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So CentOS is no longer relevant for production use. I wonder who stands to benefit. I really don't see it driving more sales to RHEL like the execs probably pre

by kcb 6y ago

So CentOS is no longer relevant for production use. I wonder who stands to benefit. I really don't see it driving more sales to RHEL like the execs probably predict.

thinkmassive 6y ago
> If you are using CentOS Linux 8 in a production environment, and are concerned that CentOS Stream will not meet your needs, we encourage you to contact Red Hat about options. ...sounds like what they expect > it removes confusion around what “CentOS” means in the Linux distribution ecosystem This justification for the change seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't yet exist but probably will soon!
- gtirloni 6y ago
  Agreed. I never thought there was any confusion about what CentOS meant. This feels like B.S.
  - thinkmassive 6y ago
    To me it was literally the most straightforward Linux distro: RHEL without the license & trademarked material I've been leaning on Debian-based distros for my own servers for a while now, but I still use CentOS in the lab. Hopefully RedHat provides an easy way to legally develop on RHEL without messing with a license.
    - kklimonda 6y ago
      RedHat provides developer subscriptions to their products: https://developers.redhat.com/articles/getting-red-hat-developer-subscription-what-rhel-users-need-know https://developers.redhat.com/articles/getting-red-hat-devel...
      - mattdm 6y ago
        And this will be expanding to cover more use cases. See https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/faq-centos-stream-updates#Q10 https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/faq-centos-stream-updates#Q10: _In the first half of 2021, we will be introducing low- or no-cost programs for a variety of use cases, including options for open source projects and communities, partner ecosystems and an expansion of the use cases of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Developer subscription to better serve the needs of systems administrators and partner developers._
        curt15 6y ago
        How about discounts for universities? They could take a page from Microsoft, which introduces students and teachers to its ecosystem with low-cost versions of Windows and Office.
        jlgaddis 6y ago
        The .edu I used to work at had a site license for RHEL (and Satellite servers) 15+ years or so ago. I believe we were one of the first 10 or so, but I don't remember exactly when it started.
        mattdm 6y ago
        I don't know the specifics but I would be surprised if this isn't one of the areas under consideration.
        elteto 6y ago
        And these licenses and subscriptions come and go at the whim of the corporations that own them. Nobody informed would base their open source project/community/ecosystem on something like this, unless they want to be left out in the cold when the plug gets pulled in the future.
        Macha 6y ago
        See today's other news about Travis for an example of why
- posix_me_less 6y ago
  Well said. The "confusion" was probably only in Redhat, when developers were confronted with explaining to executives why they provide RHEL for free.
jsiepkes 6y ago
RedHat will probably get a one time boost in RHEL sales at the expense that the void created by the CentOS project will be filled by some CentOS-fork they have no control over. Maybe they have some grand scheme I'm not seeing but it feels short sighted.
- adamc 6y ago
  Arguably, IBM has done a lot of short-term things in recent decades.
- breakingcups 6y ago
  Until IBM / Red Hat acquires that fork just like they did CentOS
  - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
    A community-controlled organization could just opt to not be acquired (and indeed should, given this precedent).
    - toyg 6y ago
      This sort of cloning effort tend to live in contractual grey areas. Would that community (of people who got together to avoid paying for licenses) be ready to pay to defend developers from expensive lawsuits filed by one of the wealthiest corporates on the planet? Or rather, would developers in charge of such projects believe that? An acqui-hire with fuck-you money on one side, vs years of pain and likely bankruptcy - it’s not really a choice, is it?
      - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
        ...the contractual grey area of assembling a software distribution of open-source software in keeping with the license of that software? What exactly are they going to have a lawsuit over?
        6y ago
vbezhenar 6y ago
I bet lots of users will migrate to Oracle Linux and some of them will become paid users in the future.
stjohnswarts 6y ago
This definitely seems like a bean counter move to me.

by kcb 6y ago

So CentOS is no longer relevant for production use. I wonder who stands to benefit. I really don't see it driving more sales to RHEL like the execs probably predict.

thinkmassive 6y ago

> If you are using CentOS Linux 8 in a production environment, and are concerned that CentOS Stream will not meet your needs, we encourage you to contact Red Hat about options. ...sounds like what they expect > it removes confusion around what “CentOS” means in the Linux distribution ecosystem This justification for the change seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't yet exist but probably will soon!

gtirloni 6y ago
Agreed. I never thought there was any confusion about what CentOS meant. This feels like B.S.
- thinkmassive 6y ago
  To me it was literally the most straightforward Linux distro: RHEL without the license & trademarked material I've been leaning on Debian-based distros for my own servers for a while now, but I still use CentOS in the lab. Hopefully RedHat provides an easy way to legally develop on RHEL without messing with a license.
  - kklimonda 6y ago
    RedHat provides developer subscriptions to their products: https://developers.redhat.com/articles/getting-red-hat-developer-subscription-what-rhel-users-need-know https://developers.redhat.com/articles/getting-red-hat-devel...
    - mattdm 6y ago
      And this will be expanding to cover more use cases. See https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/faq-centos-stream-updates#Q10 https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/faq-centos-stream-updates#Q10: _In the first half of 2021, we will be introducing low- or no-cost programs for a variety of use cases, including options for open source projects and communities, partner ecosystems and an expansion of the use cases of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Developer subscription to better serve the needs of systems administrators and partner developers._
      - curt15 6y ago
        How about discounts for universities? They could take a page from Microsoft, which introduces students and teachers to its ecosystem with low-cost versions of Windows and Office.
        jlgaddis 6y ago
        The .edu I used to work at had a site license for RHEL (and Satellite servers) 15+ years or so ago. I believe we were one of the first 10 or so, but I don't remember exactly when it started.
        mattdm 6y ago
        I don't know the specifics but I would be surprised if this isn't one of the areas under consideration.
      - elteto 6y ago
        And these licenses and subscriptions come and go at the whim of the corporations that own them. Nobody informed would base their open source project/community/ecosystem on something like this, unless they want to be left out in the cold when the plug gets pulled in the future.
        Macha 6y ago
        See today's other news about Travis for an example of why
posix_me_less 6y ago
Well said. The "confusion" was probably only in Redhat, when developers were confronted with explaining to executives why they provide RHEL for free.

jsiepkes 6y ago

RedHat will probably get a one time boost in RHEL sales at the expense that the void created by the CentOS project will be filled by some CentOS-fork they have no control over. Maybe they have some grand scheme I'm not seeing but it feels short sighted.

adamc 6y ago
Arguably, IBM has done a lot of short-term things in recent decades.
breakingcups 6y ago
Until IBM / Red Hat acquires that fork just like they did CentOS
- yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
  A community-controlled organization could just opt to not be acquired (and indeed should, given this precedent).
  - toyg 6y ago
    This sort of cloning effort tend to live in contractual grey areas. Would that community (of people who got together to avoid paying for licenses) be ready to pay to defend developers from expensive lawsuits filed by one of the wealthiest corporates on the planet? Or rather, would developers in charge of such projects believe that? An acqui-hire with fuck-you money on one side, vs years of pain and likely bankruptcy - it’s not really a choice, is it?
    - yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
      ...the contractual grey area of assembling a software distribution of open-source software in keeping with the license of that software? What exactly are they going to have a lawsuit over?
      - 6y ago

vbezhenar 6y ago

I bet lots of users will migrate to Oracle Linux and some of them will become paid users in the future.

stjohnswarts 6y ago

This definitely seems like a bean counter move to me.