Chuck Anderson via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> writes:
If you can hold your nose, Oracle Cloud offers free forever instances. That is where the WLUG website and DNS server is running these days.
I am leaning toward this option. I know it works, because I get mail from WLUG and can see the web page. Also I know some people who know some things about it. The Oracle web pages that I have read do not say much about the operating system that is booted in a cloud "instance". What is it an instance of? Do I have to have an installation boot.iso to copy it to the cloud computer? Do they boot an OS before I log in? Do I get a choice? Digital Ocean mentions Debian Linux in the "Self Guided Tour" (some web pages linked together with "Next->" buttons), but on the Oracle web pages, I can't find any mention of any OS, Distribution, or software other that Oracle Database, which is not something I need. I have put some questions about ssh at: http://www.free-comp-shop.com/none/final.html#SSH
This sounds like a good WLUG topic: Getting Started with the Cloud. How to open a Cloud account, install and manage Linux, IP addresses, firewall rules, etc.
I'd like to see that. Unfortunately, I am unlikely to actually go to WPI. Is there something I can read? Are all "Cloud accounts" about the same? I guess it's been almost two decades since I compiled a kernel to find a bug, but it seems like it all changed overnight. -- Keith