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OOzypal
July 19th, 2010, 07:32 AM
Hello,

I requested our IT administrator to install Firefox for me but he refused saying that IE is our main browser.

I tried to convince him but no way.

Can you guys/gals help me convincing him that IE might not be secured and FF is, etc.

TIA

owners4life5
July 19th, 2010, 07:48 AM
have you shown him any comparisons?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/205278/10_reasons_to_choose_firefox_over_internet.html

i would give personal experiences, but i am a google chrome user..

p.s. how are you using i.e on ubuntu??? /=

EDIT:
do remember though, this guy IS your boss..... don.t push it too far, eh?

PhilGil
July 19th, 2010, 07:53 AM
Unless there is a compelling business case to be made by switching the entire group to Firefox, the IT manager is unlikely to make an exception for one user.

If you can get away with it, you may want to try this instead:
http://portableapps.com/

jarviser
July 19th, 2010, 10:32 AM
Unless there is a compelling business case to be made by switching the entire group to Firefox, the IT manager is unlikely to make an exception for one user.

I agree, and if the workstation is set so tight that you have to ask an admin to install anything, the corporate install is probably tied-in to IE in other ways including corporate firewalls and proxies, not to mention contractual requirements in return for their Microsoft Gold licences.

Ask him for Ubuntu on there, should be an interesting response.

lisati
July 19th, 2010, 11:32 AM
Not an Ubuntu-related support question - moved to "Community Cafe."

Whatever you do, keep a good relationship with your IT people. This will probably mean not installing FF yourself for now, especially not without permission.

Paqman
July 19th, 2010, 11:40 AM
Refusing to install non-approved software doesn't make him stupid, he's just doing his job. How do you know he doesn't use Firefox at home?

NightwishFan
July 19th, 2010, 12:46 PM
Think from his perspective. If he installs it, he may have to then lock it down or make it coordinate with other installed software. There might be other contingencies that are his charge that you have no idea about. Of course it can't hurt to ask (well not always) and if you are denied, and it is not your place to ask for a workplace reform, then I suppose you have to be content with what you have, or discuss options.

Johnsie
July 19th, 2010, 01:03 PM
As mentioned by a previous poster, installing portable version of firefox is your best chance. You could also get an ethernet switch and then use that to hook up your own laptop and do whatever you want ;-)

juancarlospaco
July 19th, 2010, 01:16 PM
Maybe... IE apply AD Group Policy, and FF or other dont.

M$ sux

fatality_uk
July 19th, 2010, 01:36 PM
M$ sux

*sigh

Anyway, should your IT admin decide that Firefox is not part of the environment he wants deployed, then they are not stupid but have made a choice. Present clearly the alternatives and ask for them, if they have time to please look into deploying FF.

anaconda
July 19th, 2010, 02:00 PM
Unless there is a compelling business case to be made by switching the entire group to Firefox, the IT manager is unlikely to make an exception for one user.

If you can get away with it, you may want to try this instead:
http://portableapps.com/

+1 for portableapps

donkyhotay
July 19th, 2010, 02:09 PM
Think from his perspective. If he installs it, he may have to then lock it down or make it coordinate with other installed software. There might be other contingencies that are his charge that you have no idea about. Of course it can't hurt to ask (well not always) and if you are denied, and it is not your place to ask for a workplace reform, then I suppose you have to be content with what you have, or discuss options.

+1

I feel your pain though, I wish I could get firefox on my work computer too. My job is still using IE6. )c:

Johnsie
July 19th, 2010, 02:37 PM
Is there a portable apps style thing for Ubuntu?

xc1024
July 19th, 2010, 02:51 PM
What for? It's not like you will often move between two Linux PCs out of which one has an app and second doesn't. If you want to use app without installing on Linux, just compile it but don't install it and add the directory into your $PATH. Never tried it that way, but may work.

