Slashdot Mirror
CowboyNeal Reviews Oracle Linux
What is Oracle Linux?
On its face, Oracle Linux feels like just another Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) derivative. It uses anaconda for an installer. It uses yum for handling packages. Configuration is handled just like RHEL, CentOS, or Scientific Linux. To be honest, the reasons why anyone would switch to Oracle Linux aren't immediately apparent after installing. It feels like nearly any other Linux with the Oracle name bolted on. Under the hood, however, are some rather compelling features.
The Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel
I have to start off with saying that I hate the name "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel." I've seen enough crazy stuff in my time, to know that no software is truly unbreakable. It might be pretty good, but unbreakable is like calling the Titanic unsinkable. Given a poor enough captain, or in this case, an administrator, I don't have any doubts that the kernel could be broken in at least some fashion. However, I suppose that "Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel" sounds a lot better than the "Pretty-dang-tootin'-robust Enterprise Kernel," and with a target like enterprise customers, terms like "Pretty-dang-tootin'" just won't get stuffy execs to authorize using Oracle Linux.
With that off my chest, let's see what the Unbreakable Linux Kernel does have to offer. Oracle has added a number of their own enhancements into a Linux 2.6 kernel. These include networking optimizations, NUMA optimizations, and enhancements for OCFS2, asynchronous I/O, SSD disk access, OLTP, and more. They clearly work pretty well, as back in March, Oracle submitted a TPC-C benchmark for a Sun Fire server that was the fastest x64-based non-clustered system.
Ksplice: Update Your Kernel Without Rebooting
Ksplice was acquired by Oracle roughly a year ago, and as a result is married to Oracle Linux rather nicely. Ksplice is the holy grail for any administrator who is obsessed with uptime. It gives you the ability to update your kernel, with no downtime necessary. This is by far the best reason to use Oracle Linux, but it also comes at a steep price. While support for Ksplice is present in the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel, it does nothing without the Ksplice Uptrack service enabled.
How does one get Ksplice Uptrack? It's only included with an Oracle premier support contract. While Oracle is quick to note that it costs less than a similar-tier RHEL support contract, it's also still more than most people would want to pay for just reboot-less kernel updates. Sure, there's also actual support included in the contract, but the lack of an ala carte option for just Ksplice Uptrack doesn't make a premier support contract any easier to swallow.
I should note here, that regular package updates via yum, and regular kernel updates via yum, are still totally free. If you don't mind rebooting, Ksplice isn't a must-have. If Oracle wanted to attract more customers, an ala carte option for Ksplice Uptrack would be a step in the right direction. If they wanted to really build some good will with the Linux community, they'd make Ksplice Uptrack free for everyone. I know it may sound weird to mention Oracle and good will together, but I'd never thought I'd see Oracle and "free" mentioned together either. As it is, it feels like Uptrack is being used as the bait for a support contract, when the support contract should really be able to stand on its own.
DTrace: Debugging and Troubleshooting in Real Time
To be fair, the DTrace modules can be plugged into a lot of Linux kernels already out there, but Oracle Linux has done the leg work for their users. Maybe you're not doing the sort of development that requires DTrace, but it's still something handy to have in the toolbox when something breaks. It's also a handy way to profile already running processes at any moment, with little to no impact on performance when tracing a process. Oracle maintains a long list of DTrace resources on their OpenSolaris site.
Should I give this a look?
If you're already perfectly happy with your RHEL or CentOS Linux install, Oracle Linux is a hard sell, even at the price of free. After toying about with the system, I'd say it's at least worth a hard look. As it is, you get the benefits of CentOS or Scientific Linux, with Oracle's own stuff bolted on, and their enhancements, even minus Ksplice, make a compelling argument to use Oracle Linux. If you are setting up a machine to use Oracle's database software, Oracle Linux is the best choice, since it's been designed to support Oracle DB, and is the same Linux that Oracle uses in-house. While Oracle's premier support contract is cheaper than the RHEL alternative, the actual cost of switching from RHEL to Oracle in a given case may not be. While this release is a good first step for Oracle, more options, like free Ksplice Uptrack, or even a Ksplice Uptrack subscription, would make it an easier sell.
If you'd like to give Oracle Linux a try, without having to jump through a lot of hoops, the Oracle Linux Wiki has a list of download sites.
Just don't navigate this kernel into any icebergs.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. -Alan Kay
Yeah, after Oracle tries to sue the planet for their most precious IP, I really want to use their products. No thanks. The fight with The Google showed their true colors. http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=2012053015590290
As an product engineer for my company, I need to look out for sue-happy companies. This is one of them. Buh-bye.
