• Win Server on Home Network?

    From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jul 10 12:12:59 2024
    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and last night MSFT decided to
    re-boot my main PC.

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Objective is to have absolute control over when and how updates are
    applied so I can run them centrally when it suits me.

    Anybody actually doing this who can point out the pitfalls please? I have unused MSDN keys for various flavours of Server 2003 but that's probably a
    bit ancient even for me!

    Happy to read online articles but haven't found any useful ones yet...

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    The fact that there's a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says
    a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Andy Burns@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Wed Jul 10 13:16:10 2024
    Jeff Gaines wrote:

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Objective is to have absolute control over when and how updates are
    applied so I can run them centrally when it suits me.

    Anybody actually doing this who can point out the pitfalls please?

    I have yet to install a server2022 with wsus, so can't say if it's any different from the past ... but you should be able to control them

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Adrian Caspersz@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Wed Jul 10 14:18:03 2024
    On 10/07/2024 13:12, Jeff Gaines wrote:

    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and  last night MSFT decided to
    re-boot my main PC.

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Objective is to have absolute control over when and how updates are
    applied so I can run them centrally when it suits me.

    Anybody actually doing this who can point out the pitfalls please? I
    have unused MSDN keys for various flavours of Server 2003 but that's
    probably a bit ancient even for me!

    Happy to read online articles but haven't found any useful ones yet...


    I do this, but it's my day job so am familiar with the tools, and it
    helps with personal training for someone in employment as such.

    Looking after a WSUS service instance and getting clients to talk to it,
    will drive you mad. WSUS is a crap MS product with bugs. IMHO Completely
    over the top solution for taming Windows Update on a single client, but
    that is Microsoft for ya.

    But anyway, for Active Directory to work you will have to have the
    server looking after DNS, and then worry about DNS provision for your
    network when the server is down. So you will be deep in networks theory.

    I have multiple domain controllers, some virtualised for high
    availability. You will need something for Server backup, and then worry
    about tombstone lifetime. And apart from Microsoft defender, there are
    no cheap anti-malware suites available.

    This is "home lab" territory and there is PLENTY of online articles and
    videos out there. You can also ask chat-gpt for specifics instead of
    reading a lot of guff.

    --
    Adrian C

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jul 10 14:50:24 2024
    On 10/07/2024 in message <lf7ccdFtv6hU1@mid.individual.net> Andy Burns
    wrote:

    Jeff Gaines wrote:

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Objective is to have absolute control over when and how updates are
    applied so I can run them centrally when it suits me.

    Anybody actually doing this who can point out the pitfalls please?

    I have yet to install a server2022 with wsus, so can't say if it's any >different from the past ... but you should be able to control them

    Thanks Andy :-)

    I put a question on a MSFT forum and one of their people replied saying
    she "understands my frustration". If that's the case it begs the question
    why don't they fix it! Anyway she gave me instructions on setting it up
    and there is a 180 day trial of Server 2022 so I will give it a whirl.

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Caspersz on Wed Jul 10 14:52:50 2024
    On 10/07/2024 in message <lf7g0bFu00fU1@mid.individual.net> Adrian
    Caspersz wrote:

    On 10/07/2024 13:12, Jeff Gaines wrote:

    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and  last night MSFT decided to >>re-boot my main PC.

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Objective is to have absolute control over when and how updates are
    applied so I can run them centrally when it suits me.

    Anybody actually doing this who can point out the pitfalls please? I have >>unused MSDN keys for various flavours of Server 2003 but that's probably
    a bit ancient even for me!

    Happy to read online articles but haven't found any useful ones yet...


    I do this, but it's my day job so am familiar with the tools, and it helps >with personal training for someone in employment as such.

    Looking after a WSUS service instance and getting clients to talk to it,
    will drive you mad. WSUS is a crap MS product with bugs. IMHO Completely
    over the top solution for taming Windows Update on a single client, but
    that is Microsoft for ya.

