[ale] Suggestions on Linux / OSS support providers?

[Jeff Hubbs]

In my view this is a dynamic that marks a large and hopefully only 
partial failure of the Open Source movement.

One of the reasons I began exploring uses of Linux in 1995 is that I 
sought a way to build computing platforms that were not tightly coupled 
to the whims and cash-flow desires of vendors.  This was driven in part 
by my role as a Federal civil servant bent on maximizing value to the 
Taxpayer, not value for vendors and contractors.  By 1998 I had started 
to see a crack developing in the wall with respect to what Microsoft was 
doing in the industry and this reinforced my notion of Open Source 
software as a way to not only design and deploy more cost-effective 
computing resources but also more "free" ones - "free" here meaning 
maintaining my freedom as an implementer and administrator with respect 
to what hardware and software is used and in what manner.  As I learned 
from my bad experience with device support in WinNT, in Linux-land a 
similar problem could be taken up easily and quickly with the very 
developers who wrote the code or, alternatively, I could tackle the 
problem locally.

To accept a software product in the door that couples you to a for-pay 
Linux distribution is to basically say that you prefer life under 
Microsoft-like hegemony.  I've seen it happen, and it stinks up the room 
in the same way Windows-only apps did.  It is not necessary to develop 
and sell closed-source software with such shackles as standard equipment 
and it is therefore not necessary to use such products.

I don't subscribe to RMS-like levels of absolutism and purity but if I 
were developing a closed-source app for profit to run under Linux, I 
would see to it that it had system requirements that were easy to meet 
under most any reasonably multipurpose (I pointedly avoid the term 
"mainstream") current or future Linux distribution.  This is because 
just as I value my own computing freedom, I value the freedom of others.

- Jeff

On 4/26/11 9:24 AM, Lightner, Jeff wrote:
>
> RHEL and SUSE are both "commercial" distros built around being 
> supported by their respective makes.   Many companies that want 
> "support" use them for that reason.   Here we use RHEL but haven't 
> really had any major support needs.   The main benefit to using these 
> distros is many of the commercial applications one might get on Linux 
> are supported mainly on RHEL and to a lesser extent on SUSE.   (This 
> doesn't mean they won't run on other distros -- just that you might 
> have issues calling the software maker for issues if they find out 
> you're not running on a "supported" platform.)
>
> Canonical offers support for Ubuntu as I understand it but I don't 
> know that there is a lot of support for it by other application vendors.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:*ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] *On Behalf Of 
> *Mark Wright
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 26, 2011 9:07 AM
> *To:* Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> *Subject:* Re: [ale] Suggestions on Linux / OSS support providers?
>
> Steel Pivot.  Local guy, real smart.
>
> Mark Wright
>
> m.perry.wright at gmail.com <mailto:m.perry.wright at gmail.com>
>
> On Apr 25, 2011, at 9:44 PM, Eric Webb wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi ALE!
>
> Anyone have any recommendations on support providers for Linux (OS) and
>
> open-source software needs?$Werk is finally coming around and Linux is
>
> finally getting a foothold in the server fleet.I can support it just fine
>
> myself, but as can be expected in larger enterprises, they are 
> searching for
>
> someone to provide support/assistance with not only Linux, but some
>
> open-source software (primarily Apache at this point, but I expect it to
>
> grow).You know, in case I take vacation... ;)
>
> Candidate suggestions can be local or national/global -- anyone worked 
> with a
>
> company that they would recommend (or recommend staying away from) ??
>
> Thx,
>
> -e.
>
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