What does that mean. Both vendors likely provide many packages with various options and configurations and discounts. How about a "for example".
Can you spell L-O-C-K-I-N?
thegodmovie.com - watch it
This is the Oracle that tried to kill Android? Then I'm not interested. Thanks.
http://dtrace.org/blogs/ahl/2011/10/10/oel-this-is-not-dtrace/
http://dtrace.org/blogs/ahl/2012/02/23/dtrace-oel-update/
Has Cowboyneal tried it?
My company tries to enforce the use of Oracle Linux in our datacenter so I mostly wind up with it by default. I generally let the build guys do that and then I run a script to convert it to CentOS when I actually need to use it in production. That way, it mirrors what most of our developers have on their desk. The only real benefit I see for OEL is the faster turnaround for RH updates. In real-world usage, they've been pretty much the same for our typical use cases (busy LAMP boxes). If I were to avoid OEL, it would be only because I don't like encouraging a bully.
Best,
Oh yeah, I want to run right out there and do business with a company that seems to be in the business of suing people over every little thing - like saying their database server products suck... or that you found a way to make money with one of their products they didn't think of... or that you use one of their products in a way they didn't think of themselves and charge you outrageous fees for...
If I had wanted that, I would have bought copious amounts of SCO products to keep Daryl McBride employed. Let me put it more simply to you, for those at Oracle who might care:
I'd rather eat razor sharp ground glass than use your products.
The only question I really wanted to hear answered is "Do you guarantee that once I've converted all of my servers to your free product, it will still be available further down the line? Or, to put it another way, am I likely to end up having to pay for the binary rpms or do a full re-install of CentOS later because you've changed the licencing and started issuing source rpms only"?
Hmmmmmm..... Deep fried and look like Squirrel.
I will do anything possible to not use their products and stop anyone I know from using them. Fuck Oracle.
These include networking optimizations, NUMA optimizations, and enhancements for OCFS2, asynchronous I/O, SSD disk access
NUMA is non-uniform memory access. Basically some supercomputers have memory dedicated to a processor that's much faster than regular memory (I believe this is NOT the same thing as a cache, and is directly accessible).
OCFS2 Oracle Clustered Filesystem. So a filesystem from Oracle.
Asynchronous IO, SSD disk Access, networking optimizations: Kind of vague, so I don't know what the improvement is about here.
OLTP: Online transaction processing. Also kind of a broad category.
It would have been helpful in the review to have gone over these kernel enhancements in more detail rather than just presenting a list of obscure nouns.
This is the Oracle that writes poorly implemented and poorly documented installers for their weirdly designed (and poorly documented) database software? Still not interested.
This Space Intentionally Left Blank
I'm interested! Wait a second ... *shuffles around in his desk drawer and pulls up an empty bottle of KY Jelly* ... awww, never mind :(
Suddenly, a wild Oracle appears!
This is the Oracle that tried to kill Android?
No, they didn't try to kill Android, they just bought Sun for 6 billion dollar and tried to extort the same amount of Google for six lines of code... They wound never, ever try the same crap with Unbreakable Larryx....
They make everything more difficult than it should be. They've given me headaches every time I've had to deal with them over the last 20 years. Pre-sales support, installation, bug research/reporting/resolution are all a royal pain. If you're in the process of buying Oracle software and they try to push *their* Linux on you, push back. Ask them why they are unable/unwilling to support industry standard distributions.
For those who are still waiting for the latest Oracle DB to be certified with RHEL 6, this appears to be one more reason to switch. Giving away an OracleDB certified OS seems like a pretty good ploy on their part. Then choke out Red Hat.
Not going to get any karma points for this move, but I see what they've done here.
Flexible bare-metal recovery for Linux/UNIX
I'd rather stick pins in my eyes
What makes Oracle Linux unique, and why would anyone want to use it?
It comes with the Ask.com toolbar for your browser! AMIRITE?!?
After what they did with Solaris I would not trust them keep yum updates available with a support contract.
Optimized for what? I just finished dealing with an Enterprise customer that had two parallel pilots testing Oracle DB performance - one on RHEL and one on the equivalent Oracle distribution. The fun part was that it was managed by a guy who used to work for Oracle, so we were pretty sure where this was going. However, after months of testing, they were unable to explain why the same multitude of DB tests on the two platforms showed significant performance differences, and it was Oracle that came up short. They worked very closely with Oracle trying to figure out the problem and were never able to get OEL to even approach the performance they say from the equivalent RHEL out-of-the-box installation.
