Which distro for the enterprise now?

Answers inline, below:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott H" <scottlhenderson@yahoo.com>
To: "PLUG" <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 10:56 PM
Subject: Which distro for the enterprise now?


> I'm not naive enough to really think a particular
> distro is "best". I am the SE at a mid-sized
> corp, with about 1500 client machines and 25-30
> servers. I began introducing Linux to this
> company a couple of years ago and we now have 3
> Red Hat servers and several of the junior admins
> run Linux on the desktop. I am being encouraged
> to do more with OSS. (Hurray!) I originally
> suggested to my company that we standardize on a
> Their new licensing is
> of course now making us reconsider that choice.

Why on Earth would it do that?

> Now I'm all for putting money back into Linux
> (especially when it's the companies, and not
> mine! :)

OK, lemme see if I understand. RH has been GIVING away a product for years
which they have poured millions of development dollars into, and now they
have the audacity to charge about a 10th of what M$ charges, you're opposed
to paying them? I just don't get it. RH has done more for the F/OSS
community in North America than anyone else, period. But folks are getting
their panties in a wad because they are trying to do exactly what the F/OSS
financial model suggests - make money by providing service for F/OSS. They
are providing service in packaging and support. Why is this so damned
objectionable?

> I'm not looking for Linux for free
> (beer).

So why not pay for all the work that RH has done with RHEL? Even if you
don't negotiate a better price, using RHEL is still a fraction the cost of
Windows.

> But my company wants to control costs,
> and I can't really suggest going forward with
> RHEL servers at $800+/yr a pop and rolling out
> RHEL WS desktops at $150+/yr subscriptions.

Why on Earth not? That's cheap compared to Windows!

> What
> are other admins doing?

Using RHEL, SUSE, or taking their chances with other distros which have no
commercial support.

> I have my own opinions
> on what I like for my own desktop, and I don't
> need hot-headed religious babble. But I would
> very much like some reasoned discussion on the
> options for business Linux! Thanks very much for
> your comments.

I am not a zealot. I am a fan of fair play. RH has supported, once could
even say carried the Linux community in North America for years. They have
added more value and credibility to Linux than anyone else. Why is it so
terrible that they want to make money at it? I use and champion Linux all
the time, but I have to make my house payment and pay for my daughter's
school. Does this make me a bad person? If not, why is Red Hat suddenly
cast as the bad guy because they are trying to make it easier for their
employees to make their house payments and pay for their kids' school?

RH makes a good distro. They are a good company, and a great member of our
community. Why is it so tough to return that support?

Thomas Cameron, RHCE, CNE, MCSE, MCT