RedHat going closed source?
Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 8:41 pm
I do not think RHEL is going closed source, what they are doing is restricting access to the source code to people/groups who are paying for their service.
When I first got interested in Linux, it was available as a product that you had pay for. The "free" was seen in terms of freedom, but overtime the "free as in beer" pushed the "free as in freedom" into the backseat. I always thought it nice if you could give something a try before you had to put down your money, but it also seemed like if you wanted to use something you should pay for it.
RHEL is expensive, but I am also sure I have no use case for it. I think it is really nice that RedHat fully funds Fedora and do not even ask for a donation use Fedora. I can use Fedora guilt free. Endless is guilt free as well for they do not sell it or ask for donations. The things that really interest me I do pay what they ask even if it is just asking for a donation. Most Linux distros are cheap; Ubuntu asks for 10; Pop wants 12; Q4OS asks for 14; so even though most distros I try as just to sate my curiosity as long as they cost about the price of a movie ticket I see them as a good value.
Considering RHEL are the big supporters of Gnome, host flathub and offer Fedora at zero cost, I just have trouble seeing their move restricting access to their source code as an evil plot.