Concern is growing in the Linux community that the forthcoming UnitedLinux distribution will not be able to meet the enterprise server challenge of Red Hat Inc. in the United States. Red Hat’s dominance is worrisome to some industry players, who say the Raleigh, N.C., company needs effective competition to prevent it from becoming a Microsoft among Linux vendors and to ensure the operating system continues to develop in an open way. The article is at eWeek. Update: NewsForge has an editorial too.
Is Red Hat the Next Redmond?
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
first:
sorry for my not so good english. it’s not my native language.
second:
this starts to piss me off! why is the open source comunity always trying to find some way to compare a XYZ company (wich produces some sort of open source software or is in the open source busines) to microsoft? and on the other hand they hate microsoft and fight all the time against them? this is stupid!
if you want to be better then them, be better and stop comparing you with MSFT!
cheers
steve
No.<p>
If every new release of Windows included source code and could be legally coppied unconditionally, then even Microsoft wouldn’t be Microsoft.<p>
–tim
This is the kind of thing that will keep Linux from ever becoming mainstream user operating system. As soon as a distribution becomes successful and starts making a truly usable, complete operating system, will the Linux “community” try to bring it down, in the fear that it’s too good and many people might start using it?
RedHat and Microsoft are apples and oranges, respectively. Microsoft’s problem is not poorly written software, but paranoid licensing schemes. I fail to see how an operating system released under an “IP impairing license” like the GPL could begin to start exercising the insane restrictiveness of Windows.
I think we ought to let RedHat breathe so the world can see what’s possible with Linux.
Shouldn’t you say “Is RedHat the next Microsoft” or “Is Raleigh the next Redmond?” It seems a bit silly to ask if a company is the next city.
Sorry for the nitpicking, but this just annoys me
Let’s take a brief look down memory lane:
Boo hoo hoo, Microsoft has a superior product; can’t stand them, let’s differentiate them and childishly harass them.
Let’s look at modern day:
Boo hoo hoo, we finally have a succesful product; but oh my god, it’s a company! Holy crap! They have become like Microsoft! Throw it out, let’s be geeks in the basement again for loss of corporate power! Oh no, oh no!
Kiss my ass, so-called “Linux community”.
Shouldn’t it be Raleigh the Next Redmond?
“””What good is competition if you can’t take the lead?”””
It’s perfect competition, capitalism doesn’t work (with the exception of utilities and then only if they are benevolent) when someone ‘wins’.
“””RedHat and Microsoft are apples and oranges, respectively. Microsoft’s problem is not poorly written software, but paranoid licensing schemes. I fail to see how an operating system released under an “IP impairing license” like the GPL could begin to start exercising the insane restrictiveness of Windows. “””
The problem with having dominant market share is that whatever you say is now very very important. E.g. say redhat rename/renumber random system calls, they can do it since they won’t have to worry about inter-operability. That’s a huge problem for everyone else (it’s the moving target API problem again).
“””I think we ought to let RedHat breathe so the world can see what’s possible with Linux.”””
I think sun’s comment is on the mark and I really wouldn’t be surprised see something major forked (in a bad way) by Red Hat.
People, actually corporations, don’t use RH Linux because it is good or anything like that. (Although, I think it is the most consistent). They use it because they can provide support, and the company appears to be stable.
And like someone else posted, as long as they stick to the GPL, we have no worries.
This is pure gabbage. Of all the distributions and companies doing Linux, Redhat has been the most committed to Open Source. They work hard to make excellent products. What do people expect Redhat to do? Relax and not work hard so that all the other distributions can catch up? Why is it that some people are so afraid of success? Redhat has been impressive in both management and product delivery. I say, go Redhat, go!
Like Microsoft?
– Redhat PROMOTES competition. I can copy their product, change a few things and sell it as my own.
– One of the most popular distributions (Mandrake) started as (and still largely is) a Redhat derivative. Do Redhat try to stop them?
– They have a policy of putting a free license on everything they write
– They support the development of major pieces of free software infrastructure (gcc, gtk, cygwin)
– They actively lobby for consumer-friendly change with the brain-damaged US govt
It is sad to see OS news play such cheap games.
