In Linux we trust?

Software Magazine, Sept, 1998 by Ann Harrison

Big companies are finally realizing that groups of hackers can produce superb technology. IBM recently entered into a partnership with the Apache Group, a loose collaboration of 20 OSS programmers who developed the Apache HTFP Server. The Apache Server has captured over 50% of the Web server market and is often used by ISPs who run Linux. IBM wants to use it as the basis of its WebSphere electronic commerce package. But the only currency the group would accept was IBM's technique to make the server run faster with NT and its pledge to work towards Apache's future development.

Linux's other public relations problem involves the phrase "free software." The GNU OS included in the Linux distributions was originally developed by the GNU project and Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation (see sidebar, "Stallman on Free Software" pg. 42) Raymond says the term "free software" frightens off mainstream corporate CEOs who assume anything they get for free can't be any good. In February, Raymond launched a plan to repackage "free soft ware" as "open source." "There are a lot of people who have heard of the Free Software Foundation who have this distorted idea that we are all communists with long hair and sandals," says Raymond. "What we are dealing with here is perception, not reality."

Indeed, far from being deficient in comparison to NT, Linux is especially valuable to companies who engage in electronic commerce or Web computing and worry about NT bugs opening up security holes, or those whose servers lock up when they try to run too many applications on a Windows machine. And, of course, it's free.

But not all are swayed by the Linux marketing push, especially those who are tasked with running mission-critical applications. CyberGate in Deerfield Beach, Fla., which is one of the world's largest Web hosting operations, says they are sticking with IBM's AIX and RS/6000. The company's director of network operations, Joe Traister, says he runs Linux on his home PC and appreciates the fact that he can make his buffer larger and recompile the kernel. But he's not about to swap out the company's 40 AIX boxes in favor of commodity Linux servers -- a move he believes would require more machines and a big leap of faith. "With the amount of revenue that rides on them, I need to be answering to somebody," says Traister. "When something goes wrong it's going to be a lot easier for me to say `Yeah, that's an IBM product' than `That's something I downloaded off the net.'"

A larger problem, says Traister, is the support issue. He prefers to deal with IBM because it has a greater financial stake in answering his questions. "I know that some companies are starting to do that for Linux, but at this point in time I just don't know that the support is where it needs to be for me to run this enterprise," he says.

Selling Linux Support

Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of ways to find Linux support. Seasoned users go to Linux newsgroups and some companies rely on their in-house, Unix-trained staff. Still others opt for the increasingly broad array of Linux support services offered by application vendors and Linux distributors. The largest distributors --Red Hat Software and Caldera Inc. -- both offer free downloads and CD-ROMs with the Linux kernel and accompanying utilities and programming tools for about $50. They also offer free installation support to users unfamiliar with installing the OS. But since anyone can resell Linux under the GUI license, both make their money selling tech support.