MandrakeSoft Publishes Support Policy

joestar writes "MandrakeSoft has posted a statement about its product support policy on its website: 'At a time when some of the established Linux companies are turning away from their Open Source roots and progressively abandoning full-time commitment to Open Source Software, many people have asked MandrakeSoft to clarify its position regarding product-lifetimes and its Open Source development model.' As a result, this interesting reading provides 8 Golden Rules that lead Mandrake Linux development and product support lifetime. This certainly makes MandrakeSoft one of the most 'Open Source' Linux companies, and all Linux companies should maybe think about releasing such a statement."

Comments

"8 Golden Rules?"

[wobblie]

That's nice, but it's still not a Social Contract

Re:"8 Golden Rules?"

[vsprintf]

I think that it is especially interesting that Mandrake, which is known, and sometimes derided, for being easy to install and friendly to newbies, is doing this.

And that's a good point that raises the question: Why is Mandrake considered a n00b distro, and why is it derided for installing easily? The first time I installed Mandrake was because Red Hat would not install on my machine, and a friend offered me his Mandrake download discs.

Mandrake has the same kernel and the same GNU tools as all the other distros. By default it will install the KDE or Gnome desktop (or, if you choose, both or others). Once installed, it does all the same things that every other distro does. It does do some default things during installation that will keep a n00b out of trouble, and it asks you first. So how is that a bad thing? It is so much better than the Lindows run-as-root default.

We've still got a huge group of people claiming Linux isn't ready for the desktop because it's too hard to install, but Mandrake is far easier to install than Windows 98 (admittedly the last time I installed Windows). The other group thinks Mandrake is too easy to install. Maybe I'm just getting old, because I write software and think it ought to be fairly easy to install. I don't get it.

So, in other words...

[slayer99]

They are making vague indications that they might do what Debian have been doing for just a little while now?

It remains to be seen

[cluge]

It is still early in this companies lifetime - so it remains to be seen if they will keep to their own rules. The fact that they published the rules is indeed a heartening step in the right direction. I hope that other distros follow suit, especially in the category of product lifetime. If Mandrake can follow these rules, they become a more attractive alternative to the jaugernaut that is RedHat, and Suse. This is especially so for corporate rollouts where EOL is important and so is ease of installation. As the "linux market" becomes mor mature each vendor will have to carve out a niche. Mandrakes may be "Easy to install and our support lasts longer than your computer". Refreshing in these days of "rental OS" and forced upgrades.

AngryPeopleRule

Re:OEM support through Sun, HP etc????

[Dukael_Mikakis]

This probably has more to do with market share and how willing Sun and HP or any other manufacturer is going to be willing to support other platforms.

I guess Mandrake could "meet them halfway" by working to develop support for these companies at least partially, but I guess HP and Sun figure that they support Red Hat so why bother with all the other builds?

It's too bad because it seems Red Hat's the Windows of Linux (?!), and this is primarily why I use it. I wouldn't mind another version, and I'm looking into Debian, any thoughts?

But I don't think support relates that much to this philosophy as it does to business, even for an open source company.

vmware included?

[bbdd]

one of the sales pitches for the powerpack version is:

"9. Compatibility: run Windows and Mandrake Linux on the same computer."

and a picture of vmware running is shown. i would buy it in a minute if it came with a copy of vmware.

but, *sigh*, it doesn't.

how can they plug this as a benefit if it can't do it, or in this case, for only a limited time?

Re:vmware included?

[joestar]

> "9. Compatibility: run Windows and Mandrake Linux on the same computer."

I guess it's about LILO/GRUB... Anyway, as far as I know they provide an evaluation version of VMWare with the PowerPack.

Re:Not *quite* flamebait, but misguided

[JawFunk]

That Mandrake is willing to go this far is a wonderful point for them, and we should applaud them.You have a point, for Mandrake as a company this is certainly a rique statement to stand by, unsure if the future of the industry will allow Mandrake to uphold this model and stay competitive with other linux "brands". It would be unfortunate if in two years they are slammed for having to take on a more profit oriented business model to stay in the game, only to be rejected by its former or current Mandrake lovers. I hear good things, but RH is where im at as a n00b.

