Red Hat releases new hobbyist Linux

Red Hat had hoped to release the software, called Fedora Core 1, on Monday but had to delay it a few days because of a last-minute glitch, the Linux seller said. As expected, the company launched the new version Thursday.

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Fedora is the first of a new line of fast-changing, more experimental software from the company. It's the second phase of a transformation Red Hat began in 2002 to become more business-oriented and, thus, profitable.

"A lot of our customers want to make sure that Red Hat has a sustainable business, so they can be assured of support for the long haul," John Young, vice president of marketing for Red Hat, said in an interview Wednesday. "What we're doing is creating two Linux distributions to meet the needs of two customer segments."

The frequent Fedora updates are intended to help the company rapidly mature its new technology. The next version, Fedora Core 2, will focus on the forthcoming 2.6 Linux kernel at the heart of the open-source operating system.

In earlier years, the Raleigh, N.C.-based company's product was called Red Hat Linux and was available as a free download. Red Hat sold the software in retail outlets along with instruction manuals, support and services such as certification that hardware and other software would work with it.

But because that business structure didn't lead to profitability, Red Hat split its software into two lines, steering business customers one way and Linux enthusiasts another.

The support and certification--and a steeper price tag--comes with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), while the free version becomes Fedora. RHEL will be updated every 12 to 18 months to make it easier for computing industry partners to match their products with the software, while Red Hat intends to update Fedora with the latest technology three times a year, Young said.

Another difference between the two versions is that Red Hat won't guarantee patches for security holes and bugs for Fedora. "There is no formal commitment about errata support," Young said.

As reported in February, the company is also phasing out this "errata" support for Red Hat Linux--by the end of 2003--for many versions.

Some Linux users have fretted about the end of the Red Hat Linux era. But some are trying to fill the void, including the Fedora Legacy group, which hopes to provide updates for the software.

Young made it clear where Red Hat's priorities lie. "Maybe some number of customers are wanting full support and not willing to pay for it, and that's going to be a challenge that we face," he said. "We've got to build a sustainable business."

There are other challenges, though, such as educating Red Hat's users, Gartner analyst John Enck said. Many of those users were surprised and angered by a note sent out Monday to subscribers to Red Hat's update service. The note warned of the coming end of support for Red Hat Linux, and some subscribers were irked, even though Red Hat in February had published its plans to phase out the product.

Red Hat said customers are beginning to appreciate the new strategy. "I think we're turning the tide on some misunderstandings," Young said. "If you look at the message boards today, there's much greater awareness about what the Red Hat strategy has been."