Red Hat Will Stop Releasing its Free Version... Sort Of

[baghdad_steve15]

From the almighty NewsForge:

Red Hat tells customers, 'No more freebies!"

Monday November 03, 2003 - [ 04:51 PM GMT ]
Topics: Linux , Free Software , Software , Operating Systems
By: Robin 'Roblimo' Miller

In an email to Red Hat Network customers, the company has announced today that it "...will discontinue maintenance and errata support for Red Hat Linux 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 8.0 as of December 31, 2003," that "Red Hat will discontinue maintenance and errata support for Red Hat Linux 9 as of April 30, 2004," and that "Red Hat does not plan to release another product in the Red Hat Linux line." This should not come as a surprise to NewsForge regulars who saw this story on October 23, but less-prepared Red Hat users seem shocked by the idea.

Text of the email:

Thank you for being a Red Hat Network customer.

This e-mail provides you with important information about the upcoming
discontinuation of Red Hat Linux, and resources to assist you with your
migration to another Red Hat solution.

As previously communicated, Red Hat will discontinue maintenance and
errata support for Red Hat Linux 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 8.0 as of December
31, 2003. Red Hat will discontinue maintenance and errata support for
Red

Hat Linux 9 as of April 30, 2004. Red Hat does not plan to release
another product in the Red Hat Linux line.

With the recent announcement of Red Hat Enterprise Linux v.3, you'll
find migrating to Enterprise Linux appealing. We understand
that transitioning to another Red Hat solution requires careful planning
and implementation. We have created a migration plan for Red Hat Network
customers to help make the transition as simple and seamless as
possible. Details:

****************
If you purchase Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS or ES Basic before February
28, 2004, you will receive 50% off the price for two years.[*] (That's two
years for the price of one.)

****************
In addition, we have created a Red Hat Linux Migration Resource Center
to address your migration planning and other questions, such as:

* What are best practices for implementing the migration to Red Hat
Enterprise Linux?

* Are there other migration alternatives?

* How do I purchase Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS or ES Basic at the price
above?

* What if my paid subscription to RHN extends past April 30, 2004?

****************

Find out more about your migration options with product comparisons,
whitepapers and documentation at the Red Hat Linux Migration Resource
Center:

http://www.redhat.com/solutions/migration/rhl/rhn

Or read the FAQ written especially for Red Hat Network customers:

https://rhn.redhat.com/help/rhlmigrationfaq/

Sincerely,

Red Hat, Inc.
[*] Limit 10 units. Higher volume purchase inquiries should contact a
regional Red Hat sales representative. Contact numbers available at
http://www.redhat.com/solutions/migration/rhl/rhn

--the Red Hat Network Team

The Bottom Line:

If you want to use an enterprise-level Linux distribution with the Red Hat name on it, you are going to spend significant money. If you want to keep using a Red Hat-style distribution for free, you'll use Fedora. And if neither of these options appeal to you, there are plenty of other Linux distributions out there for you to choose from.

----------------------------

Additional Links:
Fedora - http://fedora.redhat.com/
Other Linux Distributions - http://old.lwn.net/Distributions/