Comments

• twitter

  2011-01-28 14:45:04

  Microsoft incompetence wins again, how horrible.
  
  

  Johns Hopkins University will use Likewise Enterprise for Education to integrate its Linux and Mac computers using Microsoft Active Directory.

  
  
  They misspelled subjugate as integrate. Such a thing would probably require some kind of non free Trojan horse be installed on gnu/linux to make Active Directory sort of work and to put them under Microsoft central control, just like Windows. The press release confirms this for Mac:
  
  

  The central IT department can enable single sign-on and enforce policies on systems in the network, and will also manage computer labs comprised exclusively of Macs using Apple’s Workgroup Manager application and Likewise Enterprise, which allows Mac-specific system settings to be managed remotely.

  
  
  Translation: the Windows monkeys at John Hopkins now have control over all Macs and will ruin them by forcing onto them patches, firewalls, anti-virus and other stupid stuff that Windows requires.
  
  This kind of central control of Windows was viewed as a disaster when it happend at my university four years ago. Departments with a clue had their own IT staff that did a better job of managing things. All of their careful work was undone when they were forced to join the central "domain" which gave central IT complete control over their machines. The stated purpose was to solve the ongoing Windows insecurity network meltdowns. "Unpatched" systems were then kicked off the network unless they were hidden behind a "rogue" router. Only a Stalinist would think central control over computing is a good idea at a research institute.
  
  Having this happen to Macs and GNU/Linux is an even bigger disaster, because those were the exits that people hit to avoid Windows stupidity like central control. The Microsoft idiots have used the costs of their own lack of cooperation to take control of systems run by people who know better. Microsoft is infamous for technical sabotage of their competitors, so we can expect Likewise software to immediately destabilize both gnu/linux and OSX systems. I feel terrible for people at Johns Hopkins, especially researchers who will suffer the most disruption. Microsoft will lay the blame GNU/Linux and Apple competitors and ultimately on their Likewise flunkies.
  
  This news reminds me of the London Stock Exchange fiasco. Johns Hopkins is a medical powerhouse which had been using gnu/linux like everyone else. Landing them is a prestigious coup for Likewise/Microsoft advertising people that will inevitably blow up in their faces.

• GrumpYoungNerd

  2011-02-03 07:13:02

  I interviewed with likewise last March for a SysAdmin/Support position (and I have the emails to prove it), helping customers with Linux and Mac Likewise installs. During the interview with Jessie DeCarlos I started asking excited questions about deploying RedHat Directory Servers to replace ActiveDirectory which would push more Linux desktops into the enterprise, thinking this was Likewises goal. I was stopped cold by Jessie and told the hard facts of Likewise which were the opposite. According to Jessie, the goal of Likewise was to go into Mac/Linux enterprises and convert their directory servers into MS ActiveDirectory while allowing them to keep their Mac/Linux desktops. When I pressed further about Likewise being a open source company I was told that a.) its open core not open source b.) the goal is to push MS server software as the executive and sales team is all ex-MS and still very good friends with Redmond.
  
  And to seal the deal of my disgust with these trolls, I was told the compensation package included lots of bonuses, for.......wait for it.......converting Mac/Linux directory servers over to MS ActiveDirectory. I feel violated just telling the story.
  
  One last bit, I had installed Likewise before the interview (when I was naive and thought they were pushing open source not the opposite) on my Ubuntu test box and tried to get it working on a MS domain. Ehhhh, nope, didnt work. On top of that, I uninstalled and then found Likewise changes your local user password and wont let the local user change it by removing the permissions. Crap software being pimped as ‘open source’ and its a total shame.
  
  keep up the great work techrights!! GrumpYoungNerd

• twitter

  2011-02-03 13:05:03

  Thank you for sharing this.

• Dr. Roy Schestowitz

  2011-02-03 13:24:23

  Thanks. It was important to tell more people.