>It is sad to see OS news play such cheap games.
OSNews does not believe that Red Hat is a big bad wolf, especially with one of the osnews guys still working there, and one that used to work there.
Before you open your big stupid mouth, learn the FACTS.
We are here to report on interesting articles. And today, there were TWO such articles. Which suggests that there is indeed a problem in the minds of many people. And this is why it gets our attention and report on it.
Because it sells.
A lot of people are interested in the issue. You can see it from the No of comments/per hour on this very story too.
People, actually corporations, don’t use RH Linux because it is good or anything like that. (Although, I think it is the most consistent). They use it because they can provide support, and the company appears to be stable.
Corporations use RH linux for a number of reasons. RedHat does a lot of work in testing and patching the kernel to suit business needs. Over 160 patches are included on the 2.4.18-10 kernel, including really useful stuff like the aacraid patch, intel’s gigabit ethernet driver, numerous NFS patches and the new vm subsystem from 2.5.
It’s not quite a fork, but it appears to me they’re maintaining a seperate kernel now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the default linux kernel ‘left behind’, as vendors submit patches to Linus & RedHat, but RedHat being the quicker to integrate them.
The story is now on slashdot too…
Yes we are quaking in our boots at the thought that Redhat
will soon be able to control the linux market the way Microsoft
now controls the total OS market. HA
Well I guess it makes good copy, and surely gets a bunch of
people all riled up. Pretty much the same as many articles aimed
at Microsoft.
But this article does nothing more than attempt to stir the pot.
As has been stated before, Redhat releases the source code.
I will say it again. Redhat releases the source code for its
products.
To make a long story short. Redhat will never be able to, nor
is it attempting to become a company that controls and manipulates
its customers or crushes its competitors to the extent that Microsoft
does. Never. We have the source.
So let the talking heads talk, we have some coding to do.
They aren’t even Apple yet!
What a bunch of whiners. Linux is nowhere near BeOS quality yet and even Be couldn’t make a go of it.
Put all that wasted time into a decent GUI and professional apps for God’s sake.
****It’s perfect competition, capitalism doesn’t work (with the exception of utilities and then only if they are benevolent) when someone ‘wins’. ****
You’ve got it backwards. Utilities and natural resources must be governed, because they are capable of controlling all means of production. It is impossible for a software company to control all means of production on software, since new competing software can always be created. There isn’t a limited amount of bits to be used.
****The problem with having dominant market share is that whatever you say is now very very important.****
This is not a problem. Market share isn’t something that’s greedily stolen by companies. It’s created when many people prefer to use a given product for its features. If creating a bunch of proprietary protocols and making software non-interoperable displeases your users, you are forced to reform and produce the product that consumers demand. In short, don’t blame the company for giving people what they want, educate the people about what they need.
The day an open source company like RedHat even BEGINS approaching Microsoft’s tactics is the day that hell freezes over.
It’s simply impossible, and for people who say that RedHat will get cocky and start putting in features just for the hell of it that break interoperability between workstations and servers are crazy. Just because it’s RedHat doesn’t mean everyone’s going to bite, whether they become the corporate Linux leader or not.
I know that *I* couldn’t care less about RedHat’s doings, other than their desktop approach (Which is getting interesting) but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
I think RedHat is the closest to Microsoft in dominance tactics and attitude.
I prefer to use Pink Tie Linux. It’s cheaper.
to dominate a market of linux that has a few percentage point of the desktop market is good, but not by any means a microsoft. wait until linux becomes a defacto standard (which it is not even in the server market where it is strongest) and then we can talk.
It makes perfect sense. There is always a sense of uneasiness a company become dominant, because then everyone must react to it.
Even if it’s a benign company, people must keep it in check. Otherwise well-intentioned things like Palladium get born.
The only company I’ve seen escape this is Google. It’s a fairly transparent company that could probably commit a couple murders before people start getting worried.
For any of you that do program in Linux, yak on FreeNode (Or LFNet =P), have your own neighborhood LUG.. and generally just code in your free time enjoying the freedom and companionship.. don’t change a thing and enjoy it.
