[gentoo-user] Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[gentoo-user] Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[James]

Hello,

I'm looking into setting up a stock market monitoring
and trading workstation on Gentoo. Any suggestions
or experiences are welcome.


James

Re: [gentoo-user] Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[Mark Knecht]

On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 8:51 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm looking into setting up a stock market monitoring
> and trading workstation on Gentoo. Any suggestions
> or experiences are welcome.
>
>
> James

Good luck. I don't envy you and I (attempt to) do this for a living at home...

TTBOMK there are no _real_ trading platforms available publicly
specifically for Linux. Probably your best bet is to look at the stuff
developed with R which is quite interesting but has a very high
learning curve. (VERY HIGH) These packages are all part of the
'TradeAnalytics' project in R.

Specific R packages:

FinancialInstrument
RTAQ
blotter
quantstrat

I've used quantstrat more than the others, and have played with
blotter a bit. As this is all R-based it works in Linux AFAIK. That
said I do everything in Windows VMs running in Virtualbox myself and
just use Windows software, including the above packages running in a
Windows R-gui.

HTH,
Mark

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[James]

Mark Knecht <markknecht <at> gmail.com> writes:


> > I'm looking into setting up a stock market monitoring
> > and trading workstation on Gentoo. Any suggestions
> > or experiences are welcome.

> Good luck. I don't envy you and I (attempt to) do this for a living at home...

Exactly what I (feared) suspected....

> TTBOMK there are no _real_ trading platforms available publicly
> specifically for Linux. Probably your best bet is to look at the stuff
> developed with R which is quite interesting but has a very high
> learning curve. (VERY HIGH) These packages are all part of the
> 'TradeAnalytics' project in R.
> FinancialInstrument
> RTAQ
> blotter
> quantstrat

> I've used quantstrat more than the others, and have played with
> blotter a bit. As this is all R-based it works in Linux AFAIK. That
> said I do everything in Windows VMs running in Virtualbox myself and
> just use Windows software, including the above packages running in a
> Windows R-gui.

Hello Mark,

I think I'll put the R stuff as research interest on a separate
machine to evaluate...  I'm Looking for some guidance on this 
(VM) subject, related to online stock trading. Should I set up a 
machine on a hardened system? SeLinux? Other ideas like a 
transparent bride with some specific application filtering?

Should I setup a specific application firewall between the VM system
and the outside net? A generic security (architectural) approach is of 
keen interest to me (reading references?). Windows security for me is 
often troublesome; so specific (private?) suggestions are also of keen 
interest to me.


paranoid predilection, 
James

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[Mark Knecht]

On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 10:17 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
<SNIP>
> Hello Mark,
>
> I think I'll put the R stuff as research interest on a separate
> machine to evaluate...  I'm Looking for some guidance on this
> (VM) subject, related to online stock trading. Should I set up a
> machine on a hardened system? SeLinux? Other ideas like a
> transparent bride with some specific application filtering?
>

Sounds like you're beyond my abilities. I use standard stable Gentoo
myself. (I.e. - NOT ~amd64) Each Windows VM has it's own Windows
license as well as it's own virus protection license. I run different
trading apps in different VMs. All trading VMs are Virtualbox.

In my case the compute server is a 12 core Intel machine. I dedicate
10 cores to the VMs (6 cores to one VM, 2 cores each to the other 2
VMs) for 3 VMs using 10 cores. That leaves 2 cores to Gentoo to manage
the hardware.

I do similar things on an 8 core machine, etc. I always reserve 2 CPUs
for Gentoo.

NOTE: Windows and it's apps are memory hogs so you'll need a LOT more
memory than you think to make this work well day in and day out.

> Should I setup a specific application firewall between the VM system
> and the outside net? A generic security (architectural) approach is of
> keen interest to me (reading references?). Windows security for me is
> often troublesome; so specific (private?) suggestions are also of keen
> interest to me.
>

Again, probably beyond my abilities to give guidance. I use standard
Windows virus & firewall protection inside each VM and hope for the
best figuring it's no worse than using Windows on real hardware.

As with everything Windows, it's all a crap shoot as far as I can tell.

HTH,
Mark

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[Mick]

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On Tuesday 07 Aug 2012 19:46:24 Mark Knecht wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 10:17 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> <SNIP>
> 
> > Hello Mark,
> > 
> > I think I'll put the R stuff as research interest on a separate
> > machine to evaluate...  I'm Looking for some guidance on this
> > (VM) subject, related to online stock trading. Should I set up a
> > machine on a hardened system? SeLinux? Other ideas like a
> > transparent bride with some specific application filtering?

I saw the 'TradeAnalytics' project website and had to lie down for a few 
minutes until I felt better!  It looks as if you need a PhD in Maths to 
understand much of it.  :-(


> Sounds like you're beyond my abilities. I use standard stable Gentoo
> myself. (I.e. - NOT ~amd64) Each Windows VM has it's own Windows
> license as well as it's own virus protection license. I run different
> trading apps in different VMs. All trading VMs are Virtualbox.
> 
> In my case the compute server is a 12 core Intel machine. I dedicate
> 10 cores to the VMs (6 cores to one VM, 2 cores each to the other 2
> VMs) for 3 VMs using 10 cores. That leaves 2 cores to Gentoo to manage
> the hardware.
> 
> I do similar things on an 8 core machine, etc. I always reserve 2 CPUs
> for Gentoo.
> 
> NOTE: Windows and it's apps are memory hogs so you'll need a LOT more
> memory than you think to make this work well day in and day out.

