ES or Fedora

[Robert Canary]

I read on the website that the latest release was built in 2005.  Anyone 
know when the next release is due out.

Aleksandar Milivojevic wrote:

> Quoting Robert Canary <rwcanary at ocdirect.net>:
> 
>> Weeeeellll, these will be production systems.  I have been doing Linux
>> and Unix flavors long enough I really don't need the "Hand-Holdng" tech
>> support.  However, I'm interested in having a support network for
>> updating RPMS when there is security issues.  And I do like being able
>> add a package via up2date and it also collecting the dependant RPMs as
>> well.
> 
> 
> A free RHEL clone such as CentOS might be a good fit than.  It will  
> provide you with updates via yum as long as Red Hat is providing  
> updates for corresponding RHEL release.  You'll also be able to  install 
> packages and dependencies in the same way.  I've never  attempted to use 
> up2date with CentOS.  However, i thing I read  somewhere that it should 
> be functional.  However it will simply use  yum as backend (so you might 
> as well use it directly).  You might want  to recheck that.
> 
> However, there are still other things to consider that may sway you  
> towards buying RHEL.
> 
> There'll be delay (sometimes only hours, sometimes a day or two)  
> between Red Hat fixing a security related bug and releasing the  update, 
> and that same update being available on the CentOS (and other  clones).  
> The clones have to wait until Red Hat releases the update,  than rebuild 
> the RPM package.  Depending on the environment this might  or might not 
> be an issue.
> 
> Maybe you don't need "hand-holding" tech support.  However, if you run  
> some propriatory software on the server, that vendor might  (rightfully) 
> tell you your system is not supported because it doesn't  have RHEL 
> sticker on it.  And refuse to troubleshoot something that is  bug in 
> their software.  They tested and support their application  against 
> binary that Red Hat provides.  Not somebody else.  Even it the  binary 
> is built from exactly the same source.
> 
> If there's some obscure bug in the system (for example in kernel or in  
> one of applications) you might get better support if you are running  
> "the real thing".  If running CentOS, Red Hat can (again completely  
> rightfully) tell you "well, yeah, we made that SRPM that somebody else  
> compiled into binary RPM, but it's not really in our domain to  
> troubleshoot it becasue it's not our binary and we are not going to  
> troubleshoot something that somebody else might have changed even if  
> they claim they haven't changed it".  Usually they'll fix bugs even if  
> you run into them on the clones (if there's bug in the clone, there's  
> exactly the same bug in the original too).  However, if it's something  
> obscure that affects only you, it's not going to be exactly high  
> priority for them to fix it (they have other people running "the real  
> thing" lined up for fixes).
> 
>> Are those thing still available with ES?  What exactly are the
>> implication of an annaul subscription?  This thing isn't going to
>> shutdown if I don't resubscribe will it?
> 
> 
> It's not going to shutdown itself.  But access to updates will be  
> terminated.  I'd check that license agreement too.  Maybe it says you  
> are supposed to shut it down ;-)
> 
> 
>