|
Why Hang with Red Hat?
Author: Human X | Monday December 09, 2002
Over the years Red Hat Linux has become one of the most popular distributions available. Not only is Red Hat popular, but they are profitable? I think I can explain why.
I have been using Red Hat for many years, put it this way, I just found one of my old Red Hat Linux version 5.1 manuals mixed in with a bunch of my books. Before that time I would by the huge CD sets with about 5 different versions of Linux and try them all.
When I finally made a decision to stick with a particular Linux it ended up being Red Hat. At that time it was mostly because I could get some support and a big, fat, cool LINUX Dictionary if I purchased the distribution.
These days I stick with Red Hat because I do like the distribution and because I believe Red Hat is one of those Linux companies who will maintain the open source spirit and protect the distribution from becoming pay-for-only.
Red Hat has found itself in a market place in desperate need of a Linux leader. Somone with the knowledge to support computer manufacturers / resellers, coporations and every day single user. What makes Red Hat a White Hat, is that even under pressure from its stock holders and potential greed from growth (NOT TO SAY THAT IS TRUE IN ANY WAY), they continue to support open source and protect it.
Version 8 of Red Hat Linux caused some debate because they combined GNOME and KDE into one common desktop which I think some people believe is not in the spirit of open source and is an unfair step made which benefits GNOME and hurts KDE. For the longest time it was possible to install GNOME with a KDE engine running in the background. Isn't this basically the same thing?
Sometimes I like KDE and sometimes I like GNOME, it just happens to be the mood of the day. KDE has a lot of cool desktop features and has a lot of zip to it, while GNOME is a little more mellow and is faster. mmm. I think I would like the option of having the combination of the two as well as distinctly choosing which desktop I would like to activate. I am veering off the subject. Debate is good, but the move by Red Hat should be seen more as an evolutionary step instead of a move made in bad spirit.
Well, CEO Matthew Szulik publicly fights for open source, fights against Microsoft, screams at the DMCA and when RedHat went public they gave shares or sold shares at a discount to open source developers who have supported Linux over the years. Do you think Red Hat is a bad spirited company? I think not.
So, for me I will stick with Red Hat, I like the leadership, I like the distribution and I dig the Logo!
Author
HumanX
LinuxDig.Com
2002
Please feel free to distribute this article, as long as the author information stays intact. If you modify the article, please send me a copy. You can contact me at linuxdig.com from the 'Contact Linuxdig' navigation link.
|