While support for Ksplice is present in the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel, it does nothing without the Ksplice Uptrack service enabled.
Any software company that locks on-disk, local software to an ongoing support contract can go fuck themselves. Ksplice should be part of the kernel proper; Oracle are holding back progress, plain and simple.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
Hey all, RHEL admin here. Honestly the only part of this that would be really beneficial for my company would be ksplice. I just can't figure out why the upstream service is required. You need to phone home to upgrade your kernel? Can someone explain this to me?
The only thing good I have to say about Oracle Linux is that they removed that GODDAMNED Nouveau driver, so their installer actually works on a machine with nVidia graphics.
Last time I looked (okay it was over a month ago) Oracle's flagship database product (11g) still needed the installation of DEPRECATED libraries! There are good reasons why they were deprecated including a little thing know as security vulnerabilities.... So now they are shipping their own re-rolled Red Hat Enterprise Linux - yes it's RHEL with what ever kruff they need to add to give them a complete stack ... hey so now I don't have to hunt down crap on their support site, it's already there guess in a way that's a good thing?
No, there is a third group. The people genuinely trying to understand. Understanding is not the same as looking for answers.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Quite honestly, I see rather few compelling reasons to run Oracle Enterprise Linux. Really, the only reason I can see for it is if you're going to be running Oracle applications (database, Fusion, etc.,) under the "one throat to choke" point of view. I've had some unpleasant discoveries with OEL, not the least of which is that some of the low level filesets are rather significantly out of date.
Here, if it's an Oracle app, it'll probably get hosted on OEL. If it's not from Oracle, we'll probably host it on RHEL.
I've been wanting to try linux but up until now it was too expensive.
When did Oracle try to kill Android Linux?
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Every independent review has given OEL similar or marginally lower ratings than vanilla RHEL. Rightly so, since the only difference is a handful of proprietary, bolt-on modifications that even heavy Oracle DB users will probably never use.
Oracle produced this OS, which is virtually identical to RHEL in every meaningful way, certified their DB on this OS, then withheld that certification from the RHEL release from which OEL originates. It's a dirty and underhanded tactic to muscle into the OS market, and they will screw customers hard on the next absurdly-expensive release and/or support costs, once customers have succumbed to lock-in.
I hope they cut you a big check for this.
I'm a Java Developer. I've had the displeasure of being forced into contact with Oracle after they borged Java and several other technologies I use.
Their documentation is almost deliberately terrible - perhaps to sell support and classes. They are very difficult to communicate with.
They have very little regard for users and developers.
Their help forums fun on bad technology that is very old that even someone putting up a personal web site would be ashamed to use.
Since we can't mod anything higher than 5, I'm just going to say this: Most discussions about a story only have 1 truly useful response that indicate the person gets it and can explain it to someone else. Your post is the winner for this thread. Congrats!
This is the Oracle that writes poorly implemented and poorly documented installers for their weirdly designed (and poorly documented) database software? Still not interested.
But. But. But... It's unBREAKable!
Got nothing in particular against Oracle. We use their database products. But RHEL and Suse both being established, robust distributions that are more than good enough, there's really no compelling reason to switch. Combine that with an inherent (but not absolutely deal-killing) distrust of Oracle's business practices, and we'll just stay where we are, thanks.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
I wonder if they understand the game they're playing.
If Oracle beats and subsequently crushes Red Hat, it will no longer have any "innovations" to "build" on.
Cough.
I have used ksplice, back when it was an experimental project before Oracle bought it.
The core ksplice code is part of the kernel. The issue is that in order to actually create the updates, you need to build fixes against the running code (like building a kernel module), then you need to have a developer go over the fixes and make sure that the automated tools didn't miss anything (and if they did then fix things up). Also, there are some cases that the automated tools can't handle in which case the developer has to write the fix from scratch.
Nothing is stopping you from creating your own fixes, but if you want their stream of known-good fixes then you'll need to subscribe to the support contract.
The core ksplice code is part of the kernel. The issue is that in order to actually create the updates, you need to build fixes against the running code (like building a kernel module), then you need to have a developer go over the fixes and make sure that the automated tools didn't miss anything (and if they did then fix things up). Also, there are some cases that the automated tools can't handle in which case the developer has to write the fix from scratch.
Nothing is stopping you from creating your own fixes, but if you want their stream of known-good fixes then you'll need to subscribe to the support contract.
