finished all the configuration and alpha testing. Please check
    > out LG in its new digs (at the same URL, obviously), and let me know if
    > you find any problems or anything missing.

This is sad new indeed, as I recall when TR gave us permission to host LG. Do you (Ben) or TR himself know of the reason why TR is closing down?

-- Thomas Adam

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Ben Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:16:01 -0400

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 12:11:29AM +0100, Thomas Adam wrote:

    >
    > This is sad new indeed, as I recall when TR gave us permission to host
    > LG.

Yeah, I remember that pretty well myself. A good bit of water under the bridge since then, hey, Thomas?

    > Do you (Ben) or TR himself know of the reason why TR is closing
    > down?

I've asked; it's nothing bad, just trying to simplify things and cut expenses.

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

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Thomas Adam [thomas at xteddy.org]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:25:35 +0100

On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 07:16:01PM -0400, Ben Okopnik wrote:

    > On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 12:11:29AM +0100, Thomas Adam wrote:
    > >
    > > This is sad new indeed, as I recall when TR gave us permission to host
    > > LG.
    >
    > Yeah, I remember that pretty well myself. A good bit of water under the
    > bridge since then, hey, Thomas?

I suppose.

    > > Do you (Ben) or TR himself know of the reason why TR is closing
    > > down?
    >
    > I've asked; it's nothing bad, just trying to simplify things and cut
    > expenses.

Does any of this fall directly onto your shoulders in the long-term? I mean, where is the new LG hosted, and are you looking, for, over time, people to potentially need to support you financially? In other words, even through best of intentions, do you foresee a T.R scenario in the making? It's best to ask now, rather than assume later on, this might crop up.

I am almost hoping though, in situations such as this, that our mirroring services will/can serve as automated backup, although I appreciate the mirrors expect a known location through DNS each time to fetch new editions of LG.

Basically, if any of this is an apparent problem for you, Ben, sooner, rather than later, you need to say now. Lest forever hold your peace.

Kindly,

-- Thomas Adam

    --
    "Deep in my heart I wish I was wrong.  But deep in my heart I know I am
    not." -- Morrissey ("Girl Least Likely To" -- off of Viva Hate.)

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Ben Okopnik [ben at okopnik.com]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:07:29 -0400

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 12:25:35AM +0100, Thomas Adam wrote:

    >
    > Does any of this fall directly onto your shoulders in the long-term?

Yes. And in the immediate term, too.

    > I mean, where is the new LG hosted, and are you looking, for, over time,
    > people to potentially need to support you financially?  In other words, even
    > through best of intentions, do you foresee a T.R scenario in the making?
    > It's best to ask now, rather than assume later on, this might crop up.

Thanks for asking, but the arrangement that I set up in order to host this and the other LG lists (at Dreamhost.com) includes web space in the price. Free hosting was a very nice adjunct to the whole "we're the last free Linux 'zine left standing" scene, but it wasn't a requirement - and running a website these days doesn't cost much.

    > I am almost hoping though, in situations such as this, that our mirroring
    > services will/can serve as automated backup, although I appreciate the
    > mirrors expect a known location through DNS each time to fetch new editions
    > of LG.

That is the purpose of DNS, y'know. They don't need to learn anything new, change any methods, sacrifice to any wicked furrin' deities, or scale barbed-wire fences under an artillery barrage; all remains calm and peaceful, because http://linuxgazette.net is, well, the same as it ever was. Even though the files now live on another server.

    > Basically, if any of this is an apparent problem for you, Ben, sooner,
    > rather than later, you need to say now.   Lest forever hold your peace.

[smile] Thanks, Thomas (although the above sounds vaguely like a death threat. No, it's not a problem; in fact, given that T.R. was also hosting my personal and business site, http://okopnik.com/ , I'm rather glad that I did set up that hosting arrangement. It took me much of the day to get everything transferred over, particularly the MySQL, script, and crontab bits, but that's what I do for a living anyway.

