RE: [linrad] flavors and colors of Linux. Is RedHat strange or charming?

["Robert McGwier" <rwmcgwier@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think Roger is talking about my note.  I have and will
continue to complain about Red Hat's decision.  Before
SCO filed its lawsuit, Red Hat was fast pushing its way
to the Enterprise solution.  Many of us had noticed that
they had not release a new version in about twice the
length of time it took for previous releases. I think
everyone agrees SCO's actions are abominable and are showing
some very strange and even unexplainable relationships in
the computer world, but Red Hat's decision is entirely
about profitability.  Even during the nasty three year
downturn in the US economy, and years before anyone thought
it would be possible (if ever), Red Hat became profitable by
establishing the "Enterprise" solutions.  It is my
opinion that Red Hat has decided to throw the baby
out with the bath water.  Red Hat was built by people
who have donated thousands and thousands of volunteer
hours to the production of free software.  I do not
care that Red Hat wishes to establish an extremely stable
and supportable product line that guarantees customers
stability for lengthy periods of time.  I mind like heck
Red Hat telling me I can no longer expect to get automatic
updates on end user software that I have been and will
continue to be completely ready to pay for.  They tell
you, as Roger has pointed out, that you must go and sign
up for an email exploder group.  And as Roger has so
perfectly described, it is a cacophony of wild geese
flying south for the winter.  It is nothing like the beauty
and simplicity of Up2date and Red Hat Network.  Their suggestion
is for you to go to Rawhide and download code.  BAHHHH HUMBUG.
Been there, done that for OVER A DECADE, I bought the Red Hat
T-shirts, ball caps, bumper stickers, Fedora's (as in the
kind you wear), etc. to support them and I am not interested
in regressing.

Suse has been bought my Novell and supported to a large
extent by IBM.  For the time being, they are guaranteeing
continued end user support rather than large business,
server farm, enterprise solutions.  I will be moving
when my RHN expires next April after a couple of friends
of mine go through pain of doing the installation and
learning the differences.  ALSA and 2.6 kernels are
supported NOW by Suse.

I am not interested in an argument, I just did not want
my remarks interpreted as being those of a free software
geek (well the geek part might in fact be true).  I am
angry that Red Hat has indeed abandoned the users that
"got them here" and told us to go back to the ftp from
rawhide dark ages. I am certainly not interested in joining
my 31-st email group which I have to sift through "How
do I run dir and what is a kernel?" messages.

Bob
N4HY



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