[H-GEN] [fwd] End of Life: Red Hat Linux 6.2, 7

[Tony Nugent]

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  [Comments follow below.  NB: Contrary to what might seem to be be
  implied, support for rh7.1 to rh7.3 will be continued until the
  end of this year.]

------- Forwarded Message

Date:    Wed, 02 Apr 2003 17:47:56 +0100
From:    redhat-announce-list-admin at redhat.com
To:      redhat-watch-list at redhat.com, <redhat-announce-list at redhat.com>
Subject: End of Life: Red Hat Linux 6.2, 7

In accordance with our errata support policy the Red Hat Linux 6.2 and Red
Hat Linux 7 distributions have now reached their end-of-life for errata
maintenance.  This means that we will no longer be producing security,
bugfix, or enhancement updates for these products.

If you are a paid subscriber to Red Hat Network, you can download ISO
images of Red Hat Linux 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 8.0, and 9 today to update your
system.  See http://rhn.redhat.com/

If you are looking for a Red Hat Linux distribution that has longer
maintenance periods, check out Red Hat Enterprise Linux which offers
lifecycles of 3+ years.  See http://www.redhat.com/software/rhel/

The errata support policy, as well as our current errata and advisories,
are available from http://www.redhat.com/apps/support/errata/

_______________________________________________
redhat-announce-list mailing list
redhat-announce-list at redhat.com
https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-announce-list

------- End of Forwarded Message

What you have just read is the result of redhat's business policy.

If you want to download and use a redhat distro, then you get a new
release every six months.  But the errata support for any of their
"public" base-product distributions is now limited to 12 months.
And there is no guarantee that any (binary, "rebuild" or
configuration) compatability will exist between any of their
releases (which is why no rh8.1 and no rh9.0 - just rh9... see
https://listman.redhat.com/pipermail/phoebe-list/2003-March/004919.html)

If want to use redhat, and you want to run a stable release with a
longer support lifecycle, then your current choices are:
 - stay with rh 7.x and 8.0 until their end-of-life (Dec 2003, Mar
   2004).
 - upgrade to Red Hat 9 and its successors, but then be prepared for
   major updates about (at least?) once each year.
 - pay for one of the RH Enterprise editions (>$AUS1000/pa[1], 3+
   year support lifecycle).
 - change to another distribution.

     [1] the Aust pricing details are not available at
     http://www.redhat.com.au/

My reaction?

  After using redhat solidly since 4.2 came out (5-6 years ago, I
  can't recall exactly), I am now seriously looking at migrating to
  another distribution.

  I can understand why redhat needs to get serious with the business
  side of things (look at the trouble Mandrake is/was in), but it is
  now at the point where long-time redhat users/supporters such as
  myself[2] are or will soon be abandoning it.

    [2] I have purchased official boxed sets of almost every rh
    distro since 5.0 (the exception being rh7.1).

  Redhat are clearly targeting the corporate market, leaving
  grass-roots people such as myself with little or no motive for
  staying with redhat on any long-term basis.  No way am I prepared
  to fork out over $1000 each year (per box) just to run a stable
  and properly supported linux distro on my computers without
  upgrading every year.  And if I can't use the "enterprise" version
  on my own network(s), then I have no motivation to use or
  recommend it for any of my business clients.

  And the long term danger is that as more and more aging redhat
  servers keep running without adequate security/bugfix updates...
  well, the side-effects are obvious.

Debian is a stiff learning curve, but going from the support it has
around humbug and other aust lug folks, it seems that the effort
should be worth it...

Cheers
Tony
---*#*=-=*#*=-=*#*=-=*#*=-=*#*=-=*#*=-
 Tony Nugent <Tony*linuxworks.com.au>
 LinuxWorks  Gold Coast Qld Australia
 Network and Systems Consultant, RHCE

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