Rocky Linux shares how they may continue to obtain the RHEL source code • Hacker News Board

Re: Rocky Linux shares how they may continue to obtain the RHEL source code

#101

Post by that_guy_iain » Sun, Jul 02, 2023, 3:09 PM UTC

Tepix wrote: post #100

that_guy_iain wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>After all, why would anyone still use RedHat if their competetive advantage (i.e. open source) is lost? Who do you think finds that a competitive advantage? What company is saying "You know what, we can use Red Hat spend millions and worst case we just hire some devs to continue the work?" I doubt any are. Their competitive is what support so many packages and companies can not worry about issues. Open source has no…

In my experience there are edge cases every now and then where a company needs a custom solution and achieves it by patching open source software. The RedHat support will fix issues, they will not add new features only you need.

Realistically, if you need custom features to your linux distro, you wouldn't be paying for Red Hat, the moment you modify something your system becomes unsupportable and not in compliance and a whole bunch of other things that are the reason you pay for RHEL.

If you're at the level of needing custom operating system modifications you're probably better suited to finding a distro you can fork. Not pay for RHEL.

Re: Rocky Linux shares how they may continue to obtain the RHEL source code

#102

Post by smoldesu » Sun, Jul 02, 2023, 7:38 PM UTC

garbagecoder wrote: post #91

fragmede wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it hasn't hurt Apple to have their proprietary garden and Red Hat has learned from that. Once you're big enough, people are going to do the work to support your nonsense (eg Asahi Linux) and build their world on your shifting sand. So why would you, as Red Hat, put in extra effort and not be capricious and hard to work with? It just costs you money that you apparently don't have to spend. Call it the Elon Mus…

The gratuitous anti-Apple remark. Walled gardens are at least as old as video game consoles and I can run whatever I want on macOS even if I can’t on my phone. Somehow, whenever anyone spots a flaw in the FOSS model, it’s Apple’s fault. This is what people wanted, this is libre. Red Hat can sell for money. Remember, kids, CC violates a freedom!

This is what people wanted. Red Hat wants to be paid for their modifications to GPL code, and they've gotten their wish. They can't override the conditions of the license, but they knew that when they started making contributions. There's no world in which Red Hat has their hands tied by a license they opt-in to using. Red Hat can sell their own OS and block redistribution if they want, just not with GPL code.

You can only characterize it as "a flaw in the FOSS model" if you consider these patches to be Red Hat's property. They can sell it for as much as they want, just never "own" it.

> Walled gardens are at least as old as video game consoles

Walled gardens have existed much longer than that. But, so to speak, shooting someone at the country club doesn't give you the right to deny state police an investigation.

Re: Rocky Linux shares how they may continue to obtain the RHEL source code

#103

Post by cramjabsyn » Sun, Jul 02, 2023, 8:40 PM UTC

wazoox wrote: post #39

cramjabsyn wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tend to agree, if Debian embraced a longer term support model it would attract a lot of enterprise deployments. RHEL is something like 10 years while Debian is more like 2, 3 if you push it.

No, all Debian releases are completely supported 3 years (1 full year after the release of the new stable release) and are LTS for 5 years.

Yes 2 years is the realistic lifespan in service. 3 is pushing it as part of the last year is spent on planning/upgrading. LTS is sub optimal.

Re: Rocky Linux shares how they may continue to obtain the RHEL source code

#104

Post by themerone » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 12:56 AM UTC

whalesalad wrote: post #22

meanwhile Debian users are continuing on with their blissful utopian lives. stay away from rhel ecosystem for your mental health =)

Debian once went 5 years between major releases. They got their act together, but at one time there were legitimate worries about the project's future.