For those of you thinking about taking your newfound knowledge gained though this same community interaction and turning it into a career or company.. well.. sorry to say this but you’re banished.
This is the part you don’t hear about when the idiot non-programmer tech writers trying to inflame their readers to get a few extra banner clicks by parading the novelty idea of the computing utopia that is open source. The obvious answer to everything relating to the digital age. OSS programmers are the most jealous, backstabbing, and immoral people you’ll come to know. The same guys you drank beer with last weekend bullshitting about the GNU Public License and random IRC happenings are going to be enraged when they realize you’re making a career out of your knowledge that they believe, by sharing code with you, are ultimately responsible for.
We’ve seen this echoed on a larger scale but consistant with the real community attitude. RMS on Mono and his total betrayal to the community by annihiliating anyone not adding GNU/ to project names relating to his foundation. The UnitedLinux fights. Forking topics on mailing lists that even the smallest of our small community like Bill Hayden found out, are a serious social faux pas reguardless of the authors “license and software ideals”. Lambasting MS for not releasing an SSL patch to their billion line codebase when a tiny project like KDE did it in 15hours, 48seconds 21milliseconds. Then turning around and reaming a user for asking them to include a function or in any way implying they are less than OSS Champions of the Linux Utopia.
It was only a matter of time before the community got really jealous of RedHat.. now the company they championed is named right along with the enemy. Remember the Communist Committee’s in the 40’s?
This is why more companies don’t work with the open source community, and the ones that do are just exploiting the buzzword. The suits doesn’t want to deal with a bunch of jealous, backstabbing, guys that grandstand themselves on their paper thin ideals that rip at the mere sign of someone elses success. And really, who’s to blame them?
will agree with me or not if ther wear only one distro
and all thoues creative coodears in the open source comuntay worked on it insted falwing “dead Dreames ” like openBeos or new Amiga even BSD* ”
–
wich is good but have very law number of coddears in retarin for linux
–
or what ever new names that pop up on sorce forgae every day
we would have right the ultamet OS and microsoft would have been in appel shoues right know
but how cares lets just fight eacach other and rune our work in this kind of discutions
maybe it will be for the better of comunatty of united linux is dead and soo is other ther wear only one Linux that every one working on
You’ve got it backwards. Utilities and natural resources must be governed, because they are capable of controlling all means of production.
In a capitalistic society, the utilities and natural resources wouldn’t be govern. For example, one company may suply power via power lines. Some may install solar panels over your roof. In a collectivism society, which is what America is today, the government takes the ultilities and natural resources and divide them.
—
Besides, this whole theory is based around the fact that Red Hat Linux is dominate, and the rest aren’t. Who’s faulr is it if people are more willing to buy Red Hat Linux than say, SuSE Linux. That’s right, SuSE Linux.
Right on, man! Best post of the week!
It was only a matter of time before the community got really jealous of RedHat.. now the company they championed is named right along with the enemy. Remember the Communist Committee’s in the 40’s?
Your right, but it’s hardly limited to the open source community. I still remember the days when the geek community was cheering on Microsoft for giving mighty IBM a solid kick in the crotch. That sure changed in a hurry!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I am shocked to see how simple human beings associate. Many posts here speak of the “Linux community”. “They” do, “They” say, “They” mean ….
The “Linux community” is a very heterogen group, it’s not a homogen group with one single notion, one single mind, and one single objective. People should really read who wrote an article, who was quoted, and say “Mr. Somewhere sayed”, “Mrs. Tumblefeed stated” instead of “the Linux community thinks”. Doing otherwise witnesses of a world over-simplification which leads to a totaly wrong view of our world.
Try to understand and differenciate: “the community” and a subset of “some vocal people part of that community” are not the same. Putting the words of a subset into the mouths of the whole group (especially such a heterogen group) is very wrong and very unfair.
The Linux community doesn’t accuse Red Hat to be the next Microsoft. Some single people do.
