"IBM has been hoping for years that Linux would drive new
workloads on Power-based systems where OS/400-i platforms are the
back-end systems – just as Linux-based partitions have, to a
certain extent, been the salvation of the System z mainframe.
"It is hard to say for sure how much traction Linux has with
OS/400 and i shops – or even AIX shops for that matter
– but what I can tell you is that Big Blue wants you to give
Linux a shot so badly that it is willing to fork out the cash to
get you to try the first licence.
"In announcement letter 310-291, IBM is offering a special
promotion on Red Hat's Enterprise Linux. Under the deal, if you buy
a Power Systems Express configuration plus either the PowerVM
Standard or the Enterprise Edition hypervisor (neither of which are
free)"
