[ale] CentOS 5.0 released!!

[Mike Harrison]

> > Please pardon my ignorance, but of what value is that for a non-
> > commercial
> > or average user  ?


Little. 

RedHat/Centos wins when you need to do thinks like run DB2 Server.. 
(avail from IBM as RPM's..)

Or have a backup plan for the effemeral question: 
 "What do you do if your SysAdmin gets hit by a bus?" 
Answer: Pull out the Amex card and call RedHat. 

They are also pretty darn good at updates. RedHat's fees for 
auto-updates may not be the 'deal of the century', but they are
a good value and allow you to tell the Boss. "we pay for updates". 

In the business world, business types expect to pay 'something' for 
things (products and services), and expect to get what they pay for. 

RedHat (as well as IBM and many very small companies) employ people who 
make significant contributions to Linux as a whole. I can't find the 
article that was linked from Slashdot a month or two ago, but it 
was an impressive breakdown of who made what contributions and who 
employs them.. and RedHat was well represented. 

So, while Linux is a free operating system, those people have to eat, 
and even VC funded companies need -some- cash flow.. So when apropos, 
I've put a few RedHat servers online and paid them their due. 
I'm currently running and sysadmining for others: 
  1 RedHat 9  (don't laugh..)
  2 RedHat ES4
  4 Ubuntu 6.06 LAMP server.. 

  and have a Centos 4 machine for playing with, dev work.. 
  as well as a few Ubuntu 6.10 servers for the same. 

I used to run Centos 4 on my desktop to be compatible with some servers, 
but now I just enjoy my Ubuntu desktop and laptop too much.. dang thing 
just works (except uvcvideo, gotta play with that today..)

--Mike--