Lame Marketing Ploy To Rally True Believers

[reallocate]

Obviously targetted at ideologues angry at Red Hat, this is a lame marketing ploy by Mandrake to rally True Believers in another attempt to sell product.

Nothing new is announced here. Mandrake -- a good distribution -- is simply engaging in a bit of transparent posturing.

Open source entails no obligation by any individual or any company to make their product available gratis. If it does, it will be the death of open source. Mandrake can continue to attempt to make a profit selling the same product it is also giving away, but lot's of people consider that to be an incredibly stupid business decision.

Open source does not obligate a business to provide support for a product any longer than it wants to, regardless of how angry that might make some people. Nothing that Red Hat released as open source has been withdrawn.

Open source is commonly touted as software that can be supported even if the company selling it goes away. So, then, why are different standards applied to the company known as Red Hat? Red Hat users have the source. Support it yourself, OK? Isn't that what open source is all about?

Red Hat has no ethical obligation to support any of its products for any longer than it wishes to, and assertions to the contrary are hypocritical and contradictory.

The primary ethical obligation of a business is to turn a profit. That's what Red Hat chose to do, and that is exactly what Mandrake is doing with this self-serving advertisement.

Re:Lame Marketing Ploy To Rally True Believers

[SuperDuG]

Let me summerize my comment here: "you're wrong".

Now let me explain:

I have been a mandrake user since day #1. I have also used other distributions, but none of them have included RedHat since version 5.2. I own numerous books with Mandrake CD's and a number of official Mandrake Official boxed sets.

Mandrake in my opinion is the only distribution that provides the packages the users want and a way to easily deliver them. Anyone who has had the "pleasure" of installing gentoo, slackware, or debian, knows that while you may have a more customized machine in the end you have put more time in your install than could ever with mandrake. Those who argue that there is "bloat" with said distro have never taken the time to actually decide what is being installed, which is so much more different than installing after the os is installed right??

Back to your comment. How can mandrake make a profit on a product they give away? Simple, join the mandrake club and you will see what is the difference between downloading and burning a few iso's in comparison to having updates and forums in which mandrake linux developers frequent. Who better to get support from than the people who literally made what you're using?

While Open Source doesn't obligate a company, common sense does. People in general are loyal to brand name or specific products (if you think I'm lying then why are people so set in their ways about coke and pepsi??). If a company to which they have been loyally giving their money to decides to turn around and screw them, then they get pissed off and that gravy train dries up. RedHat switching to Fedora may not have pissed of jo average linux user, but imagine the small companies/schools that were used to previous support plans, most of these groups work on yearly budgets and getting screwed mid fiscal year isn't something they really enjoy.

Anyone can support open source products, but when you rely on support from a specific source, and that source changes the rules, you get upset. This applies to cars, pipes, and swimming pools as much as it does linux and open source. Sure you can fix a leaky pipe, but if you inferred that a plumber would provide support at a set cost monthly, and then decided to flip you the bird, you're going to feel a little cheated at that damned plumber.

RedHat DOES have an ethical obligation to support its products, because without all those little people they've decided to piss on the heads of, they wouldn't be a company. Companies are successful because of their customers, companies go under when they start to fail to realize this.

The primary ethical obligation of an investor is that the company turns a profit. A company is required to keep employees employed, is required to keep customers happy and buying, and is required to do this honestly through quality, profit is a happy by-product of being a successful company.

Thank you,

SuperDuG

No, it is better

[ChrisWong]

In some ways, it's better. The Debian social contract makes no time commitments on updates. It could be that Debian's support is so long because it takes them so long to get a new stable release out. On the other hand, Mandrake explicitly commits to 18 months of base updates. That's a solid commitment for those of us who want to put off upgrade hell.

Well, I Hope So.

[vigilology]

I wish to know that at least one of the main desktop Linux distros will stick around for many years, be it Mandrake, Suse, Redhat, whatever. Otherwise, how can "Linux be ready for the desktop" if all the distros close down or stop supporting after a short while? Imagine it, you've managed to persuade your friend|relative to use [insert distro] only to have it stop being supported next year. At least with a Microsoft OS, you know it's going to be a few years before they stop updating, patching etc, it.