If you're looking at Linux on zSeries for commercial use (and I've not run
into a large number of zSeries hobbyists), then Debian, CentOS, Fedora and
Slack/390 are perfect for the question "Can it work?", but for the longer
term questions, such as "Will it work?" or "How will it work?", and
especially "How will we support it?", the choices become a bit more limited.
You can contract support for Debian via Sine Nomine, if I remember
correctly. You can contract with IBM for SuSE and RedHat, and of course, you
can contract directly with Novell and RedHat for their respective
distributions. But in any case, I'd have to think that long-term, reliable
support should be a concern for any organization placing direct trust in
Linux for their day to day operations. When it breaks, who do you ask for
help?
Granted, forums such as this one are a huge advantage... But not one easily
sold to auditors or management as a support model.
We've installed Debian, and looked at some of the others... But we *run*
SuSE, and we have a support contract with IBM to cover our problems, few
though they may be. We've tried other distributions on our Intel platforms;
Ubuntu, Gentoo, ... But we *run* RedHat for our production servers. We live
on SuSE and RedHat, because they're supported, directly and via defined
means.
If you're "looking into Linux on the mainframe", and want to spend the least
amount of money to be sure it will work, Talk to your RedHat or Novell
representative. You may find that you can put up a supported RedHat or SuSE
system at no cost or for a minimum fee. Or, kick the tires with Debian or
another distribution. But be aware of the longer-term support issues; you
don't want to have a production system that won't run, and have nobody to
quickly talk to.
Look at the products you wish to run, and the products you get the feeling
that your firm may want to run in the future. Which distributions are they
supported on? And, which versions within those distributions? This, more
than anything, may be the driving factor in your distribution decision. If
you plan to run IBM WebSphere, you probably aren't going to want to do so in
Slack/390. Even if you can get IBM to support your WebSphere there, it will
always be a sore point, and will come up time and time again, causing
finger-pointing and slowing problem determination.
Once you're up and going, do try Debian, CentOS, Fedora and Slack/390.
You'll learn something from each install that you didn't know before, and
you'll be able to apply that knowledge to your chosen production
environment. "Know thy enemy!" Use every means available to advance your
knowledge of Linux in your environment, including installing and testing
distributions other than your chosen standard. They all do things just a bit
differently. (Actually, so do different versions within a single
distribution... That's the cost of advancement.)
As with all things, your mileage may vary. You have to do what you think is
right for your business. Just remember that what may seem like little
decisions today may turn out to have been deeply important in the future.
--
.~. Robert P. Nix Mayo Foundation
/V\ RO-OE-5-55 200 First Street SW
/( )\ 507-284-0844 Rochester, MN 55905
^^-^^ -----
"In theory, theory and practice are the same, but
in practice, theory and practice are different."
On 1/28/08 11:03 PM, "Mark Post" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>> On Mon, Jan 28, 2008 at 9:10 PM, in message
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, John Summerfield
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> -snip-
>> i'm surprised nobody's recommended Slackware. Its price is attractive.
>
> True, but Debian/390, CentOS, and (when it's available) Fedora all have the
> same price. But in all those cases, including Slack/390 (not Slackware,
> please, I don't want to have Pat be blamed for any of my shortcomings) you
> won't be able to find any ISVs that will certify their software on them, no
> one like IBM to sponsor the EAL certifications, etc. I wish it were
> otherwise.
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