Cheers,
Andreas
The linux community needs to wake up and smell the coffee. This tall poppy syndrome is pathetic. If there is any need for worry then it is for all Linux developers to get off their asses and work together to standardise key areas of distributions based on Linux. At the moment RedHat whilst adhering to the OSS principles, are the only distributers of an OS based on Linux that are pushing the envelope. Not only that but all their work is there for the rest of the Linux community to use. Is this the work of a company who wants to emulate Microsoft?
If people can’t differentiate between the two then maybe they need some serious lessons in economics and especially companies that behave as monopolies.
BTW software is becoming very close to that of an essential service i.e. roads and utilities. Modern economies and societies require it to function, afterall they don’t call it the “Information Highway” for nothing. This is where OSS is very important, and why Microsoft in the end will fail.
…RedHat are doing valuable work for Linux on the desktop. They’re succeeding and their next version is gonna be pretty kewl IMHO.
They’re not MS, and they’ll never be like MS. They are a *true* OSS company with more GPL than you can shake a stick at
I wish people would stop b*tching just because someone is actually making some money out of Open Source and is enjoying their time at the front of the growing Linux storm onto Joe User’s PC
Just my £0.02GBP
All businesses need competition to continue to evolve. Yes, Redhat seem to be the biggest fish in the Linux pond, but they don’t only compete with other Linux companies. As for Redhat being the next Microsoft, that’s just ridiculous considering the impossible in a complete monopolization of a basically anarchic marketplace.
Yes, the ISV question is interesting but that’s just a sign that Linux distributions need to follow a common file- and librarystructure. Compiling versions for multiple moving targets is a nightmare.
Such insight.
Most of the FS/OSS community is “gimme, gimme, gimme”. They can’t stand people who make money. They are, as Mme Mao says, counter-revolutionary. They want something like a Cultural Revolution where everything capitalistic is shunned upon…
That’s a pretty rude and mean-spirited post. I could elaborate for some time, but to get to the point:
“idiot non-programmer tech writers” – so you think everyone who isn’t a programmer is an idiot?
“OSS programmers are the most jealous, backstabbing, and immoral people you’ll come to know.” You’re sure you know all of them? Quite a sweeping generalization.
“Lambasting MS for not releasing an SSL patch to their billion line codebase when a tiny project like KDE did it in 15hours, 48seconds 21milliseconds.” So IE is a _billion_ lines? ROTFL. In all fairness, MS, as a company, probably has to submit their patches to a lot more testing before release.
A little more civility, please.
“Lambasting MS for not releasing an SSL patch to their billion line codebase when a tiny project like KDE did it in 15hours, 48seconds 21milliseconds.” So IE is a _billion_ lines?
No, but the SSL flaw is in Windows *not* IE – hence the long patch time…
Some of you are real idiots. Those people who tend to say “all italians are…”, “all germans do…”, “all americans have…” etc.
I don’t know what I’m more annoyed of, the people calling Red Hat the next Microsoft or the people who make generalizing comments about “the Linux community” or “the OSS community”.
I can think for myself and form my own opinion, even though I feel part of a community. Thank you.
Oh and btw, if you want to get a better picture of what most of the actual thinking part of the community thinks about this issue, read the slashdot comments at +4 and be surprised. I do this all the time and what I read there usually completely contradicts the usual “all of the OSS community thinks that…” or “all of the Linux community states that…” bullshit.
The GPL.
Me too, I can be also considered part of the Windows community, though I mostly used Windows for the past few weeks.
This sounds like the loosers in the Linux business who cannot compete whining and nothing more.
Red Hat is winning, but that is the only way they are like Microsoft. Most of the software they distribute is GPL, there is no product activation, they are not in the BSA. They are not behaving anything like Microsoft.
Even the idea they could make a monopoly out of Linux is ridiculous, because the barrier for entry is low. For one thing, the barrier of entry is low. If Red Hat somehow becomes the only commercial Linux distro and you are unhappy with them, then go take a copy of Debian, tune it to your corporate environment and sell it as your own distro. Also, they have tons of competition that is not going to go away from sources lik Microsoft, Apple, BSD, etc which make comparable products(Last I checked, BSD will even run most Linux binaries….)
This whole idea is ludicrous and attacking Red Hat simply because Red Hat succeeds.
