[ajug-members] Do Developers need Administrator rights

[Paul Bemowski]

Consider Linux.  It is a great platform to develop on, especially if a company
embraces it (which will be an uphill battle with windows corp securty types).  Much
less malicious software to deal with, but developers must be familiar with it.

I also know people who have had success using Linux in VMWare on windows to develop.
 I prefer Windows in VMWare on linux to access mail.

Paul 

--- tooger at bellsouth.net wrote:

> Fellow Developers
> 
> I need your input on the topic of administrator priveleges. The public network is
> a dangerous place. To protect the interests of the business, a network
> administrator has to put in place significant defenses. One of these defenses is
> to impose a policy that restricts a user from installing whatever they want onto
> their desktop/laptop. 
> 
> In the Windows world, this typically means that the user has no administrator
> priveleges. This policy works well for the typical user and certainly prevents
> them from installing all sorts of rubbish on their corporate desktop exposing the
> business in many different ways. The larger the company, the greater the risk, the
> more restrictive the policy. I have found though that this policy doesn't work too
> well for Developers (or is it just me).
> 
> Developers need to be able to install versions of tools and products at will. At
> times, they may need to have access to the registry. They may need to install and
> run desktop editions of some pretty advanced software e.g. Oracle XE or SQL Server
> 2005 Express as part of building their development environment. Trying to do our
> jobs without Administrator priveleges is like being forced to paint a room with a
> toothbrush and your hands tied behind your back. (Of course, I would say the
> Windows security model is the root issue - can I do sudo in Windows?)
> 
> However, I also recognise the need for a network administrator to secure the
> network.
> 
> What is the solution to providing a flexible development environment for
> developers without exposing the network? One solution may be to have a dedicated
> development network separate to the corporate network. What are your thoughts on
> this solution? What about other solutions (virtual environments)? How do you cope
> with such restrictive policies (personally, I've had to resort to using my own
> laptop and private network at work)?
> 
> Jason
> 
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