What Does a Linux Support Contract Buy?

Quoting:As fresh company eyeballs examine Linux, its value proposition may be obscured by its reputation as a "free" operating system. If the OS is free, one might ask, then what are outfits like Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) More about Red Hat, Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL) More about Novell and IBM (NYSE: IBM) More about IBM trying to sell me?

I don't know if Canonical is too insignificant a player to merit mention, but it appears so, at least to this writer.

Honestly, in the server market, they really are insignificant. They are trying to make inroads. Last I saw Red Hat has about 91% of the corporate server market in North America with SUSE capturing most of the rest. SUSE is the dominant player in Europe, with Turbolinux still the biggest in Japan.

Quoting:Honestly, in the server market, they really are insignificant.

Just as linux itself once was.

Give it time. It's an excellent server platform, and it will gain market share.

I don't agree. I personally find Ubuntu lacking. Just too many quirks and bugs when compared to Red Hat. The fast release schedule and rigid adherence to that schedule even when a release isn't ready won't help them in enterprise space. Oh, and yes, I'm aware of LTS. That didn't make Hardy any less of an example,

Quoting:I don't agree. I personally find Ubuntu lacking. Just too many quirks and bugs when compared to Red Hat.

Sounds like you have a real grudge - I don't get it. In my experience (16 years as a unix system administrator) ubuntu server strikes me as quick and easy to deploy, and rock solid. In contrast, redhat has alway seemed buggy to me. (my fortune 100 employer used to be a redhat shop)

Not sure what you mean about LTS, I've deployed hardy servers in several places, all running great, as they have from day one.

My advice would be, don't confuse your laptop testing of experimental release with LTS server deployments, as they are two very different worlds. Ask e.g. wikipedia how they like running on ununtu, for a quick heads-up.

I don't confuse server deployments with laptop testing, thankyouverymuch. I've supported Red Hat in very large shops, both corporate and government, between 1998 and the present.

I also worked for them for seven months and would still be there if I could handle the nearly 100% travel schedule. The reason I'm still not there was because of my limitations, not anything wrong with the company. During that time I was sent to solve knotty problems for some of their largest clients. I have found RHEL to be exceptionally stable and reliable. I also know a little more than most people about the quality of support available from Red Hat. They have top notch people supporting their product. I'm not saying Canonical doesn't. I just don't know.

Grudge? No, not a grudge. Less than brilliant experience is all. Please remember that my work experience isn't consumer or laptop based. It's server and corporate based.