I can use just about any OS there is, I could even consider using MenuetOS in my every day work rather than give in to the GPL virus. Nothing under GPL will ever come close to Microsoft size… because GPL kills the spirit of free business.
If choice is MS or GPL… I’d chose MS and the other 90% of the market would too….
Linux kernel just broke another patent by the way and is illegal… so who can support that?
If choice is MS or GPL… I’d chose MS and the other 90% of the market would too….
Shame – GPL is about giving power to people, not allowing corporations to take make profits off things that are really commodity items. MS makes billions by denying choice and competition all under the guise of innovation and giving consumers what they want. Consumers would love to be able to share documents easily, the MS answer is to keep a simple file format propriety. GPL software opens up the format giving power and choice. I say let corporations make money out of real value added endeavours.
“Linux kernel just broke another patent by the way and is illegal… so who can support that?”
I doubt that is true, but the whole software patent issue is out of control and the patent office combined with corporations seeing patents as the newest land grab is going to stifle innovation for years to come. If you are not a corporation with millions of dollars you cannot afford to pay IBM to keep them from going through the millions of obscure patents they own and discover 10 years after the fact that you are in violation.
“””Nothing under GPL will ever come close to Microsoft size… because GPL kills the spirit of free business.”””
When it comes to software, in a majority of non-niche software: business doesn’t drive innovation, pure research does. That is to say, new features aren’t created by engineers out of the desire to one-up the competition, they are created by scientists who’ve been working on such systems for a long period of time).
Sun’s SunOS kernel that could be patched while running wasn’t a result of their business division, but was a result of their pure R&D division ( http://research.sun.com which also gave us Java, presented a lot of Usenix papers on threading/thread system design, etc).
Similarly Microsoft’s research department ( http://research.microsoft.com ) is just as disconnected from their business-side.
If you are philosophically opposed to the GPL might I suggest a BSD?
“””Linux kernel just broke another patent by the way and is illegal… so who can support that?”””
The patents in question (mostly dealing with VM issues) fail the obviousness test and would not stand up in court. Similarly any piece of software you use is most likely violating one or more patents that slipped through the patent office (or are not fully enforced).
The open-source community biggest problem today is that when something that you don’t like pops up, everyone starts whining, while they don’t do something about it, which is the main reason why open-source exists.
The open-source community biggest problem today is that when something that you don’t like pops up, everyone starts whining, while they don’t do something about it, which is the main reason why open-source exists.
The entire POINT about open-source is the whining. Without whining, OSS wouldn’t exist. Whining is the key.
The GNU Manifesto is one big whine, and look where its got us today.
You have the interchange of independent ideas and points of view in a domain where folks can more easily put their words into action.
In some circles, you have a silent group who quietly code and work on and release their projects, in others you have loudmouth whiners who get nothing accomplished at all. But you never know when one of the whiners will become SO FED UP (with whatever it is they’re whining about), that they descend into quiet coding and releasing, cackling gleefully as they hit the <ENTER> on ftp> put latest.tar.gz. “Take THAT Evil Empire!”
Mind you, in this case, Evil Empire can be a) Microsoft, b) The Free/NetBSD team c) RedHat d) Sun e) Your lame ass snotty nosed kid brother who seems to be outcoding you on the mailing lists…whatever.
So, bring on the whining I say, it got us to where we are today.
Red Hat is winning, but that is the only way they are like Microsoft. Most of the software they distribute is GPL, there is no product activation, they are not in the BSA. They are not behaving anything like Microsoft.
(…)
Most of the FS/OSS community is “gimme, gimme, gimme”. They can’t stand people who make money.
I’m not part of a particular community, I’m part of several communities without xenophobby; “I’m a citizen of the world”.
I can stand Microsoft, they are in bussiness with their own efforts (kernel and applications) and don’t hide their goals by saying “we fully support the GPL”.
I can stand Mandrake, they want to make money and be innovative but aren’t greedy.
I can stand SuSE, and many others. I even buy official CD’s to support them instaed of downloading ISO’s.
I have my doubts about RedHat.
