OpenELA Publishes Initial Source Code For Building RHEL Derivatives

[phoronix]

Phoronix: OpenELA Publishes Initial Source Code For Building RHEL Derivatives

Following Red Hat's decision to limit access to the RHEL source code to their customers, various RHEL-based Linux distributions were caught in a tailspin. CIQ (Rocky Linux), SUSE, and Oracle decided to form the Open Enterprise Linux association (OpenELA) to collaborate around the development of distributions with compatibility against Red Hat Enterprise Linux and ensuring open and free access to EL source code. Today they are announcing initial source available for their EL8 and EL9 packages...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/OpenELA-Initial-Source-Code

[Barley9432]

I still don't see a reason for this to exist other than to be a leech. CentOS Stream offers ABI compatibility (because RHEL between minor releases generally does).

Alma Linux imo went the correct route with this, being based off Stream which allows contributors to more easily contribute upstream like they already have done. Oracle, Rocky and SUSE just want to have their cake and eat it too.

[michaelo2]

From their FAQ:

Why doesn’t OpenELA offer a binary distribution?

The goal of the project is to focus on freely distributable open source code. Source code is the best way to collaborate on development. It also gives downstream derivatives the ability to add value however they need, which is permissible via the open source licenses contained within each individual package.

IMO that's CentOS Stream and downtream derivatives are RHEL and Alma.

[michaelo2]

Strange that their webpage shows a GitLab screenshot from https://git.openela.org/rpms but all links go to GItHub instead.

[sophisticles]

So basically they created a 501(c)(6) Delaware non-profit corporation so they can steal Red Hat's work, is that about the gist of it?

To me, this represents the absolute worst of open source.

If i was on the steering committee, I would, pardon the pun, steer them towards a different tact.

Since the group does represent significant amounts of experience, and they seem to have a bug up their ass about Red Hat, why not do one better and fork Fedora?

Fedora and Red Hat are pretty much the same code base, and Fedora is one of the better distros, probably top 4, why not fork it and base their product of of that?

Even better, since SUSE is part of this group, why not help Rocky, Oracle, Alma and anyone else to create a fork of SLED?

Of course we know the answer to this last question, because SUSE knows that would kill its business and while they have no problem with trying to screw over Red Hat they don't want to screw themselves.

And who can blame them?

Have you seen them?

[skeevy420]

I still don't see a reason for this to exist other than to be a leech. CentOS Stream offers ABI compatibility (because RHEL between minor releases generally does).

Alma Linux imo went the correct route with this, being based off Stream which allows contributors to more easily contribute upstream like they already have done. Oracle, Rocky and SUSE just want to have their cake and eat it too.

Well, what else are you supposed to do with cake? Display it in a window? Let it represent you in court? Make monstrosities out of fondant to air TV? Have sex with it? Lie about it?

[muncrief]

My goodness gracious.

Just run Arch or one of its derivatives and do away with all this nonsense.

If you want open source then use freely available open source programs, not "open source" buried behind a paywall and plethora of other obstacles.

And if you like and/or benefit from the programs donate to its authors.

It's not rocket science.

Sheesh.

[Dharc]

Hahaha, best moment to live in a Deb, Gentoo world. First systemd, when Red Hat wanted to standardize Linux distros even those distros from different families, but they didn't think the first thing they should do was to keep themselves alive first. Second, they were bought by IBM. And now because they are failing, they tried to "close" the source code. The company who always tried to dictate things to the community is struggling for life. I can just laugh. Red Hat is dying alone.

[ssokolow]

So basically Red Hat created a for-profit corporation so they can steal GNU's work

FTFY... but, seriously, stop using such inflammatory language.

[michaelo2]

And now because they are failing, they tried to "close" the source code. The company who always tried to dictate things to the community is struggling for life. I can just laugh. Red Hat is dying alone.

Who is dying?

RH is reporting outstanding results. OpenShift itself passed 1B$ ARR a couple of Q ago and RHEL business keeps growing. That means that RH is a +4B$/year business, maybe closer to +5B$ already. Compare those results to SUSE or Canonical, that would be the largest Entreprise vendors for Linux, and you'll see how far RH is from the rest of the competitors.