David Jericho said: [snip] > I have actually built RHEL from the source RPMs. I even prepared a > bootable install CD for myself using those RPMs. I have the afore > mentioned m4d skillz. But both the replies I've seen so far are missing > the point. > > Quality Assurance. Ding, ding, ding. QA isn't free. > To illustrate my point, I'll propose a scenario. > > Security hole in Apache, new update to apply. Apply the RPM to the test > box, works as per spec, so set about deploying it to a web farm. > > Apache works fine on all but one machine. [snip] > I really do want to do more with my life than chase an endless stream of > machine and software quirks as I have had to do with other > distributions. My experience has shown that Red Hat and RHEL has this > advantage over other distributions. > > Part of why I feel passionately about this, is because I have to source > a large number of 64-bit machines in the near future. I can afford the > licensing schemes and the hardware. But I have an objection to the view > that you're licensed to use the product, and have to continue to pay to > use the product, rather than actually owning a copy of the product. Who says you can't use it after you quit paying for updates? No one. Red Hat just says that if you want service (you know, things like that QA thing you mention, RHN, free OS updates), then you need to share the cost. It's a little thing called staying in business... If everyone were to buy one copy of RHEL, put it on their 100 machines, then start calling up RH for problems on all of them, taking up Red Hat's bandwidth to get updates, and generally just doing the "free ride" thing, then RH wouldn't have money to pay those QA people. Therefore you would get a downward spiral that ends in RH being out of business. Almost every argument I hear against the RHEL products is "well, I used to get this without having to pay". That is part of the problem. It is hard to make a profit giving away software and services. RH has chose the path of still giving away the software, but charging for the services. -- William Hooper
