Redhat and Intel Team Up for Linux Business

Red Hat and Intel announced today at LinuxWorld Boston that they would be entering a partnership to help customers "plan for, accelerate and optimize their deployments of Linux solutions." From the article: "'We're responding to what customers have told us they really need to support their advanced deployments of Linux and open source,' said Tim Yeaton, executive vice president of Enterprise Solutions at Red Hat. 'The programs Intel and Red Hat have selected are aimed at equipping customers with in-depth domain knowledge and providing hard core data to make complex architectural decisions.'"

Comments

This is HUGE!

[Iago515]

In my opinion, it may look small, but the simple fact that Intel is partnering with a Linux distro will mean that other hardware vendors will accelerate their development for Linux. This, in my opinion is still one of the biggest hurdles. I'm not a developer and think that those who are are doing a great job, but I still have hardware problems (HP LaserJet 1000 on SuSE, tv cards, etc.).

Let's see what else comes out of this, but I think it's a wake-up call to other hardware vendors.

Re:This is HUGE!

[i8puppies]

Exactly.
With a company like Intel teaming up with a Linux distro, it's a major endorsement from a large reputible company for open source products.

As for hardware vendors, yeah, this should be a big wakeup call. As it is, most Linux drivers are reverse engineered, and even the ones that are given out by the vendors are very poorly written (cough, ATI, cough), save a few (nVidia, LinkSys). Having to reverse engineer hardware in order to make drivers can only get you so much performance out of your hardware, and in most cases nowhere near it's full vendor-driver-potential. This is why getting tv cards, printers, etc to work in Linux is so frustrating. Hopefully this will open the door for hardware vendors to be like "Huhwha? Linux drivers? OK! Here you go!"

Re:Proofs of Concept

[Syberghost]

So... when the customers are done with their proofs of concept, will they then build out their apps on the AMD boxes in their own datacenters?

Some. But most will continue to use Intel for the near future, and even if in the farther future AMD passes Intel in Enterprise server sales, this'll still be worth Intel's time because they're not just competing with AMD; they're also competing with Sun and IBM in the server space. Linux competes with that even more (currently) than it does with Windows, in my opinion.

I personally prefer Ubuntu on AMD, but the Fortune 500 company for which I work uses RedHat on Intel, and it's a joy to work with but could be better. Hopefully this will help make it better.

Intel Not Exactly A Do-No-Evil Corp.

[Null Nihils]

The first thought that comes to mind is that Intel would like nothing more than to subvert Linux so that it runs best on Intel architecture. Keep in mind that it's indeed very easy for an OS to become permanently tied to a certain platform.

This hasn't been the first Slashdot article that brings fears to mind about Linux being pulled too far in the direction of corporate interests. Don't get me wrong, though, some attention from big companies can be very beneficial to projects like Linux. But still, here's hoping that the Linux community is diligent enough to stop Intel from fulfilling, within the Linux world, its agenda of domination...

Re:Intel Not Exactly A Do-No-Evil Corp.

[Locke2005]

Uh, Linux already works best on x86 machines. If you're saying that Intel will add optimizations to make Linux run better on Intel CPUs than it does on AMD, well then... AMD is welcome to do exactly the same thing. Plus, it is difficult to make AMD chips run worse without also making some Intel chips run worse as well. The nice thing about open source is you can choose which optimizations will work best for your machine.

I Fortell.....

[mpapet]

Synergized partners who realize new markets delivering revolutionary technology with ground breaking service.

Seriously, I hope this is successful "service and support" that every corporate IT media pundit claims Linux is missing.

How?

[XanC]

Intel's optimizations affect optimization for AMD and other architectures not one whit. If Intel makes their stuff works better with Linux, or makes Linux work better with their stuff, nobody is harmed, and Intel's customers gain. AMD, HP, Sun, whoever, will have an incentive to make optimizations for their architectures too.

Re:interesting

[Jason Earl]

Intel sells hardware, but for the hardware to be useful it needs software. Therefore when purchasing Intel solutions purchasers always have to look at the total price of the package including software. Commodity software lowers the overal price of the solution without touching Intel's margins at all. That makes it possible for Intel to sell the total solution at a lower price meaning more sales at the same profitability per sale.

This is basically what Microsoft has been doing to the hardware manufacturers for years. Because there was competition on the hardware side hardware prices have dropped dramatically over the years and Microsoft has ridden that wave to ever increasing sales and profit levels. Well, now Intel is finally wising up and realising that turnabout is fair play.

Long story made short. It is in Intel's best interest to see more competition in the software space as long as the software all runs on its chips.