I think UnitedLinux didn’t happen out of nothing. I had enough with RedHat since they stated (through their lawyers) that the use of their company name is a copyrighted one, hence those who sell economic CD’s and make money with it can’t use their company name (if you don’t know what Pink Tie Linux is than you don’t know much about RedHat). I didn’t ever see other distros claiming the same copyright.
And there is the RedHat pricing; when you compare Professional versions with other distros, they are releasing GPL software (kernel and applications) they didn’t tottally made, it’s the product of many free-time coders and they bundle some games and database software (so does SuSE Pro and Mandrake Pro), so I see no reason for asking such high pricing unless they need the clients to pay for their marketing debits. Sure they are a bussiness but Linux bussiness is something different.
After Slackware wasn’t the only (diskett) distro anymore soon the Linux bussiness started to be a cannibalism bussiness living from the open source efforts.
The Linux community doesn’t accuse Red Hat to be the next Microsoft. Some single people do.
I don’t accuse, but they are close to Microsoft and less honest than Microsoft. I have my own judgement and make my opinion, I respect the opinion of others too.
Finnally, I can still remember the recent facts with the KDE.org via Email, (RedHat representatives wanted their Logo on website and on other places in exchange of some support to the KDE.org project) where they treated KDE persons without any respect. I never saw another Linux distro do the same with any other project.
So, if you don’t have a short memory and if you have your own judgement and opinion (i.e. you are not Naif), you should start to have some doubts about RedHat too, I do. Don’t judge me for that, it’s only my current opinion about RedHat.
They are a *true* OSS company with more GPL than you can shake a stick at
For me they are not a *true* OSS company. They have lost that spirit on the road. Being on top is respectable for me, and I respect them for that, but only if the person (company-corporation) shows some personality.
> But you never know when one of the whiners will become SO > FED UP (with whatever it is they’re whining about), that > they descend into quiet coding and releasing, cackling
> gleefully as they hit the <ENTER> on ftp> put
> latest.tar.gz. “Take THAT Evil Empire!”
Maybe I was a bit unclear. Who I really ment are all those “normal” users who don’t fill out bugreports, post constructive criticism, code etc.
They get something for free, and they should at least give something back. It could be anything from baking a cake to a developer, to fill out a bug report – as long as they don’t come with comments like:
“Omg, they haven’t added this (useless) feature, or released a new version in a week!”
I think Red Hat is trying to get Linux into the mainstream beyond just the server market, it’s time now not avoid the desktop issue and go full force. My hats off to Sun and Red Hat to push the desktop issue and finally place Linux in the viable desktop market arena.
kudos!
If you are philosophically opposed to the GPL might I suggest a BSD?
Yes you may suggest a BSD styled license….
My hats off to Sun and Red Hat to push the desktop issue and finally place Linux in the viable desktop market arena.
Why bother to put a serverOS on a Desktop? I don’t know if you don’t read a lot on OSNews but there are FAR more better options than Mr GPL Virus on desktops… but I guess, like this discussion has confirmed… you’re another user who needs something to whine about..
Why bother to put a serverOS on a Desktop? I don’t know if you don’t read a lot on OSNews but there are FAR more better options than Mr GPL Virus on desktops… but I guess, like this discussion has confirmed… you’re another user who needs something to whine about..
What makes linux a server OS more than lets say Windows. The last I checked. Linux scales from embedded devices to Mainframes, Windows scales from embedded devices to large servers. What is the difference?
“I had enough with RedHat since they stated (through their lawyers) that the use of their company name is a copyrighted one, hence those who sell economic CD’s and make money with it can’t use their company name”
Excuse me?! So for other people to make money out of Red Hat’s work they have to change the name and Red Hat protecting it’s marketing name, that’s *evil*? And on the other hand it’s perfectly fine that SuSE releases the “core” of their distribution under a license that stricly *prohibits* such third party selling?
“And there is the RedHat pricing”
??
Red Hat will charge as much as they think is reasonable. It’s all about demand. If others can do something better for a lower price, they will do. Heck you can fork Red Hat like Mandrake did, put your own name on it and sell it for 5 $. If people prefer Red Hat for any reason, they are doing something right. BTW, are you aware that Red Hat actually pays many Gtk, GNOME, Linux, etc developers? How can you say “they are selling the work of others” if many parts of this are actually the work of Red Hat employees? And still, everyone else could sell the stuff for less, without paying any developer at all.
