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HP Announces Support for Debian Linux

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the helping-hands dept.

Bain writes "PC World reports that HP is to offer support for Debian Linux on its ProLiant and HP BladeSystem servers. Support will be provided by HP telephone operators rather than the discussion-group method that current Debian users rely on. The move to support Debian continues HP's relationship with the community-based OS, which stretches back to 1995."

8 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Another Layer of goo by tacocat · · Score: 4, Funny

    So when I call HP for support, I can watch for their posting on the Debian mailing list to find out the answer? This should be fun!

  2. Other Debian distro's? by crunch_ca · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Does that include support for other Debian distributions (like Ubuntu)? What about testing and unstable? The article is pretty light on what's actually covered.

    Still, good for HP.

    1. Re:Other Debian distro's? by neonprimetime · · Score: 5, Informative

      From cnet

      HP's offer will apply to the current "Sarge" version 3 of Debian and to version 4, "Etch," due in December. (Debian versions are named after characters in the movie "Toy Story.")

  3. Obligatory "the IT Crowd" quote: by russ1337 · · Score: 4, Funny

    *Ring Ring*
    Hello, I.T.
    Have you tried turning it off and on again?

  4. bdale garbee? by xoundmind · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'd be interested to know how much this gentleman had to do with it:
    http://www.gag.com/~bdale/
    He's a former Debian Project Leader and now Linux/OSS CTO at HP.

  5. This is vital by Almahtar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Support is vital for any OS to be taken seriously where downtime is unacceptable. I know way too many IT guys who would love to run some form of *nix for their servers, but their CEO's wouldn't let them. The reason? If there's a problem they can't fix, they resort to googling, mailing lists, forums, etc: they're pretty boned.

    If there's a Windows problem they can't fix they can fly someone in from Redmond to get the job done in a few hours. Unfortunately Red Hat can't compete with that (yet). If minutes of downtime = millions in losses, Official support that always gets the job done is a requirement that can't be ignored.

  6. Re:hooray! by chris_mahan · · Score: 5, Funny

    > "Ok, now open the control panel."
    > "What control panel?"
    > "Click Start, then click control panel."
    > "Start? What Start?"

    Exasperated tech support guy takes a deep breath to stop from screaming.
    "Ok, use the mouse, point to the lower left of the screen..."
    "What mouse?"
    "Arrrgghhh!!!!"

    Level two support:
    "Do you have ssh?"
    "Of course"
    "Ok, what the ip address and the root password?"
    "Nice try."
    "Well, I can't help you if you don't give me the root password."
    "You said it."
    "I said what?"
    "You can't help me."

    Level three uber-tech-support from hell:
    "Ah, yes, I can see what the problem is."
    "You can?"
    "Of course. Lemme fix it"
    "But how can you get in? You don't even have an account on the server?"
    "Correction, it's you that doesn't have an account... anymore. BWAHAHAHA."

    Sorry. I'll go back to coding crappy corporate proprietary code...

    --

    "Piter, too, is dead."

  7. Re:hooray! by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful
    This is good to hear, but as always implementation is everything.
    I disagree, in this case it's the declaration of support that matters. Am I ever going to actually call HP for debian support? No, I'll search the web like usual. But when spec'ing out the system, it could help to say my OS of choice is "supported" by HP. And this is a very good indication that all the hardware will work, even on other distros.