Business or enterprise login software

[pushbike06]

For some years I have been unable to use the Australian Govt online Tax return facility because it will not interact with Linux/Ubuntu systems. I have now learnt that Vodafone has changed their MyVodafone login software which will not interact with Ubuntu. Is this a common occurrence and is it an increasing trend? If this continues through the banking system I will be forced onto a Windows or Apple platform. At the moment all my other business logins are OK. Or am I doing something wrong?
I use Firefox 59.0.2 on Ubuntu 16.04

[cruzer001]

Is it Linux or FireFox that will not interact?

Here in the US there are still a few banking and .gov sites that only work with Internet Explorer.

Not a problem for me, I have windows. If this is the problem for you, maybe a solution here:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1904...tiple-versions

That link is dated, but good for some ideas.

[pushbike06]

Thanks for your interest. Same Firefox on Win 10 has access. Talking to Vodafone, not sure of the persons knowledge, offshore call centre, he said that there login software will only interact with Windows of Apple Ipad. I didn't ask about Android smartphone access. BTW I dont have a smartphone. But I do have Win 10 system on Netbook.

[1clue]

I think there are several factors going on.

Years ago you said "Linux client" to whoever is handling security (whether that be VPN or any other kind of specialized access) and they would respond, "WHAT client?"

Then Linux became a bit more of a known quantity but for the wrong reasons. Popular belief was that people who ran Linux were into hacking. Meaning the black-hat electronic breaking and entering, theft, all that rather than the original definition of hacking, which was not just white-hat it was gold-hat, if I could coin a term. At that point the security people knew about Linux, but if you mentioned it you were unlikely to get access to the network in question no matter what type of operating system you agreed to use, because "they" were afraid of getting hacked.

Then Redhat went public, and Suse went enterprise, and IBM started doing Linux everywhere. Linux got a little respect, but there was no standard anything between distros and it was very difficult to get even a simple vpn to work.

Now Linux has pretty solid OpenVPN and a few others, but any sort of proprietary system's development is based on market-driven principles: First Windows, then Mac, and yeah we got a couple interns trying to get Linux working....

So my experience with VPN software at least is that somebody sort-of got it working on distro A, but distro B is a total loss and distro C is sort of like distro A so the point-to-point worked but then you gotta put in your own routing table manually....

I know you're not really talking about VPNs but IMO proprietary authentication is going down the same sort of path.

[mastablasta]

Is this a common occurrence and is it an increasing trend?

it could be a trend. for some reason they feel there is a need for specific software to sign documents (eventhough all that is needed is already in browsers). so when they make that software they indeed make it Windows mac and the.... long after that maybe linux.

we had mixed experience. some software suddenly went Windows only (before they did have Linux option), while some other now offers Linux version. the most idiotic one was when they (to make it easier for users) dumped the keys and suddenly you can login using secure keys (needs windows app) or just use password. there were complains from people it was too complicated with keys (which is true).

bottom line - if i went the business path again i would definitely need one windows machine to do taxes, banking and such. it is the only way to be sure everything will work as it should. and if it doesn't, i could then always complain why it is not working.