Installing RHEL without buying support

[ramfree17]

hi,

 

a friend is being asked to install RHEL in one of their servers but they are not going to subscribe to the RH support services. he is asking me if he can legally install it since he already has a copy of the install media.

 

i have already tried persuading him to install CentOS or WBEL but his management is insisting on RHEL. talk about management stubborness. :(

 

anyway, can he still install it on their server without legal repercussions? thanks.

 

ciao!

[ianw1974]

As far as I know yes. I don't see why it should be a problem. Red Hat don't charge for the operating system. You pay for service/support/updates. Therefore, no subscription, no service/support/updates.

 

Also, if you did have RHEL and a subscription but then it expired, and didn't renew, you'd still be able to use the system, just without service/support/updates.

 

There's nothing on RH's website to say that you can't use it in this manner. Besides, you can download, and use with 30 day evaluation with updates but no support. After the 30 days the updates are no longer available.

[arctic]

You already said that you recommended CentOS and that is the right move imho. I guess that the management doesn't know that using a RHEL without paid support is not an excellent decision to make and furthermore, that CentOS is a direct copy of RHEL that includes yum, which makes system updates easier!

 

The CentOS staff is willing to help you once you have a question, thus there is support although it is not paid support. Your friend should simply explain both options in detail with all pros and cons again and then the management should make a decision again. I guess they only said "use RHEL" because they know the RedHat name and never heard of CentOS before.

[scarecrow]

If Redhat appeals to you but you want-to-use-it-for-free, then the only way is CentOS, which is 100% RHEL. I guess arctic said the very same thing in the previous post, and it's obvious that you already know that...

[ianw1974]

Found this:

 

http://www.redhat.com/rhel/details/faq/#11

 

 11. What happens when my subscription expires? What do I have to purchase to continue?

This is a common question. Now that software is viewed more of a service, software subscriptions are becoming increasingly prevalent but they are still a new concept for the industry at large. Rather than paying for software all up front, a subscription allows you to pay as you consume the service. This creates a huge incentive for vendors to deliver ongoing value.

First let's consider a Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription on its own. By renewing your subscription before it expires you remain an active subscriber as per the Red Hat subscription agreement. You maintain access to all updates and security errata that Red Hat provides, you continue to enjoy support for the product based on the edition you selected (Basic, Standard, or Premium), and you retain the right to use Enterprise Linux binaries that contain any Red Hat trademarked content. A subscription is renewed for an additional year at the same price that was used in year 1.

If you have also purchased a Red Hat Network Management or Provisioning subscription it is important to realize that the Red Hat Network module subscriptions provide the system management capabilities. If you wish to maintain access to Red Hat Enterprise Linux updates and errata content you must renew a Red Hat Enterprise Linux subscription. If you also wish to maintain access to the system management capabilities, you would also have to renew the Red Hat Network subscriptions.

 

therefore, you can use RHEL if you want. You are not forced to stop using it because you don't have a subscription. Linux is free remember, and it's only the subscription you're paying for.

 

Maybe CENTOS would be just as good though, it's identical a 1:1 copy of RHEL.

 

Therefore, Centos is not the only way, you can use RHEL if you want, but you won't get system updates/support, which, in reality, makes centos the better option.

[ramfree17]

thanks to all replies. i am just wary of giving the green light to install the RHEL because of the possibility of non-software components that might not be free for re-distribution. if the non-software components are indeed restricted for redistribution then that would imply that the actual means of acquiring the install media is already unlawful.

 

i already tried the track wherein i told my friend that he can install RHEL but what about updates? i pointed out that he could probably use the update repositories of CentOS or WBEL but if that is the case then he should use them from the very start. i already did the 1:1 route and it didnt fly because my understanding was that the management insists on seeing the RHEL name plastered on the server. i also asked if they are gunning for some vendor support (e.g. oracle) and my friend said they do not.

 

i am just an observer/sme in this whole shebang which makes it more perplexing since i know they could use the RHEL clones but i dont have the power nor the influence to get the point across. :(

 

ciao!

[ianw1974]

Well, if they want RHEL and they want updates, then they're gonna have to pay for the subscription.

 

If they don't want to pay for the subscription but want updates, then there only real choice is the RHEL clone - CentOS. It's exactly the same, gets the same updates as Red Hat.

 

Incidently, RHEL is under the gnu linux. However, if you went to use their cluster services, or other products, then you might have a hard job trying to use them. The basic RHEL OS is under gnu. Visit their website, check out the faqs as per my previous link to clarify your needs.