Technogory

I read an interesting article that discusses the recent Microsoft proposition to become a player in the sandbox of open source; i.e. - making their software play nice.  In the article, it quickly went on to point out the notion that “you get what you pay for” and if Linux is free, and Vista costs a lot; Vista must give you more!  A real O/S!  But, I have to point out the problem with this simplistic notion - Linux is not “Free” as in “Free Beer.”  If you believe you get what you pay for, look no further than “Enterprise Linux.”  If you are working in an enterprise environment, and have faced the license costs for support and updates to your “not-so-free” enterprise Linux edition, then you know that this is just not true.

For the home user, I can go out and “freely” download a copy of my favorite flavor of Linux.  I can install it, and use it.  I can install other “free” applications on top of it, and make it operate and provide all the features I have come to expect from Windows.  It works, and those that continue to struggle aren’t struggling because of the lack of functionality, it’s because of change.  The user interface doesn’t look the same, they can’t find their favorite icon on that cluttered desktop, they can’t differentiate between the Windows “Start” and KDE’s or GNOM’s approach to the menu system; but I digress.  Linux is “free” to use by the home user.

The corporate user can do the same.  They can “freely” download their favorite copy of Linux, install it, add applications, and make it function quite well in the corporate landscape of network and servers.  I am working for a company where this is very true.  The corporate standard is Windows XP, not Linux.  However, there are probably 4% of the employees using Linux desktop exclusively.  That number is growing!  That’s the exciting part.

The corporate server support can also download the “free” copy of Linux.  However, here is the rub.  Any company worth it’s salt wants the O/S to have support.  If something goes wrong, and they loose business, transactions, time on-line; they want to share the blame!  So, they seek out an “Enterprise” license to go along with the “free” Linux.  RedHat and Novell seem to be the favorites in this arena right now.  You can purchase “Enterprise” license to have an “Enterprise” version of the free “Linux.”  The point being, this “Linux” isn’t overwhelmingly special in any way - it is still the Linux kernel.  It is still running KDE if you so choose (or Gnome).  It can still function in run level 3 - command mode for you that don’t know; no graphics.  Yet, you are paying for the ability to download the “enterprise” patches; not bleeding edge.  You are also granted support.  In other words, the O/S goes “tango-uniform” and you have someone who will come out and scratch their head and recommend you load another patch!  All this for a price.

So, I am here to break the bad news - “Enterprise Linux” is not free.  now, here’s some more shocking news!  At the company I work for, Solaris is “Free” because I own a lot of SUN hardware.  You could argue that I had to purchase the hardware - but the reality is, before Linux, I was a SUN shop.  I can create “containers” and sudo-virtualize.  AIX is free - I own a lot of IBM p/iSeries hardware.  I have lot’s of databases, and can create several virtual O/S installations.  IBM actually has a great virtualization model.

We recently did a study at our company.  First, what would it cost to stand up a single server of any flavor O/S.  No, Windows wasn’t considered.  It’s more expensive, period.  So, we looked at setting up comparable systems running Solaris, AIX, and Linux (RedHat and SLES).  As it turns out, RedHat was the most expensive, coming in at around $50 more per server.  SLES was next in line at about $36 more per server.  Solaris and AIX were a wash; setting the baseline at $0 per server.  We then took a look at the virtualization model.  That is the only place you can begin to see Linux come down in price, depending on how clever you are with your licensing of the “Enterprise” version.

IBM recently quoted this company for support of the O/S and the software patch license.  For a single copy of SLES, the cost of the “free” software was $1500 for support and $800 for patches.   This was before any real negotiating!  IBM had a representative that claimed that they were giving “world-class” support!  Okay, let me remind you, support of a broken O/S goes like this.  Call vendor to open a ticket; send vendor some dump files; vendor says install latest patches; problem is typically resolved!  I ask you, honestly, when did you have some catastrophic issue that was specifically related to a bad O/S?

Linux (Enterprise) is not free!