[olug] to X or not to X (on a server)?

[Eric Penne]

I don't install X on any of my servers.  Primarily because they aren't
connected to a monitor.  I also don't want to have another mouse sitting
next to the server.  I like to put the server in an inconspicuous place
and lay the keyboard on top of it.  X is just one more thing to configure
and update.  None of the things I use a server for need a graphical
interface.  I don't think their would be any sort of performance benefit
unless you leave X running all the time.

For administration I install Webmin.  I use it to control TinyDNS,
dnscache, samba, DHCP, and ssh.  I install sshd for anything that I'm not
comfortable doing in Webmin (file maintainance and scp).

I've also heard that Samba in Debian stable is not the best choice for a
file server.  I can't remember the reasons why though. :)  Something about
missing features and bugginess.  I use Debian unstable for everything.  My
desktops I use knoppix then do a dist-upgrade to unstable (pain in the
butt).

Eric


> So, my friend and I where having this little discussion about setting up
> a debian stable server for basically samba file and print serving.  He
> says X should not ever be installed and I say it should.  What do the
> fellow gnu/linux admins on the list recommend from experience... which
> has more benefit, to install X on a server or to not?  hard drive space
> is not a concern.
>
> reasons for X:
> - provides productive usable environment for local system administration
> (I like to have a couple of terminal windows open and other GUI tools at
> hand (a webbrowser perhaps) when administrating a system versus straight
> CLI)- will not be used/running normally, standard runlevel = 2
> - could easily be uninstalled with 'apt-get remove --purge
> xserver-common ...'- security updates go along with 'apt-get upgrade' so
> not much of a concern (and there are no remote shell logins, just IT
> staff)
>
> reasons against X:
> - another piece of software installed that could be a security
> vulnerability- added difficulty for system backups?
> - performance benefit by not being installed?
>
> so, to have the option of X or to not on a server, what's best?
>
> peace
>
>   Brian Wiese | bwiese at cotse.com | aim: unolinuxguru
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