filePro & AWS

[Fairlight]

On Sat, Aug 05, 2023 at 06:33:04PM -0400, Jose Lerebours via Filepro-list thus spoke:
> 
> I received word from a list member that this is possible provided you
> install the needed libraries - He pulled it off using Ubuntu 22.##

Good to know.

> Well, I respectfully disagree for this action would not take away from them
> but rather gives them mean to create an additional profit center in an
> area they should have locked in and should take minimal $$$ to roll out,
> even if they had to use AWS themselves.

Here's the rub...  To be able to offer it as 'always on', you need to
maintain a level of service with AWS, which means even if all your
customers bail, you still have infrastructure cost.  I don't think
they're in a strong enough position to want to do that.

> More and more of the community members are fading out (I know, we have been
> saying this for 20+ years).  Hosted/Shared VM is the way the industry
> turned long ago; this could had generated good revenue for them had them
> offered it.

If it ran decently under Apache under Docker, it might have some future
in that sort of environment.  It's not made to do that, though.  And the
last time someone I know tried, it wasn't viable.  fP runs under Docker,
but something about running it under Apache under Docker was a no-go.
It acted like SUID wasn't working, despite every indication it was.  It
couldn't even find its own files.

> Is it too late or not wise if they have to compete with AWS and other
> providers that cost $10 to 100 per month?  That is an entirely different
> question.

You still come back to, "Who in this day and age wants to use an 80x24
ASCII interface?

We're at the point where external-facing ssh is considered an
undesirable security topographical surface, depending how serious your
ISEC department is about things.

> I would even argue that they may increase their license/upgrade sales
> because the cost of "self hosting" could be directed to a robust cloud
> service with greater capacity
> and more importantly, worry free (well, one would hope).  Browser based
> access to manage your account; rcp or rsync to backup your stuff ...

I'm so going to pretend I didn't just see you say rcp, because that
would really indicate things about your views on security that you don't
want anyone thinking.  :) 

> Having said all that, if they get stupid with pricing because you are now
> using their hosted services, one always has the option to migrate out of
> there and go else where.

I know those who would argue that they've been stupid with pricing for
decades.  It's in the eye of the beholder, really.

m->
-- 
Audi omnia, crede nihil.