[CLUE-Talk] RedHat - friend or enemy?

[Kirk Rafferty]

On Sun, Sep 07, 2003 at 12:28:49AM -0600, Gary Threlkeld wrote:
> What's everyone's opinion?... The comments in this last article I 
> posted got me to thinking...
> 
> http://eletters.eweek.com/zd/cts?d=79-188-1-5-64262-24295-1
> 
> Is RedHat positioning to become the Microsoft of the Linux world 
> or are they truely serving as one of the "point" organizations 
> leading the charge for acceptance of Linux and the champion 
> of those fighting SCO?

Red Hat have addressed this very point on at least one occasion.
Unfortunately, I don't have links (Google failed me), but I believe it
was Bob Young, and the jist of his argument was "we can't be the next
Microsoft, even if we wanted to, because Linux is free."  Red Hat can
only do what the market allows them to do.  This is in stark contrast
to Microsoft, who can do what they want to do because they are a monopoly.
Microsoft doesn't have to play by the rules of the market, but Red Hat
does.  Red Hat will never have a monopoly, even if they drive every single
other distro out of business. (which is unlikely, because even if, for
instance, SuSE was driven out of business, somebody else would just use
the last version and pick up where they left off.)  The great thing about
Linux is that there's always someone else.  If you think you're getting
a raw deal from Red Hat, move to SuSE or some other distro or OS.  With
Microsoft, if you feel like you're getting a raw deal...bummer. (I recently
had to pay the MS tax, and purchase a copy of XP Pro.  I gritted my teeth
all the way to the checkout, out to the car, and all through the
installation.)

Red Hat are simply doing what every other Linux company is trying to do--
make money off a free OS.  To their credit, they've made RH Enterprise
accessable to just about anyone--you can pay anywhere from $350 to $2,500
for server editions. (less for workstation)  All of these price ranges
come with a full year of access to RHN.  And of course, if you really can't
see your way to paying for it, they still offer free downloads.  (sorry to
sound like a RH commercial.  I don't work for them, just a mostly-happy
customer.)

They just don't sound like the next Microsoft to me.  They sound like a
company that wants to make money for their shareholders.  I think most
clueful people (not just techies) understand this.  But, as another poster
pointed out, it makes great Slashdot fodder.

> Would be interested in thoughts from those running RedHat as well
> as those running other distributions.  Please mention your Linux
> distribution with any comments that you can share.

We currently run servers ranging from Red Hat 7.3 to 9.  We're planning on
moving most of these machines to Red Hat Enterprise Server within the next
6 months.

-k