Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#171

Post by celdon25 » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:51 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #151

rlv-dan wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a long time Windows user, it would take me a considerable amount of time to get used to the operating system and all applications and utilities that I need to be productive. Not saying Windows is great, but it works for me. And I'm pretty sure they don't hire people to learn an operating system.

Another good feature of this policy is that it rules out people who explicitly identify themselves as "$OPERATING_SYSTEM user"s. Tying your identity (personal or professional) to some proprietary software brand is a little silly.

There are plenty of good developers who haven’t had the time to become masters at multiple operating systems yet. In this economy, it’s better to stick with what you know well.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#172

Post by marcosdumay » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:51 PM UTC

habnds wrote: post #3

>> GitLab approves the use of Linux, and Apple's macOS. Microsoft Windows is prohibited for the following reasons: Due to Microsoft Windows' dominance in desktop operating systems, Windows is the platform most targetted by spyware, viruses, and ransomware. macOS is preinstalled on Apple computers and Linux is available free of charge. To approve the use of Windows, GitLab would have to purchase Windows Professional l…

All of the reasons are perfectly valid. Just not extremely relevant.

Normally any company looking at that level of operational detail has a problem. But on their case, yes, it's probably because Windows comes from their competitor.

Adding a bunch of work, costs, and risk to yourself that will only benefit your competitor does not feel good. No matter how relevant are the work, costs, and risk.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#173

Post by detaro » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:52 PM UTC

pjmlp wrote: post #162

detaro wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unsurprisingly, they don't run CI on developer laptops, which the linked page is about.

So their developers do indeed use Pixie dust when debugging Windows build pipelines and compilers.

Virtual machines aren't that magic I'd say, but sure, if you think they are pixie dust, then I guess its pixie dust...

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#174

Post by xeromal » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:54 PM UTC

sneak wrote: post #151

rlv-dan wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a long time Windows user, it would take me a considerable amount of time to get used to the operating system and all applications and utilities that I need to be productive. Not saying Windows is great, but it works for me. And I'm pretty sure they don't hire people to learn an operating system.

Another good feature of this policy is that it rules out people who explicitly identify themselves as "$OPERATING_SYSTEM user"s. Tying your identity (personal or professional) to some proprietary software brand is a little silly.

Yeah, we know exclusive Linux users are full of it.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#175

Post by shapefrog » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:58 PM UTC

ironmagma wrote: post #81

shapefrog wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair ... they got a lot of middle management catch phrases into that description. Going to be an easy sell to the board.

There’s something telling about companies that put sales over common sense.

The sales team still gets "pro" laptops.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#176

Post by marcosdumay » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:59 PM UTC

ironmagma wrote: post #8

This is being posted just a day after this tweet: https://twitter.com/allenholub/status/1555324387087097856 I really wonder what it's like inside Gitlab. The product ticks all the boxes you'd want it to, but the user experience just resonates with sadness and misery.

I don't get it, is the complain about the "you can ensure your teams are working at the right things at the right time" part?

How is wanting your products to be aligned with their vision evidence of dysfunction?

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#177

Post by phkahler » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 3:59 PM UTC

horsawlarway wrote: post #9

I'm no fan of Windows myself, but I find this a fairly bad policy. If nothing else - what's not used is not tested. And if you expect any real population of users to be using Windows machines with your products, you should have developers/PMs/QA/support interacting with your products using Windows machines. I see this as: We're saving a bit of money and making ITs life easier, and in exchange users will get a worse p…

Not sure how that compares to all the companies that require Windows.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#178

Post by stuckinhell » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 4:02 PM UTC

I'm a fan, I'd even ban mac/apple stuff if I could from my place of work. It's clear corporations are seeking more and more intrusive control of our applications both business and personal.

A large and popular software vendor we have used for 7 years has approached us recently and wants to charge us a variable amount depending how integral their product is to our business.

Now management understands the threat, and we are shifting resources to convert things to FOSS, and build up the software community more.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#179

Post by ahtihn » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 4:03 PM UTC

kazinator wrote: post #105

horsawlarway wrote: post #9

I'm no fan of Windows myself, but I find this a fairly bad policy. If nothing else - what's not used is not tested. And if you expect any real population of users to be using Windows machines with your products, you should have developers/PMs/QA/support interacting with your products using Windows machines. I see this as: We're saving a bit of money and making ITs life easier, and in exchange users will get a worse p…

This document seems to be about the machines that employees at Gitlab are given, not about target machines for testing and deploying software. They probably have some Windows machines at Gitlab for verifying the experience of Gitlab users/customers who use Windows. I imagine a developer doing that would have a dedicated Windows machine, or possibly a guest VM, for that activity.

You're never going to get the same coverage with some test VMs compared to people actually using the product on their primary machine every day.

Re: Microsoft Windows is prohibited at Gitlab

#180

Post by hbn » Fri, Aug 05, 2022, 4:04 PM UTC

Diggsey wrote: post #66

jchw wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, Gitlab is a web platform. It's pretty easy to test how it's going to work on different platforms without needing full machines. Heck, you can even just get Microsoft Edge binaries on macOS and Linux if you want to test Edge. But failing that, VMs are pretty sufficient.

Tell that to the FE devs who add `overflow: scroll` everywhere and don't spot the problem...

I think YouTube comments have a bug like this right now. On Windows I frequently see a giant horizontal scrollbar across some comments that doesn't even move, or moves very little.