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Oracle-Sun Deal May Have Pushed Red Hat to Invest in EnterpriseDB

Paul Lilly — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:05:50 -0500

While Oracle struggles to convince the European Union that acquiring the copyrights to the MySQL code base is in the best interest of all involved, Red Hat isn't waiting around to see if the deal gets sanctioned or not. Instead, the open-source outfit went and invested an unspecified amount in database vendor EnterpriseDB, InfoWorld.com reports.

"EnterpriseDB has clearly established itself as a leading enterprise Postgres company, which is why Red Hat has chosen to partner with and invest in the company. EnterpriseDB is also working to create customer value through a subscription support model. Clearly, this is a model we see as beneficial," said Jim Whitehurst, CEO of Red Hat.

The move is also a clear indication that Red Hat is worried about what would become of MySQL once under the reigns of Oracle. Red Hat owes much of its popularity as a server platform to users looking to run the free MySQL piggybacked on top of Red Hat. And no matter what Oracle is saying to the EU, there's a lingering fear that should the takeover go through, Oracle may end up weakening MySQL to prevent it from cutting into the sales of Oracle Database.

EnterpriseDB isn't as widely used as MySQL, though many consider it a better fit for larger enterprise workloads, and it has already been able to win over customers from Oracle. But it's also important to keep in mind that this is an investment, and not an acquisition.

image Credit: Red Hat

Red Hat Asks Supreme Court to Ban Practice of Patenting Software

Paul Lilly — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:41:29 -0500

Red Hat, the self proclaimed world's leading open source technology solutions provider, has a bone to pick with not just patent trolls, but shady software patents in general. As such, Red Hat has filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to ban software patents.

"Red Hat continues its commitment to the free and open source software community by taking a strong position against bad software patents," Red Hat VP Rob Tiller said. "Our patent system is supposed to foster innovation but, for open source and software in general, it does the opposite."

Tiller went on to complain that software patents end up slowing and discouraging software innovation, arguing that "patent trolls" have exploited the current legal system by constructing lawsuits that further confuse the hundreds of thousands of patents that "cover abstract technology in vague and difficult-to-interpret terms."

Red Hat says oral arguments are scheduled for November 9, giving you plenty of time to read the full brief here (PDF).

Image Credit: Flickr Joe Gratz

Microsoft, Red Hat Team Up to Make Server Virtualization Easier

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:04:45 -0600

Cnet's Matt Asay reports that Microsoft has decided to set up an interoperability alliance with Red Hat. In enterprise computing, virtualization is the name of the game, and virtualization is what this alliance is all about. Whether you're running Red Hat Enterprise virtualization technologies, Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V or Microsoft Hyper-V server, the interoperability agreement will enable Red Hat or Microsoft guest operating systems to run on any of these virtualization platforms and get technical support. For details, see the Red Hat website or the Microsoft TechNet blog announcement.

It will take time for Red Hat and Microsoft to validate server platforms for interoperability, and valid software support contracts are required. The best news for those of us who support enterprise-level virtualized platforms on Red Hat or Microsoft? No more finger-pointing, so you can spend your evenings winning your favorite frag-fest instead of playing pass-the-buck with operating system support staffs.

Is The Open Source Business Model Broken?

Justin Kerr — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:07:42 -0600

Respected Open Source advocate, and CEO of Collaborative Software Stuart Cohen warns that the business model behind open source software companies is broken. And that the nature of these businesses will need to evolve in order to survive. In his article he explains how the traditional model in which companies would freely offer software, and make a living off the support is coming to an end. An end which is likely to be accelerated by the economic slowdown. He cautions open source designers to view the software as more of a means to an end.

As part of his argument, he claims the real value of open source software companies will come from those who can find ways to add value with supporting add-ons and applications. He uses Red Hat as an example of a company that adds significant value to the Linux kernel, and couldn’t survive on support alone. “Open-Soure code is generally great code, not requiring much support”. According to Cohen the true power of the open source community will be realized through the spirit of collaboration. “While the open-source business model may be broken, the concepts behind open source will continue to bring new value to customers and strong returns to software company stakeholders”.

So do you think the harsh economic climate will hurt or inspire the open source community?