RiceMonster
July 19th, 2010, 03:02 PM
Unless there is a compelling business case to be made by switching the entire group to Firefox, the IT manager is unlikely to make an exception for one user.


Refusing to install non-approved software doesn't make him stupid, he's just doing his job. How do you know he doesn't use Firefox at home?

/thread

Johnsie
July 19th, 2010, 03:10 PM
What for?

I'm the software developer at the company I work for but I also get asked quite often to fix peoples computing issues. I have a select set of apps that I use regularly and sometimes when I work on another Ubuntu machine it doesn't have those apps. It would be very convenient for me to have a program that would save me the time of installing/compiling apps. Also, it would be useful for me to be able to have thunderbird and chrome on the flash disk. Portable Apps makes the whole process quick and efficient, so such an app would be very useful for me.

LowSky
July 19th, 2010, 04:14 PM
Hopefully it isn't IE6

Telengard C64
July 19th, 2010, 04:25 PM
Is there a portable apps style thing for Ubuntu?

This topic probably deserves its own thread, but:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/07/portable-linux-apps-run-your-favourite.html

kgas
July 19th, 2010, 04:27 PM
If you can use the usb key get portable applications (http://portableapps.com/) installed in it and use the browser that you want with the proxy settings any transferred.

Lucifer The Dark
July 19th, 2010, 04:40 PM
Don't get too strung up about it, where I worked till recently was still using Win3.1 & an early version of Internet Exploder.

koenn
July 19th, 2010, 04:48 PM
refusing to install non-approved software doesn't make him stupid, he's just doing his job.


think from his perspective. If he installs it, he may have to then lock it down or make it coordinate with other installed software. There might be other contingencies that are his charge that you have no idea about.

+1

koenn
July 19th, 2010, 04:58 PM
As mentioned by a previous poster, installing portable version of firefox is your best chance. You could also get an ethernet switch and then use that to hook up your own laptop and do whatever you want ;-)

If the company has a policy about what software is supported or allowed, circumventing this with portable apps or whatever is still a violation of that policy.
Most companies that have such policy on software, also have policies on what you are allowed to connect to the corporate network. Plugging in your own laptop may very well be not allowed.


You should be careful what advice you give.

MattBD
July 19th, 2010, 08:04 PM
My employer still uses IE6 exclusively. We have an intranet that includes a load of web apps that only work in IE6, and the whole thing is set up with IE6 in mind (including some apps that have been introduced in only the last year!), and this is an FTSE-100 company! There have been many, many requests on the intranet forums to upgrade to IE7, IE8, Chrome or Firefox, and they've all been turned down.

However, not everyone has internet access (people need to make a business case for it to get it in the first place) and for those that do I suspect that the fact more and more sites are dropping IE support is actually seen as an advantage since it stops people wasting time online.

I do think that they're storing up problems for themselves by building the intranet with IE6 in mind since when they're finally forced to move to IE7 or IE8 they'll need to rewrite loads of markup. Some of it still uses tables.

pricetech
July 19th, 2010, 08:10 PM
It hasn't been that long ago I was asked by a vendor to downgrade to IE6 so their software would work. I refused. I told him that there was no way I was going to do any such thing just because they were too damned lazy to fix their software to run on a contemporary browser.

They fixed their software.

MattBD
July 19th, 2010, 08:13 PM
It hasn't been that long ago I was asked by a vendor to downgrade to IE6 so their software would work. I refused. I told him that there was no way I was going to do any such thing just because they were too damned lazy to fix their software to run on a contemporary browser.

They fixed their software.
That really is terrible. I take it this was a commercial product that you or your employer had bought?

koenn
July 19th, 2010, 08:24 PM
My employer still uses IE6 exclusively. We have an intranet that includes a load of web apps that only work in IE6, and the whole thing is set up with IE6 in mind ....
Yes, that would be one reason why companies prescribe certain software and are unwilling to support alternatives. Although in your case it's pretty bad, and you're right, it sounds like short-term vision and a quick and dirty solution that will come back and bite them in the ankles some time in the future.

