On Saturday 04 July 2009, Pravin Dhayfule wrote: > Hi Folks, > > One of my friend was arguing me that RED HAT is superior to any of the > FREELY available Linux Distro as it provides Support (although in form of > Subscriptions). > > However I told him that he can get free community support for many other > free distros and more over they are Open Source. > > Now for this he said that Red Hat too is open Source, and he has got one > installed in his home through a CD provided by his institute where he is > studying REHL. > > I asked him, whether he needed to enter Serial Key like Windows, he replied > no, but he wont be able to use their support. So I told him that he is > using a PIRATED version of LINUX. HE said yes. > > I went ahead to cross check Red Hat License Agreement, and saw it to be > similar to Microsoft's EULA that states, you cannot install it on more > computers than the licensed purchased for etc.
This applies ONLY to the SERVICE. You CAN install to hundred machines if you want to. And no amount of licence weasel words will change that fact. The reason being that the developers of the software have given you that right and that right cannot be taken away by anyone other than the software author. > Secondly if the Subscription expires, the OS will no longer be Legal until > its renewed (similar to Norton Anti Virus) WRONG. Only the subscription to services ends. > > So my question is... Can Red Hat enterprise products be really considered > as Open Source (as their website claims) All software that is under FLOSS licences (GPL, BSD, APL, etc.) are Opensource. However there are likely to be several closed packages included (eg. nvidia drivers) and these maybe governed by more restricted licences, including being restricted to installation on one single cpu and or user. > http://investors.redhat.com/index.cfm *Red Hat is the world's leading open > source provider. Bringing the choice, collaboration, cost savings and value > of open source to enterprises worldwide. Solutions include our Red Hat > Enterprise Linux operating platforms, JBoss Enterprise Middleware and other > Red Hat enterprise technologies. > * > I am a bit confused on this argument... When we refer to Open Source > philosophy, it says "FREEDOM", but REHL EULA looks similar to Microsoft > EULA, then is also Red Hat play a role in giving rise to "PIRATED LINUX" > race? How is RH playing a role?. It's the person who copies without a care who is the problem. As you can see even when there are perfectly free alternatives, people who dont care about other's rights will do exactly what they want. Further RH spends very good money on branding and (probably) providing good service, and anyone who copies a RH cd WITH RH logos and trademarks, is sort of mis representing RH, as he cannot provide a RH service. -- Rgds JTD -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