    But anyway, for Active Directory to work you will have to have the server >looking after DNS, and then worry about DNS provision for your network
    when the server is down. So you will be deep in networks theory.

    I have multiple domain controllers, some virtualised for high
    availability. You will need something for Server backup, and then worry
    about tombstone lifetime. And apart from Microsoft defender, there are no >cheap anti-malware suites available.

    This is "home lab" territory and there is PLENTY of online articles and >videos out there. You can also ask chat-gpt for specifics instead of
    reading a lot of guff.

    Many thanks Adrian :-)

    It actually sounds as if I might enjoy it, I have just finished a couple
    of heavy programming projects so I'm looking for something to keep my
    brain active!

    I am down-loading the 180 day trial as we speak....

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do or
    say nothing. (Edmund Burke)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Jaimie Vandenbergh@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jul 10 14:56:34 2024
    On 10 Jul 2024 at 13:12:59 BST, ""Jeff Gaines"" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
    wrote:


    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and last night MSFT decided to
    re-boot my main PC.

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Heavily not recommended, you'll spend a thousand times as much effort
    doing that than recovering from after a surprise PC reboot. Windows
    Server is a steaming pile, and you need at least two of them.

    I would suggest instead:
    1) Move to apps with continuous state. Most things now are autosaving or temp-saving to restart where you left off, in the phone app sort of
    fashion. Browsers can be set to keep tabs and windows. Even Windows
    Explorer can do it, though it gets confused sometimes if network drives
    don't map quickly enough.
    2) Automate the noshutdown thing. Use a tool to daily launch it if it's
    not running already.
    3) Or automate the "don't reboot" control panel thing, resetting it to
    +14 days or whatever it is, on a daily basis.

    Or you can do what I did,
    4) Move to an OS that *doesn't do that shit*. Fortunately you're spoiled
    for choice in this one, as all other OSes don't do that shit. I went
    Mac, and the ability to do a system update and then be back with exactly
    the same windows and apps in the same state as you were before the
    reboot is part of the deal there.

    Cheers - Jaimie
    --
    Good judgement comes from experience.
    Experience comes from bad judgement.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Theo@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Wed Jul 10 19:14:34 2024
    Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:

    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and last night MSFT decided to
    re-boot my main PC.

    I am thinking of putting Windows Server 2022 Essentials on the machine
    that acts as a server here and setting up a domain so my PCs can join it.

    Objective is to have absolute control over when and how updates are
    applied so I can run them centrally when it suits me.

    Look into Windows 10/11 IoT Enterprise LTSC. It's the version of Windows for embedded
    applications where you don't want updates to break your appliance.

    Consumers aren't supposed to have it, but I think there are certain 'unofficial' methods...

    Theo

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Vandenbergh on Thu Jul 11 07:10:46 2024
    On 10/07/2024 in message <lf7lp2Fth7U1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    I would suggest instead:

    [snipped]

    I am not changing OS at my age, I have far too much invested in Windows!

    I have a Linux box (HP N54L) that just runs Braserio and a Mac Mini M1
    that my Re.Corder connects to - because it is much better for music than Windows.

    I spend 99% of my time programming in Visual Studio, something I have thoroughly enjoyed since my Vic 20, and there is nothing that good for any other OS. I did try XCode when I had a Mac Pro but its logic and mine were somewhat different. Whatever MSFT says the Windows API hasn't changed
    since forever and apps I wrote for Win 98 using the API all work perfectly
    on Win 10.

    There is a 180 day trial of Server 2022 and of Windows 11 IoT Enterprise
    LTSC (thanks Theo!) and I will give them both a try on a spare machine.

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    Those are my principles – and if you don’t like them, well, I have
    others.
    (Groucho Marx)

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Pancho@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Thu Jul 11 17:35:30 2024
    On 11/07/2024 08:10, Jeff Gaines wrote:
    On 10/07/2024 in message <lf7lp2Fth7U1@mid.individual.net> Jaimie
    Vandenbergh wrote:

    I would suggest instead:

    [snipped]

    I am not changing OS at my age, I have far too much invested in Windows!

