Re: Oracle 8.1.6 on Solaris or Linux?

Sybrand Bakker <postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl> wrote:
>Personally, I would always trust Solaris or AIX more than Linux, which has
>to do with support available and parties taking responsibility when
>something happens.

Perhaps you missed the fact that IBM is fully embracing Linux? (Not to mention the numerous other companies offering commercial support for Linux)

>You never know in which direction Linus Torvald is going, don't you?

ITYM Torvald_s_. In any case, do you know where Scott McNealy (or Larry Ellison for that matter) are going?

>IMO, Linux won't remain open source

Linux (i.e. the kernel) is GPLed. That guarantees it will remain Open Source. The majority of the GNU/Linux system consists of Open Source software (be it GPL, BSD, MIT, X, Apache licensed or public domain).

>and parties like Redhat and others will have to take measures to protect
>their investments,

Fully free GNU/Linux systems exist that are not developed by commercial entities, but for which commercial support is available, for example Debian GNU/Linux. Red Hat is just one of the 150+ distributions of the GNU/Linux system and will definitely become insignificant if it strays too far into proprietaryaness.

>so I fear propietary flavors of Linux will come in existence.

They already exist. They have not destroyed Linux' roots, nor even achieved significant market share in the market of Linux distributions. Why do you fear the arrival of proprietary flavours of Linux while recommending prime examples of proprietary Unix?

>In that case better stick with Solaris, Sun won't go out of business.

But it is likely it'll go out of some of its business areas. Sun is spread too thin: is it a hardware manufacturer, a software producer, a services company, or a buzzword generator?

Ray

-- 
[Open Source] is the finest expression of the free market. Ideas are
encouraged to proliferate and the best thinking wins. By contrast, most
corporations today operate in a central planning straitjacket. 
	http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,15772,00.html