Good and logical attitude to the review, but its strange that CowboyNeal mentions Ksplice without mentioning the differences in cluster stack on Oracle Linux vs RHEL/CentOS/ScientificLinux. Maybe he does not have experience in clustering, but the biggest problem with Oracle Linux is its cluster stack, or lack of free one should I say.
RHEL/CentOS/ScientificLinux use RHCS - Red Hat Cluster Suite - without talking how averge/bad piece of cluster software that is, its free, anyone can use it in production.
Oracle Linux uses its own Oracle Clusterware software - the problem is that this software is not free, but they did not mentioned that in their 'Oracle Linux is better free Linux then CentOS Linux', or did they?
See Subject.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
I don't see anywhere in the summary (tldr) where it mentions ZFS. Does anybody know if this distro supports ZFS file systems?
Poorly implemented?? How can you say that? Is it because when you try to install and older version of their middleware on a newer OS it complains because of the name of the screensaver? Or because they hide their log files in so many different places that you have to play "Where's Waldo" to trouble shoot anything?
But they have gotten better, haven't they? They used to complain when you installed their software that the account wasn't named "root." It didn't matter if the account had the permission that were needed, it just had to have the right name. Now they let you install it if the account has the permissions it needs. I admit that they are still working on running their software on a non-login account, but they will get there...in a few year or so.
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. It only affects the people around you. Same thing when you're stupid.
This is the Oracle that writes poorly implemented and poorly documented installers for their weirdly designed (and poorly documented) database software? Still not interested.
OMFG, this. I wonder if Oracle provides the drugs to their employees as a perk, or if the cost is deducted from their paychecks?
Let me guess, you pay for a premium subscription and your yum sources get to point to the premium repository?
This way Oracle can use the "free" users as beta testers by pushing out changes to the "free" repository first, waiting till they get the all clear, and then making the same changes available on the premium repository.
Of course I could just be paranoid.
You can get a 64 core machine with 128GB of memory plus a disk or two for $9000. That's no supercomputer, but it's something that NUMA is needed for.
This is the Oracle that takes a perfectly good hardware business (Sun microsystems) and gives it arse cancer.
This is the Oracle that takes a perfectly good cross-platform software development platform (Java) and gives it arse cancer.
This is the Oracle that, when you want something, can't find anyone in it's organisation that knows enough about its own products to sell them to you (Crystal Ball).
This is the Oracle that when you don't want something bombards you with stupid numbers of call centre monkeys trying to get you to buy products that companies with 30 staff will never have a use for (do they even READ their own survey results?!?!?)
This is the Oracle that invented arse cancer.
If I never have to see, smell or touch an Oracle or Oracle affiliated product for the rest of my career I'll die happy. Thank god we use SAP at work. At least it's slightly less fucked.
Clue to the clueless- Debian is also free. And it's far, far superior to any crap Oracle or RH will serve you. Oh, and it has been for over a decade.
They recently sued Google claiming that the Dalvic VM (heavily used by Android phones) was infringing their patents and contained copied code, as well as trying a rather unusual step of claiming that you could copyright an API (not the implementaion, just the API: the function names and arguments) They lost on almost all counts, except for about 6 lines of code which were copied by an external company and removed once Google were notified they were there. http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20120531173633275 This case was widely taken as a move to either kill Android or simply to profit from it by licensing patents. However, since part of the appeal of Android is that it's free, forcing a fee for each android installation would probably have killed it.
We have a significant RHEL and CentOS infrastructure. I don't see anything in their offerings that really makes me feel a need to switch. But, given that we rely heavily on ZFS-based thumpers, if Oracle Linux integrated ZFS support into the kernel, to a reasonably current revision, that would get my attention. Until then, if it ain't broke don't fix it....
Oracle does not support ASMLib, OCFS2, etc. on RHEL 6 or later. Personally I think for good reasons. And for what it's worth, you get Oracle Linux for free, including the latest patches without the need for a subscription (http://public-yum.oracle.com). Oracle Linux 6.3 ships with a 3.0 mainstream Linux kernel (UEK2) optimized for Oracle. It provides the "oracle-rdbms-server-11gr2-preinstall" rpm package that does all the prerequisite setup to install Oracle database, which makes installing Oracle 11g very simple. Having the same vendor for the database and OS is certainly an advantage. I think there is no compelling reason not to switch to Oracle Linux, in particular if you intend to use it for any Oracle products, unless you want to shoot yourself in the foot now or later.