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

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Mulyadi Santosa [mulyadi.santosa at gmail.com]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 08:06:53 +0700

Hi all especially Ben

I just read about it and almost think LG is gonna bye bye Kidding, I know LG won't die that fast

OK, hosting problem. How about, someday, LG is hosted at the same hosting that hold kernel.org? I think it makes sense, yea? Both are free as free beer, and complement each other. One are the tools, the other is the documentation ...most likely of those tools. After all, if I predict correctly, kernel.org could sustain higher traffic load.

Just 2 cents tip :

-- regards,

Mulyadi Santosa Freelance Linux trainer and consultant

blog: the-hydra.blogspot.com training: mulyaditraining.blogspot.com

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Ben Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:11:33 -0400

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 08:06:53AM +0700, Mulyadi Santosa wrote:

    > Hi all especially Ben
    >
    > I just read about it and almost think LG is gonna bye bye  Kidding,
    > I know LG won't die that fast

Well, now that you bring it up: in the years that I've been running LG, I've looked for, and haven't found, anyone interested in being an assistant editor - or, in fact, anything beyond a proofreader or technical editor. As a result, if I fall under a bus or sail off across the Atlantic tomorrow, LG will indeed die that fast.

And if the expectation is that someone will spring up and Save The Day - allow me my doubts. Being EiC requires me to wear a large number of hats and ride herd on a variety of unruly felines, and it's taken me a long time to get everything running relatively smoothly; I seriously doubt that anyone, no matter how skilled or motivated, could just take over and make it all happen without some guidance and experience. Right now, I'm a SPOF - and I'm not exactly the Rock of Gibraltar.

So - fair warning, folks. It all could indeed fall apart by tomorrow. Frankly, despite the large number of readers that we have, it makes me wonder whether LG has outlived its usefulness. It's as if we were making the world's finest buggy whips: yeah, they're beautiful and top quality, - but if people aren't willing to pay what they cost to make, then their time is over.

    > OK, hosting problem.

Let me clarify that: no, it's not a problem. Really. It's handled.

    > How about, someday, LG is hosted at the same
    > hosting that hold kernel.org? I think it makes sense, yea? Both are
    > free as free beer, and complement each other. One are the tools, the
    > other is the documentation ...most likely of those tools. After all,
    > if I predict correctly, kernel.org could sustain higher traffic load.

Actually, I explored that avenue at one point. Unsurprisingly, that version of "free" costs far too much - because LG would then have to follow their set of rules, in effect becoming their subsidiary publication. Not something I'd want to be part of.

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

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Mulyadi Santosa [mulyadi.santosa at gmail.com]

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:26:35 +0700

Hi Ben

Sorry I skip most parts, I'll jump straight to last point for now. The rest...later ASAP..

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 10:11, Ben Okopnik <ben at linuxgazette.net> wrote:

    > Actually, I explored that avenue at one point. ? Unsurprisingly, that
    > version of "free" costs far too much - because LG would then have to
    > follow their set of rules, in effect becoming their subsidiary
    > publication. Not something I'd want to be part of.

Uh my, I didn't know that. Who actually handles kernel.org anyway? Linux Foundation? And why something like LG must follow their rules? (assuming rules here mean becoming their subsidiary)

    > --
    > * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *
    >
    > TAG mailing list
    > TAG at lists.linuxgazette.net
    > http://lists.linuxgazette.net/listinfo.cgi/tag-linuxgazette.net
    >

-- regards,

Mulyadi Santosa Freelance Linux trainer and consultant

blog: the-hydra.blogspot.com training: mulyaditraining.blogspot.com

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Ben Okopnik [ben at linuxgazette.net]

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:33:25 -0400

On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 10:26:35AM +0700, Mulyadi Santosa wrote:

    > On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 10:11, Ben Okopnik <ben at linuxgazette.net> wrote:
    > > Actually, I explored that avenue at one point. ? Unsurprisingly, that
    > > version of "free" costs far too much - because LG would then have to
    > > follow their set of rules, in effect becoming their subsidiary
    > > publication. Not something I'd want to be part of.
    >
    > Uh my, I didn't know that. Who actually handles kernel.org anyway?
    > Linux Foundation?

I don't recall, at this point.

    > And why something like LG must follow their rules?

How do I put this...

http://www.jargon.net/jargonfile/t/TANSTAAFL.html

    --
    * Ben Okopnik * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette * http://LinuxGazette.NET *

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