[CentOS] Blog article about the state of CentOS

Valeri Galtsev

galtsev at kicp.uchicago.edu
Wed Jun 17 15:26:13 UTC 2020



> On Jun 17, 2020, at 9:15 AM, Johnny Hughes <johnny at centos.org> wrote:
> 
> On 6/17/20 8:06 AM, Simon Matter via CentOS wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> I just read this blog article from austrian Linux expert Michael Kofler.
>>> For
>>> those among you who don't know the guy, he's my home country's number one
>>> Linux
>>> expert (known as "der Kofler") and most notably the author of a series of
>>> excellent books about Linux over the last 25 years.
>>> 
>>> https://kofler.info/centos-8-wertlose-langzeitunterstuetzung/
>>> 
>>> Disclaimer : I've been a CentOS user (and fan) since 4.x, I'm using it on
>>> all
>>> my servers, and yes, I know the difference between upstream RHEL and
>>> CentOS.
>>> 
>>> The article is in german, but the statistics graph is eloquent enough for
>>> the
>>> non-german-speaking users. It focuses on updates for CentOS 8, and more
>>> exactly
>>> the extended periods of time where there have been no updates available.
>>> 
>>> The author's theory ("unspoken truth"): while it's a positive thing that
>>> Red
>>> Hat is sponsoring CentOS, the amount of sponsoring is just insufficient
>>> enough
>>> so that the product is "starved to death" by Red Hat (e. g. IBM) to
>>> encourage
>>> users to move to RHEL.
>> 
>> I think if Red Hat really wanted to improve the situation, they could
>> integrate the building of CentOS into the EL build system to produce both
>> versions, RHEL and CentOS, at the same time. In the end 99% of the bits
>> are the same anyway. If the delay of CentOS builds is really wanted by Red
>> Hat, it would be nice of them to speak it out - and change the name to
>> COS, because the ent is not true anymore :-)
>> 
>> Up to now I thought the big delay with 8 is more an accident than wanted.
>> Would be nice to hear what Red Hat says about it. Maybe the problem is not
>> known well enough in the Red Hat universe.
>> 
> 
> 
> No one is trynig to make anything slower.
> 
> And CentOS Stream 'is' going to be how RHEL is developed in the future.
> So, all this is happening.
> 
> But modules introduced in RHEL 8 requires a who new build system (as
> koji set up) and a whole new module build back end (MBS).
> 
> If you would rather use Oracle for your open source needs .. well, that
> is a decision you can make and be responsible for.
> 
> If you would instead have feedback directly into the RHEL development
> process as a community .. then CentOS is where you want to be.
> 
> This stuff is open source, and you are all gown ups who can make your
> own decisions.
> 
> I can assure you .. I am working my butt off everyday to make CentOS
> Linux the best it can be.  If you want to compare what the CentOS team
> (a small team) can do compared to Oracle (a tmulti billin dollar
> corporation who bought Sun Microsystems .. took over Java and Open
> Office, etc)  .. well, we can not provide the resources they can provide.
> 
> But Red hat heard the community .. that the community and Red Hat
> customers want more direct input into RHEL development.  And Red Hat is
> taking action to open up RHEL development in CentOS Stream.
> 
> You get to decide who you trust.
> 

Thank you, Johnny!

I was going to reply to original post that: Nobody ever promised to pay CentOS team to do what they do. That was my understanding always.

Changes in the OS, new components (do not mean systemd explicitly), and how new release is built may or may not be part of longer/bigger plan of RHEL owner.

Without regard to the above, RedHat always was following meticulously the letter of GNU license. And the reputation IBM has (in my book), does not raise red flag after they bought out RedHat. Time will show, but I’m sure with acquisition of RedHat by IBM “nothing changed” for open source community in general, and CentOS existence in particular. Not dramatically at least. And someone mentioned Oracle, and I agree, Oracle has quite opposite reputation in my boot to that of IBM.

Thanks, Johnny, very much again!!

Note: I’m just humble outsider, not CentOS project member.

Valeri

> Thanks,
> Johnny hUghes
> 
> 
> 
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