Big re-work of faq
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docs/faq.md
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title: Frequently asked questions
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---
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## What is the Cooperative Cloud?
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## What is the Co-op Cloud?
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The Cooperative Cloud is a project which aims to make self-hosting free
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software applications simple! It's a project which fits in alongside others
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like [Cloudron](https://www.cloudron.io/), [Yunohost](https://yunohost.org/)
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and [Freedombone](https://freedombone.net/) and others but has its own specific
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focus. The project is intended for existing small service providers and
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cooperatives already involved in hosting work who are looking for alternatives.
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Co-op Cloud aims to make hosting free software applications simple for small providers. It uses the latest container technologies and innovations and configurations are shared into [the commons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commons) for the benefit of all.
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TODO.
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The project is intended for small service providers such as tech co-operatives who are looking to standardise around an open, transparent and scalable infrastructure.
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## Who is behind the project?
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The project was started by workers at [Autonomic](https://autonomic.zone/) which is a [workers co-operative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_cooperative) providing technologies and infrastructure to empower users to make a positive impact on the world.
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We use Co-op Cloud in production amongst other systems.
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## Why Co-op Cloud?
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Thin "ease of use" layer on top of already standardised tooling
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- 👍 Extremely modular
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- 👍 Collective commons based configuration via public git repos
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- 👍 Focussed on hosting providers
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- 👍 Uses upstream packages
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- 👍 Now and always free software
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- 👍 Command line focussed
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- 👍 Horizontal and vertical scaling
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Still a very young project
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- 👎 Limited availability of well tested apps
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- 👎 Requires command line knowledge to use
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- 👎 Currently x86 only
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## What about `$alternative`?
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We have various technical critiques of other similar projects which are already
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up-and-running in the ecosystem as they don't necessarily meet our needs as a small tech co-op. However, the Cooperative Cloud isn't meant to be a replacement for these others projects. Here is a short overview of the pros/cons we see and how that relates to our goals here.
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### Cloudron
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Decent web interface for application, domain & user management.
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- 👍 Large library of applications.
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- 👍 Built-in SSO using LDAP, which is compatible with more applications and often has a better user interface than OAuth.
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- 👍 Applications are actively maintained by the Cloudron team.
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Moving away from open source. The core is now proprietary software.
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- 👎 Free tier has a single application limit.
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- 👎 Based on Docker images, not stacks, so multi-process applications (e.g. parsoid visual editor for Mediawiki) are a non-starter.
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- 👎 Difficult to extend applications.
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- 👎 Only supported on Ubuntu LTS.
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- 👎 Upstreams free software communities aren't involved in packaging.
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- 👎 Limited to vertical scaling.
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- 👎 Tension between needs of hosting provider and non-technical user.
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- 👎 Bit of a [black box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box).
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### YunoHost
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Lovely web interface for application, domain & user management.
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- 👍 Bigger library of applications.
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- 👍 Awesome backup / deploy / restore continuous integration testing.
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- 👍 Supports hosting applications in subdirectories as well as subdomains.
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- 👍 Doesn't require a public-facing IP.
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Upstream free software communities aren't involved in packaging.
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- 👎 Uninstalling applications leaves growing cruft.
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- 👎 Limited to vertical scaling.
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- 👎 Not intended for use by hosting providers.
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### Ansible
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Includes server creation and bootstrapping.
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Upstream free software communities aren't publishing Ansible roles.
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- 👎 Lots of manual work involved in things like application isolation, backups, updates.
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### Kubernetes
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Helm charts are available for some key applications already.
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- 👍 Scale all the things.
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Too big -- requires 3rd party tools to run a single-node instance.
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- 👎 Not suitable for a small to mid size hosting provider.
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### Docker-compose
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Manual work required for process monitoring.
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- 👎 Secret storage not available yet.
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- 👎 [Swarm is the new best practice](https://github.com/BretFisher/ama/issues/8#issuecomment-367575011).
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### Doing it Manually (Old School)
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Simple - just follow upstream instructions to install and update.
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Loads of manual work required for application isolation and backups.
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- 👎 Array of sysadmin skills required to install and maintain applications.
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- 👎 Hard to share configurations into the commons.
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- 👎 No idea who has done what change when.