Dude, you don't have to get a Dell

Robert Strohmeyer — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:21:08 -0500

If you're a newb looking to dip your toe into the waters of the Linux world, Dell's line-up of preinstalled Ubuntu PCs is a very good first choice. After all, you'll be able to get started right out of the box, without having to struggle with unsupported hardware and missing drivers. (Frankly, I've been using Linux almost since it first appeared, and that proposition doesn't sound half bad to me, either. So I'm not bashing any newbs here.) But while Dell certainly appears to have the best offering of Linux desktops and notebooks at the moment, it isn't the only choice out there. Here are five alternatives for Linux-ready PCs.

Note: Many vendors still consider Linux an enterprise-only OS, and deliberately avoid selling it directly to end users. So don't expect to find Linux on the list of config options in the online ordering system. In many cases, you'll have to call up the vendor and place your order over the phone, usually through their corporate sales number. You may even want to avoid telling them that the system is for personal use.

The purpose of this post is not necessarily to recommend any of the vendors listed, but to give you an idea of what's out there today. IMHO, the best option is still to build your own PC from the ground up, choosing the components that fit your personal needs. And while Linux-certified workstations do have their merits, I don't really suggest newbs run out and buy them as starter Linux systems.

HP
HP is still gunshy about the prospect of supporting home users on the Linux Desktop, but its deep roots in the enterprise world make it a good source of Linux desktop and mobile workstations. HP offers a number of Linux-certified systems for as little as $359. While they don't ship PCs with Linux installed, they do offer machines preconfigured with FreeDOS and bundled with the HP Installer Kit for Linux, which contains all the drivers you need to get the system's hardware working well in Red Hat Enterprise Linux. (Many of the systems are also certified for a variety of other distros.) Because these machines are enterprise-focused, you'll find their multimedia features lacking.

IBM
I shouldn't need to introduce anyone to IBM. This is the company that gave birth to the PC. In recent years, the IBM brand has faded from view in the mainstream PC world, but remains strong in the corporate sector. As such, IBM is big on Linux, and offers some serious desktop workstation solutions. Preconfigured. Ready to run. IBM IntelliStation workstations aren't cheap. Low-end machines start at $1,307, and performance systems quickly leap into the upper $3,000 range. If you choose the "Build your own" option on the IntelliStation ordering page, you can pick a Red Hat preinstall, or choose "drop in the box" to get the discs but do the installation yourself.

Lenovo
Carrying on the legacy of IBM's ThinkPad line, Lenovo is all about enterprise systems. So it's no surprise that their T60p and newly announced T61p ThinkPads are certified for Novell SUSE. Unfortunately, Lenovo is a little sheepish about its Linux offerings, so it doesn't ship any of its systems with Linux preinstalled. You'll have to buy your ThinkPad with a blank hard drive and then get your own copy of SUSE to install. While this is less attractive for unambitious first-timers, the ThinkPad's spec sheet reads like a laundry list of readily supported hardware, which means getting up and running with any major distro should be completely headache-free (even though Lenovo only officially supports Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10). At press time, the T60 and T61 Mobile Workstations were priced starting at $1,378. You won't find any good multimedia options in these built-for-corporate systems.

Mirus
Long before Dell decided to make Ubuntu available to ordinary home users, Mirus and Linspire (formerly known as Lindows) were putting Linux machines in the real-world shopping carts of everyday Americans, right next to the bulk packs of pork rinds. At press time, it appears that Wal-Mart has discontinued its Linspire-equipped PC offerings, but budget-minded shoppers can still order whimpy Celeron systems for as little as $300 from Sears.com. Koobox.com offers Mirus's Pentium 4 Linspire systems for $400.

System 76
Dedicated entirely to Linux, System 76 offers a wide variety of notebook and desktop machines for home and business. The company's line-up boasts four different notebook series, from ultralights to widescren performance systems, and four different desktop syystems, from the compact Koala to the gamer-centric Wild Dog. Desktops start at $399 and notebooks at $649. All of the systems come with Ubuntu pre-installed.

Ultimately, if you really are looking for a preconfigured Linux PC, Dell is probably your better choice. But it's worth knowing that Dell isn't your only choice. The five options listed here are just a sampling of the many companies offering systems equipped with or ready for Linux. And with a small amount of forethought, you can easily build your own Linux-ready system from the mobo up. (Or just try slapping Ubuntu on the machine you've already got. It'll probably work just fine.)