ServerWatch: Is the Leader of the Linux Pack Also the Best of Breed?

“An early complaint about the ever-changing world of Linux was
the sheer variety of distributions available to users. Reviewers
periodically bandied the word ‘fragmentation,’ ominously alluding
to the state of the proprietary Unix market in the 1980s.

“In the past few years, the Linux market has undergone some
settling. These days, when most organizations talk about ‘Linux,’
they’re talking about Red Hat. The distribution has risen to the
top of the U.S. enterprise market, and it’s done so on the strength
of its recognizable brand, ease of installation, and numerous deals
with companies like Oracle and IBM.

“Red Hat’s latest release, Red Hat 9, continues the company’s
tradition of producing solid offerings that are workmanlike, if not
inspired. As with the past several releases, a key part of the
package is the Red Hat Network, a services offering that makes
maintaining errata for large installations a snap…”

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