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SuSE Sales up Significantly
Lost in the Corporate Maze writes "SUSE rides the Linux Cash Cow!. I guess someone asked SUSE to "Show me the money!". What's the breakdown between US and World sales? Where is this revenue coming from? Enquring minds want to know. "
We mentioned this before, but its interesting seeing to appear in a major pub.
Amusing step in the rivalry between the major distributions.
This is getting fun, but its also further proof that Linux
is getting bigger.
The FSSTD also states that all configuration information will be placed under /etc. I submit that the XF86Config file is a configuration file and does not belong in the off-the-wall place that SuSE sticks it (I don't recall where exactly they stuck it, but at least in 5.3 it wasn't in /etc). I submit that the linkes in /etc/rc.d on a Red Hat system are configuration information. The actual scripts can live in /sbin/rc.init or wherever they want to, but my system knows what stuff to start up at boot time by looking at those links. The FSSTD says that I should be able to restore my entire configuration by restoring /etc. But with SuSE, I have to restore /sbin/rc.d also.
/var/spool/lp/ (where is the name of the printer), which also breaks that rule. And name server files are stored in /var/named, which again breaks that rule. SuSE's blatant disregard of the FSSTD is not why I don't use SuSE, it's more a case of personal distaste for the licensing terms on YaST.
Not that Red Hat is totally free of such idiocy. For example, print configuration information is stored in little files in
-- Eric
Send mail here if you want to reach me.
It's fascinating to look at the variance in free Unix use across different demographic borders. Some of the real data agree with the commonly held myths, and other data disprove these. One thing that surprised me (although no one else who heard it) was that BSD runs neck-and-neck in Japan with Linux, allegedly accounting for 50% of the free Unix use. It will be interesting to see whether TurboLinux will change that.
I don't have a problem with SuSE attempting to competitively position themselves by trying to lower the value of RedHat's IPO. Ehh. It's a dog eat dog world out there.
What I *do* have a problem with is that they are essentially a proprietary company. They distribute a non-free Linux distribution, and stop just short of entirely refusing to acknowledge GNU and the GPL (not a mention of GNU on the package). More than 90 percent of what they are selling on that CD was contributed for free by the community. But they don't have the decency to contribute their utilities back, such as YAST.
SuSE is not helping Linux by trying to turn it proprietary. RedHat, on the other hand, isn't perfect either. But RH contributes their improvements and so is a member of the community instead of a leech -- like SuSE.
SuSe's Linux always came with smooth, simple yet powerful installation routines - and good documentation (even back in 199(4?)).
... unusuable places) - ever configured sendmail.cf (nearly) from scratch (NO example file available)?
The distributions I tried (well, some years ago) were well suited for beginners, but not for the more advanced user, with "hacker" documentation and optional modules missing there and where (or in
SuSe was the first distribution easily available on CD in Germany - and the first company offering professional support since Linux 0.99.x. See, my first linux CD was a SuSe with kernel 1.0.9
In case someone asks: now I use (and prefer) Debian, but I intend to try OpenBSD soon.
Interesting. I have lived in Germany now for almost six years, and not long after I arrived I heard about Linux for the first time (1994) via Usenet. It wasn't too long after that SuSE started pushing SuSE Linux, which took root pretty fast. Every company I've worked for or with (six of 'em) have used SuSE Linux in some capacity; my current company uses it for all servers, both intra- and Internet, for ourselves and our clients (we do web design, sometimes also setting up the server as well).
I didn't hear about Red Hat until much later. Odd. Even then I basically heard of it through my interest in MkLinux DR2.
It's also interesting that Linux took root so fast in Germany. Lots of Debian developers, for example, are German (or at least European). By the same token, other 'alternative' OSes were big in Europe but bombed in the US: Atari and above all Amiga (let's hope that they don't set a precedent for Linux).
So in many ways it's not a surprise to see that SuSE is doing so well, in contrast to Red Hat or Caldera--they've been bigger longer. But as the article states, SuSE's and Red Hat's growth curves are about the same--just Red Hat is a step behind. I wish 'em both luck...
cya
Ye Olde Webdesigner
Everyone wants to be Ethelred. Even I want to be Ethelred.
Page 1 Heading: "Show Me The Money"
:)
Page 2 Heading: "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"
Holy moly, can you get any more WORN OUT than that? Someone fax these guys some originality, please.
I propose a new law be passed giving citizens the right to legally smack silly anyone who says, "show me the money."
Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.
YaST is very cool. It lacks some functionality that I would personally like to see, and is a bit klunky at times - but it whips Linuxconf by a lot.
And yes, the source _IS_ included on the CDROM. You can hack at it to your heart's content, and you can even freely distribute it - AS LONG AS it is NOT FOR PROFIT. You cannot make money off of their setup/install tool.
It seems to me that they are literally one step ahead of redhat - with the new distro being pretty much based off it and all.
The copper bosses killed you, Joe. 'I never died', said he.
While I agree with you that there is an awful lot of software included in SuSE 6.1 (which I purchased), some points of frustration still set in.
* glibc 2.0
* enlightenment DR0.14
* Non-standard rpm names - not only cause problems finding the RPMs I wanted, but also in fulfilling dependancies, so when there were other packages I wanted to install I couldn't.
The thing is, Linux software moves on very quickly, and I have yet to find SuSE specific RPMs for most things that I use (GNOME, Enlightenment, Window Maker apps, etc.). Yes, I therefore turn to the source RPMS, but then they may be set up with RedHat directory structures in mind (which IMHO is also incorrect; they should be distro independant) and not work properly anyways. If I can't flexibly install new software on the system, then the system doesn't work for me.
So, after 3 weeks of frustration, I net installed RedHat 6.0, and have been happy ever since. Great install, great apps (ALL up to date) and after about 4 hours of setup (vs. 3 weeks and still never solving any of the issues) I have networking, ppp, printing and X all set up PERFECTLY out-of-the-box (or net, for that matter). AND, it didn't cost me a thin dime.
SO, please don't flame me, but I have to say that RH is still my favorite.
---------The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Using that system, the pronunciation I'm most familiar with as spoken by anglophones would be /'su z@/, although folks from Germany of course say something that seems more to the English ear to be /'zu z@/ or even /'zu zE/ instead.