    I have a Linux box (HP N54L) that just runs Braserio and a Mac Mini M1
    that my Re.Corder connects to - because it is much better for music than Windows.

    I spend 99% of my time programming in Visual Studio, something I have thoroughly enjoyed since my Vic 20, and there is nothing that good for
    any other OS.

    IntelliJ IDEA and similar are often as good as Visual Studio, or better.
    It depends on what language you use, what you do. They run on Windows
    and Linux. It used to be the case that many people used the IntelliJ
    ReSharper extension in Visual Studio, because IntelliJ stuff was so good.

    I did try XCode when I had a Mac Pro but its logic and
    mine were somewhat different. Whatever MSFT says the Windows API hasn't changed since forever and apps I wrote for Win 98 using the API all work perfectly on Win 10.

    There is a 180 day trial of Server 2022 and of Windows 11 IoT Enterprise
    LTSC (thanks Theo!) and I will give them both a try on a spare machine.


    I did once set up an OpenLDAP based Windows Domain on my home LAN.
    OpenLDAP fills the same role as Windows Server. I got it all to work,
    but..... I then realised that many (most?) standard Windows system configuration tasks were done in a totally different way in the Domain
    World. That might be OK for someone like Adrian, who has that knowledge,
    but for me, it was horrific. It was harder to Google how to do stuff in
    the Domain World, even the simplest task became difficult. So I quickly
    rolled everything back. I chalked it up as one of my all-time dumb ideas.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Jeff Gaines@21:1/5 to Gaines on Sun Jul 14 08:40:26 2024
    On 10/07/2024 in message <xn0oo5jfhi3yjo003@news.individual.net> Jeff
    Gaines wrote:

    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and last night MSFT decided to
    re-boot my main PC.

    Just to say Server 2022 demo went on my HP Z230 sweet as a nut, much easier/quicker than a Win 10 install. Once installed the windows that pop
    up are just wire frames so very difficult to tell one from another.

    It runs fine but as some people said setting up a domain controller is an exercise in frustration and it struck me part way through that my laptops
    have Win 10 Home, only my desktops have Pro so the laptops couldn't join a domain anyway.

    I've called halt for now and put Win 8.1 on, running fine, asked me for
    the computer name during install and updates are set to download and ask
    when to install. Such simple differences, no idea why they aren't in 10, perhaps the programmers are bored and looking for things to do?

    Many thanks for all the input :-)

    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    There are 3 types of people in this world. Those who can count, and those
    who can't.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Adrian Caspersz@21:1/5 to Jeff Gaines on Tue Jul 16 08:19:19 2024
    On 14/07/2024 09:40, Jeff Gaines wrote:
    On 10/07/2024 in message <xn0oo5jfhi3yjo003@news.individual.net> Jeff
    Gaines wrote:

    I forgot to run my "NoShutdown" app and  last night MSFT decided to
    re-boot my main PC.

    Just to say Server 2022 demo went on my HP Z230 sweet as a nut, much easier/quicker than a Win 10 install. Once installed the windows that
    pop up are just wire frames so very difficult to tell one from another.

    It runs fine but as some people said setting up a domain controller is
    an exercise in frustration and it struck me part way through that my
    laptops have Win 10 Home, only my desktops have Pro so the laptops
    couldn't join a domain anyway.

    I've called halt for now and put Win 8.1 on, running fine, asked me for
    the computer name during install and updates are set to download and ask
    when to install. Such simple differences, no idea why they aren't in 10, perhaps the programmers are bored and looking for things to do?

    Many thanks for all the input :-)


    https://zentyal.com/

    Probably not for you Jeff, but I've just found this Linux OS which
    claims to be a replacement for Windows Server. Not tried it, but
    interesting if it supports distributed group policy for windows clients
    out of the box as it claims.

    It's a paid thing, but they also have a free community version.

    https://zentyal.com/community/


    --
    Adrian C

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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