Most often, sticking with one browser/version has to do with only having to provide support, plugins, security patches and upgrade paths (+ all associated change management) for 1 program/version, and, in some cases, compatibility with the server side (eg when you depend heavily on Microsoft server-side technology that will only work with IE)

PhilGil
July 19th, 2010, 09:15 PM
My employer still uses IE6 exclusively. We have an intranet that includes a load of web apps that only work in IE6, and the whole thing is set up with IE6 in mind (including some apps that have been introduced in only the last year!), and this is an FTSE-100 company! There have been many, many requests on the intranet forums to upgrade to IE7, IE8, Chrome or Firefox, and they've all been turned down.
I feel your pain, Matt. The small business I work for is affiliated with a Fortune 500 financial services corporation. They just recently upgraded their corporate systems from IE6 to IE7. The reason was the same: loads of distributed applications written for IE6. Another large company we do business with provides web access for their financial reps. The site can only be accessed using IE.

Internet Explorer seems to be as deeply embedded in enterprise computing as MS Office, in spite of the faster, more secure options available.

qamelian
July 19th, 2010, 09:47 PM
If the company has a policy about what software is supported or allowed, circumventing this with portable apps or whatever is still a violation of that policy.
Most companies that have such policy on software, also have policies on what you are allowed to connect to the corporate network. Plugging in your own laptop may very well be not allowed.


You should be careful what advice you give.
You're right. This kind of behaviour where I work is grounds for instant dismissal.

oldsoundguy
July 19th, 2010, 09:58 PM
Think this has been said in one way or another earlier in this thread, but worth it to emphasize.

The employer OWNS the computers in the business.
The employer HIRES the IT to set up and maintain those computers.
The employer BUYS the software licenses to use on those computers.
The employer MAY BE CLUELESS when it comes to what to buy and use, BUT::::
It is the employer's money, time and equipment. NOT THE EMPLOYEE'S.

IF you don't like what is on your work computers .. move on if it bugs you that much. Otherwise, in this age of over 10% unemployment .. be glad you have gainful employment and don't rock the boat!

pricetech
July 19th, 2010, 10:20 PM
That really is terrible. I take it this was a commercial product that you or your employer had bought?

It was a viewer for a security system. They couldn't make it work under IE7 and wanted me to downgrade to IE6. IE8 was already out, though I was not deploying it yet since I wanted to make sure any bugs had time to be fixed.

The guy didn't know what to think when I told him I wouldn't downgrade. I think he must be used to people "rolling over" for him.

KiwiNZ
July 19th, 2010, 11:53 PM
'He who pays the Piper calls the tune'

MattBD
July 20th, 2010, 12:04 AM
I feel your pain, Matt. The small business I work for is affiliated with a Fortune 500 financial services corporation. They just recently upgraded their corporate systems from IE6 to IE7. The reason was the same: loads of distributed applications written for IE6. Another large company we do business with provides web access for their financial reps. The site can only be accessed using IE.

Internet Explorer seems to be as deeply embedded in enterprise computing as MS Office, in spite of the faster, more secure options available.

Too many companies only really cater to IE6 on their intranets and extranets, and by doing so they're storing up problems for themselves. IE6 is on its last legs everywhere else, but it's still predominant in enterprise environments.

While some people will no doubt argue that in an intranet environment it doesn't matter whether you build a standards-compliant website or not since you can control what browser is used, I don't agree. For years it's been blindingly obvious that all browser manufacturers (even Microsoft, albeit slowly) are moving towards making their browsers more standards-compliant, and by continually putting off overhauling intranets to make them standards-compliant they're storing up problems.

I've heard my employers wouldn't consider switching to an alternate browser because of lack of vendor support, although I think often this is as much a case of accountability as support. I don't believe Mozilla offer paid support contracts for Firefox, for example, and they'd want someone to phone up if something went wrong.