[clue-tech] CentOS

[Collins Richey]

On 10/27/05, mike havlicek <mhavlicek1 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hey,
>
> Anybody familiar with CentOS? I am checking it out
> based upon  a contract requirement. But I don't think
> it (the distro) is really kosher. It seems to be an
> absolute steal of RedHat Enterprise. Things are
> confusig with GPL
> but to totally take RedHat Enterprise and distribute
> it freely was quite a task if legal.
>

Mike,

As you have learned from this very long thread, your friend has a very
wrong understanding of Red Hat and GPL software. There are no legal
issues with what CentOS (and WBEL before) is doing.

1. Red Hat uses, improves, and returns to the OSS pool Linux and other
software. They must do so, and they willingly do so.

2. Red Hat copyrights its artwork, etc. to prevent others from
releasing  Red Hat competition.

3. CentOS and others take the source rpms that Red Hat must publish
under the terms of the GPL, removes the copyrighted artwork and
replaces it with its own, recompiles the  SRPMS, and produces a high
quality binary distribution that is perfectly legal to distribute.
Originally, CentOS made reference to Red Hat on its website, etc., but
they have removed all those references at the request of Red Hat.

4. In addition, CentOS fixes a few problems that they find, and they
offer a non-standard kernel that includes options that Red Hat has
declined to include in its own kernel.

5. CentOS is being used already for hundreds (if not thousands) of
servers as well as desktops. I've used it for nearly a year with no
complaints.

6. CentOS has a very responsive Email list. There are a lot of really
competent folks on the list.

7. After its exit from the retail desktop market, Red Hat has
concentrated on selling support licenses. With CentOS, you can't get
support from Red Hat, but there is lots of support available from the
CentOS team and the CentOS community.

Enjoy your CentOS and worry less.


--
Collins Richey
      Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code ... If you write
      the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not
      smart enough to debug it.
             -Brian Kernighan
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