Enterprise Linux binaries will be available for free from Oracle. There was no discussion, however, of supplying source code, which is required by the GPL.That may be because Oracle is not claiming to “distribute” Linux, but instead to be merely “supporting” it. In Oracle’s terms, Unbreakable Linux is a support program that provides enterprises with world-class, award winning, global support for Linux — not a distribution per se.Specifically, Oracle will be offering patches, fixes, updates, and back ports for (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) 3 and RHEL 4 for the x86 and x86-64 architectures, delivered via a subscriber network, the ULN (Unbreakable Linux Network). This will replace the functionality of Red Hat’s RHN (Red Hat Network).
Oracle adopts Red Hat Linux as its own
Well, this was going to happen sooner or later. I’m thinking that either Red Hat rebuffed an Oracle buyout or Oracle took a close look and realized that it was cheaper to add their own support to RHEL than it was to buy the company. O the joys of open source! Of course once the dust settles the big loser here could be Microsoft. With more and more heavy weight support for Linux coming in from the likes of Oracle, waiting for Vista makes less and less sense.technorati tags:redhat, oracle, linux, microsoft, support
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