[clug] Google compared to latest Microsoft evilness

[Chris Smart]

2009/7/9 Lana Brindley <lanabrindley at gmail.com>:
>>
>> OK, that's pretty good. So where can I download it from?
>
> Source is here: ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/enterprise/

OK, but I don't want the source.

> If you want ISOs, then just grab CentOS. It's RHEL without the branding, and
> AFAIK their updates only lag behind RH's by a few days to a week. (I did

OK, but so that we're on the same page, I want RHEL, that is a copy of
Red Hat Enterprise Linux the commercial product. I don't want CentOS.
I want RHEL. That's what we're talking about.

You said that I can download and install RHEL on any machine I want
and do support myself without paying Red Hat a cent (unless I want
support down the track on my installed systems).

So can I download the ISO images of RHEL?

> Or, you can ask me for a boxed copy (since I have a few, and I'm happy to
> share).

OK, that would be great, but I'd like to hear about about the above too :-)

> Or, you can give them a call. They won't bite, I promise!

OK, I did. Here's the transcript:

Me: "Can I download a copy of RHEL 5 free from the Internet, or do I
have to pay a subscription?"
Her: "We offer a 30 day free evaluation of our platforms. But only for
30 days. After then you won't get any updates or support. After that
you have to pay a support subscription for one year."

Me: "Is the licence based on per machine?"
Her: "Yes, one subscription per server."

Me: "Can we copy the software and install on multiple machines?"
Her: "You can, but you won't be able to get any updates until you
purchase a subscription for those machines."

Me: "So, essentially we can't run RHEL without a subscription?"
Her: "If you actually run RHEL you have to have a valid subscription
period. The machines will not die, but you will be in breach of using
the agreement of the service. You will stop getting updates after this
time, no security bug fixes and stuff, but once you renew the
subscription, it will open again."

Me: "What about if I upgrade a server from 2 CPUs to 4 CPUs what happens?"
Her: "We have two different subscriptions, one for up to 2 CPUs and
advanced support for unlimited CPUs and clusters. If you upgrade 3
months later you can just upgrade your subscription and pay the
difference. If not, the updates will still work, but you won't have
access to the advanced subscription we provide and if you call for
support you won't get support."


So I'm still waiting to see how I can download a copy of RHEL and run
it for free on any machine I want.

-c