SUSE is forking RHEL (suse.com)

Article summary

SUSE has announced it is forking Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and will develop and maintain a RHEL-compatible distribution available to all without restrictions. This move is part of a $10+ million investment and aims to preserve choice in enterprise Linux. SUSE plans to contribute its code to an open source foundation, ensuring ongoing free access to alternative source code. The company remains committed to its existing Linux solutions, including SLE and openSUSE.

Main themes

• RHEL forking
• enterprise Linux
• open source business models
• vendor lock-in
• corporate support contracts
• standardization and stability

What commenters say

• Forking RHEL is a clever business move that could lure users away from Red Hat.
• The success of RHEL clones may undermine Red Hat's business model, which relies heavily on licensing and support.
• Commercial support for clones can be seen as unethical, as it allows companies to profit from others' work without contributing back.
• The desire for RHEL compatibility is driven by corporate inertia and the need for standardized, known quantities.
• Red Hat's contributions to the open source community are significant and should not be underestimated.
• The availability of alternative support options, such as those offered by SUSE and Canonical, can reduce dependence on Red Hat.
• The stability and standardization offered by RHEL are more important than the ability to shift blame to a third-party supporter.
• The FOSS model can create conflicts between companies that contribute to open source projects and those that profit from them without giving back.