[Discuss] Oracle Linux, going after CentOs

[markw at mohawksoft.com (Mark Woodward)]

On 07/24/2012 10:01 PM, Richard Pieri wrote:
> Oracle killing Red Hat makes even less sense than Oracle buying Red 
> Hat.  Seriously, what would Larry Ellison gain from it?  Nothing.  He 
> already has a software stack.  He already has RHEL with the trademarks 
> rasped away.  A strong Red Hat makes for a strong Oracle Linux. 
> Weakening Red Hat means a weaker RHEL to molest with a rasp, and 
> killing Red Hat means no RHEL at all.  I'm sure that Oracle would 
> recovery from killing Red Hat but why bother? Rolling out a complete 
> enterprise distribution is expensive. Rasps are cheap.
>
> I remind you of something that Mark wrote earlier: that CentOS is the 
> defacto free version of RHEL.  This makes Red Hat dependent on the 
> CentOS project for getting the foot in the door.  What happens if 
> Oracle Linux displaces CentOS as that freebie RHEL?
>
> I figure this is what Ellison wants.  He's not out to kill Red Hat. 
> He's out to make Oracle a necessity for Red Hat's continued operation.

I disagree. Larry Ellison is both crazy and without any personal morals. 
Its kind of obvious what he's planning when you think about it. 
Suffocate RedHat, leach off it while you can, when it falters the stock 
price falls, when the price is right, buy it. It is a long term strategy 
that may take a few years. At that point, you know Oracle Linux will 
then no longer be free. Sadly, at that point in time, CentOS my have 
been replace by the free Oracle Linux.

Its a brilliant move and it may work. I hope not, but it may.