The Increasing Cost of Red Hat Linux?

An Anonymous Coward asks: "I work at a company with a large number of Linux servers in the data center. We're currently evaluating what distribution we want to use moving forward. Upgrading to Red Hat Enterprise from 7.2 would cost ~$350k just for the systems we already have deployed. Due to the change in Red Hat's release policy, we either have to move to Enterprise, or change distributions. Also, we don't have Oracle on any of these systems, but we will need it in the future. This leaves us with rather limited options. I'm interested hearing what other Slashdot readers are running, and planning?"

Comments

Debian!

[TheOtherChimeraTwin]

Debian works well and the price is right! Wonderful install procedure too.

I'm Running Windows XP

[raehl]

And I'm planning to go home and play America's Army.

I may need to reboot 3-6 hours from now, but I've never had to learn how to edit a configuration file.

(Disclaimer: That's not really true, but you get the point.)

Do you really need support?

[bigjnsa500]

I get more *support* from Google than any distributor can provide. In other section of my University, they call support for the stupidiest things like compiling problems, tape problems, its ridculous!! Why get support when it will be Apu on the other line?

Here's what you do:

1. Hire 1-5 high school Linux geeks part-time.
2. Pay them 15-20k a year. They will rejoice! Sweeten the deal with an unlimited supply of Twinkies, Mountain Dew and Hot Pockets.
3. Sit back.
4. In your next conference with the big cheese, tell him how smart you are for solving the company's IT problems.