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## Which technologies are used?
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The core technologies are free software and enjoy wide adoption across free
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software developer communities.
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The core technologies of co-op cloud are free software tools that enjoy wide adoption across developer and system administration communities.
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- [Containers](#why-do-you-use-containers)
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- [Docker compose](#why-do-you-use-docker-compose)
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@ -24,21 +128,17 @@ software developer communities.
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## Who packages your applications?
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One of your main aims is to re-use existing work that free software communities
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are already doing.
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One of your main aims is to re-use existing good work that free software projects
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have already done.
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## Why do you use containers?
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We use containers because so many free software communities choose to use them!
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They are already writing and using Docker files and Docker-compose definitions
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for their development and production environments. We can directly re-use this
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good work for packaging and contribute back by helping maintain their
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in-repository files. We meet them where they are at and we do not create a new
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packaging format or duplicate effort. We tie our distribution directly into
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existing developer Coop cloud is about re-using upstream free software project
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container based workflows through well known CI/CD automation tools and issue
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trackers. Coop cloud proposes the idea of more direct coordination between
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distribution methods (app packagers) and production methods (developers).
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We use containers because so many free software communities choose to use them.
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The upstream projects are already writing and using Docker files and Docker-compose definitions
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for their development and production environments. We can directly re-use their packaging and contribute back upstream by helping maintain their in-repository files. We meet them where the ecosystem is at and we do not create yet another new packaging format or duplicate effort.
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Co-op cloud re-uses upstream free software project container based workflows through well known CI/CD automation tools and issue trackers. Coop cloud proposes the idea of more direct coordination between
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distribution methods (app packagers) and production methods (developers and system administrators).
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## Why do you use Docker compose?
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@ -48,94 +148,7 @@ TODO.
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TODO.
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## Why start another project?
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One of our core principles is to not re-invent the wheel. However, fitting
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needs into existing projects doesn't always work out. Some of the developers on
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this project were also once developers on the other existing projects.
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TODO.
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## What about `$alternative`?
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We have our critiques of other similar projects which are already
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up-and-running in the ecosystem. However, the Cooperative Cloud isn't meant to
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be a replacement for these projects. Here is a short overview of the pros/cons
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we see and how that relates to our goals here.
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### Cloudron
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Lovely web interface for application, domain & user management
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- 👍 Bigger library of applications
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- 👍 Built-in SSO using LDAP, which is compatible with more applications and often has a better user interface than OAuth
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- 👍 Most applications are actively maintained by the Cloudron team
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Moving away from open source. Free version has a 1-application limit
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- 👎 Based on Docker images, not stacks, so multi-process applications (e.g. parsoid for Mediawiki) are a non-starter
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- 👎 Difficult to extend applications
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- 👎 Only supported on Ubuntu
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- 👎 Upstreams free software communities aren't involved
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### YunoHost
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Lovely web interface for application, domain & user management
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- 👍 Bigger library of applications
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- 👍 Awesome backup / deploy / restore continuous integration testing
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- 👍 Supports hosting applications in subdirectories as well as subdomains
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- 👍 Doesn't require a public-facing IP
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Upstreams free software communities aren't involved
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- 👎 Often not idempotent: uninstalling applications leaves growing cruft
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### Ansible
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Includes server creation and bootstrapping
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Upstream free software communities aren't publishing Ansible roles
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- 👎 Lots of manual work involved in things like application isolation, backups, updates
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### Kubernetes
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Helm charts are available for some key applications already
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Too big -- requires 3rd party tools to run a single-node instance
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### Docker-compose
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Manual work required for process monitoring
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- 👎 Secret storage not available yet
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- 👎 [Swarm is the new best practice](https://github.com/BretFisher/ama/issues/8#issuecomment-367575011)
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### Doing it Manually
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#### 👍
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- 👍 Simple - just follow upstream instructions to install and update
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#### 👎
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- 👎 Loads of manual work required for application isolation and backups
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- 👎 Array of sysadmin skills required to install applications
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- 👎 Hard to share configurations into the commons
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# What licensing model does the project use?
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The Cooperative Cloud will always be available under copyleft licenses.
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The Cooperative Cloud is and will always be available under [copyleft licenses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft).
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