+1

I have found on some basic comparisons that Windows 7 eats up something like a 
quarter more memory than Mint, or Ubuntu VMs.


> > Should I setup a specific application firewall between the VM system
> > and the outside net? A generic security (architectural) approach is of
> > keen interest to me (reading references?). Windows security for me is
> > often troublesome; so specific (private?) suggestions are also of keen
> > interest to me.
> 
> Again, probably beyond my abilities to give guidance. I use standard
> Windows virus & firewall protection inside each VM and hope for the
> best figuring it's no worse than using Windows on real hardware.

Vanilla Microsoft Security Essentials and firewall seem to keep a VM pretty 
safe over here and it blocked some obscure trojans/keygens I fed it for 
testing, that other Antivirus software didn't.

As long as you're not running servers on the MSWindows box and it's 
constrained to access from your LAN, it *should* be OK.

Whether you have a dedicated VM for MSWindows or dual boot into it, you can 
use xfreerdp on your Linux with RemoteApp on Windows 7 to access a particular 
MSWindows application remotely from your Linux desktop.  I think that it needs 
Windows 7 Ultimate or one below that to work.  Tried it with Windows 7 
Professional and applications would not launch (some SSL IO error if I 
recall).


PS.  Mark, please let us know if you start providing virtual tutorials on 
installing and running these TradeAnalytics packages - I would be very 
interested to find out how to use them.  :-)
-- 
Regards,
Mick

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[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[walt]

On 08/07/2012 11:46 AM, Mark Knecht wrote:

> Each Windows VM has it's own Windows
> license as well as it's own virus protection license. I run different
> trading apps in different VMs. All trading VMs are Virtualbox.

Just curious if you've given wine a try in recent months.  I use a few
proprietary Windows apps (but only for quotes, not trading) that didn't
run on wine at all two years ago and now they run very well.

The wine devs are very busy making improvements and they are clearly
very talented people.  Remarkable project IMO.

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[Mark Knecht]

On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 3:54 PM, walt <w41ter@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 08/07/2012 11:46 AM, Mark Knecht wrote:
>
>> Each Windows VM has it's own Windows
>> license as well as it's own virus protection license. I run different
>> trading apps in different VMs. All trading VMs are Virtualbox.
>
> Just curious if you've given wine a try in recent months.  I use a few
> proprietary Windows apps (but only for quotes, not trading) that didn't
> run on wine at all two years ago and now they run very well.
>
> The wine devs are very busy making improvements and they are clearly
> very talented people.  Remarkable project IMO.

No, I haven't tried Wine in a long time. I don't doubt your remarks at
all, the devs are great, smart, talented and dedicated people but I'd
never trust 1 penny of real money to crappy Windows programs (which
all the Windows trading platforms are) running in a Windows
non-emulator when I can just run real Win 7 in a VM and not be
bothered with any of that stuff. All my apps are 64-bit Win 7 versions
now. They use lots of memory and tax compute power, etc. I've had apps
running full out since 5AM PST today. If I was to choose Wine it's
left to me to figure out if the apps even function, much less work
correctly. I just don't have time for that.

On the other hand the VM model is proven world wide in a huge number
of application spaces. It's really stable, powerful and reasonably
easy to use. It is the 'cloud'.

As always just my opinion, but Wine is best for the casual Windows
_application_ user, possibly lower end games or once in awhile
Microsoft Word user for those who doesn't want to deal with a complete
Windows install , etc. It's not, as best I know, a replacement for a
critical work environment to run power apps in Windows.

Opinionately yours, ;-)
Mark

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[James]

Mark Knecht <markknecht <at> gmail.com> writes:


> >> Each Windows VM has it's own Windows
> >> license as well as it's own virus protection license. I run different
> >> trading apps in different VMs. All trading VMs are Virtualbox.

You have given me much to research, think about, and purchase some new
hardware for....

> If I was to choose Wine it's
> left to me to figure out if the apps even function, much less work
> correctly. I just don't have time for that.

I successfully set up AutoCad 2000 on (Gentoo) wine in 2004. It still runs
well with the upgrades to wine, over the years.... However, it was
a TIME SINK and I do not even feel like I know wine all that well....
I do not have the time to burn, as you have correctly articulated.


> On the other hand the VM model is proven world wide in a huge number
> of application spaces. It's really stable, powerful and reasonably
> easy to use. It is the 'cloud'.

Do you, or anyone else have a a wiki or reading materials so
I can read up more on this approach, as opposed to hacking
until I think it's ready?

I've mostly avoided windows over the
years. My "professional retirement investment advisers <big name>
are really stupid and manipulative. My stock picks out perform
theirs hands down. So I'm going with etrade, TD_Ameritrade
or somebody like that. Any suggestions are most welcome,
even if private.

> Mark

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo: stock trading tools ?

[Mark Knecht]

On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 7:42 AM, James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Mark Knecht <markknecht <at> gmail.com> writes:
<SNIP>
> Any suggestions are most welcome,
> even if private.
>

I suggest anything not specifically Gentoo oriented be addressed
offline. If someone wants to get in touch privately please identify
yourself clear as a Gentoo user with some reference to a post you've
made on this list so I know I'm dealing with a real person and not
some spam generator reading the Gentoo list. I enjoy talking about
trading stuff when I have time, but this isn't the forum to do so.

Thanks,
Mark