“Finnally, I can still remember the recent facts with the KDE.org via Email, (RedHat representatives wanted their Logo on website and on other places in exchange of some support to the KDE.org project) where they treated KDE persons without any respect.”
It turned out that this Email conversation was held by a marketing guy who didn’t even know what KDE actually was. When a “real” Red Hat guy heard about this he phoned a KDE developer and set it straight, they even donated a computer to KDE for the show.
Yes, it’s pretty bad if the marketing guy has no clue what KDE is, but that hardly makes Red Hat *evil*, right?
“So, if you don’t have a short memory and if you have your own judgement and opinion (i.e. you are not Naif), you should start to have some doubts about RedHat too”
Sorry, but I see no reason to.
Those Red Hat employees that I know are persons which I respect quite a lot and so far I didn’t see the company doing _anything_ that could be classified as dishonest or even “evil”. And I really don’t think that I’m biased, as I never really used their distribution. Red Hat is doing a damn fine job in competing with completely free software against the “big ones” and of course that isn’t possible without beeing business oriented. I expect Ximian to do the same sooner or later (if they survive), that doesn’t mean that I will loose my respect or trust for them.
So what if someone is trying to gain a monopoly? If consumers like one product better thats their choice.
>>Why bother to put a serverOS on a Desktop? I don’t know if you don’t read a lot on OSNews but there are FAR more better options than Mr GPL Virus on desktops… but I guess, like this discussion has confirmed… you’re another user who needs something to whine about..<<
That is almost like saying “Why put a desktopOS on a Server (Windows)?
And yes I read plenty of OSNews!
And no I am not whining!
SuSE makes a lot of hi-quality linux solutions, yt tehy’re really bad at amrketing so not amny people try their profuct. However, if you try SUSE Linux 8.1, you won’t be dissapointed.
“yt tehy’re really bad at amrketing so not amny people try their profuct.”
Nah that’s bs, SuSE is the Red Hat of Germany. Everyone here is using SuSE, especially the beginners. Compared to this, Red Hat is really a minority here. If people are talking about “Linux 8”, they are talking about SuSE. And no, I’m not kidding.
They have almost a monopoly here, that’s why most people hate them BTW and compare them to Microsoft…
SuSE makes a lot of hi-quality linux solutions, yt tehy’re really bad at amrketing so not amny people try their profuct. However, if you try SUSE Linux 8.1, you won’t be dissapointed.
Ok I’ll try it….where can I download the isos…?
Now why is everyone bitching about RH being ‘evil’ and spreading FUD about ‘RH = closed source’ when here we have Suse who only offers an eval cd as a distributable and no downloads whatsoever….now *that* is very ‘MS’ (120 day trials spring to mind)….
This is the company that killed Great bridge, files for patents and trying to force the KDE team to do all sorts of things.
Don’t beleive for a seconds that they are any better than Microsoft, they are evil, end of story.
Don’t believe for any second that a guy with an anonymous name is any better than the scum under your shoe, he is evil, end of story.
we have Suse who only offers an eval cd as a distributable and no downloads whatsoever….now *that* is very ‘MS’ (120 day trials spring to mind)….
You can install SuSE via ftp.
http://www.suse.com/us/private/download/index.html
SuSE offers the possibility to install SuSE Linux free of charge directly from the FTP server.
You don’t know what you are talking about you know only what others told you.
Before saying anything not so good about someone we must check if we aren’t being unfair with that person-thing-corporation.
(The same goes to Spark)
No offense here 🙂
You don’t know what you are talking about you know only what others told you.
OK ok you can install from ftp, but what about us on 56k dial-ups who want to install from a CD set?
but what about us on 56k dial-ups who want to install from a CD set?
56 Kbps ? Me too.
You can select only the packages you want to “ftp install” so it will be smaller than download a full 650 MB ISO.
Or buy the CDs (they aren’t as expensive as RedHat’s).
You should give SuSE a try; dispite what all others say it’s a good distro.