Red Hat, SUSE, CentOS? Tough choices for open source fans

Usually, very practical factors determine product choices for IT managers. When it comes to Linux and open source products, however, emotions — particularly conscience and loyalty — battle with reason.

While writing about Jim Klein’s decision to stop using Novell NetWare and SUSE, I searched for other stories on similar subjects. I came across Don McAskill’s thoughtful post on “The Enterprise Linux problem” on his SmugBlog.

In this post, Askill — CEO of an online photo-sharing company called SmugMug – describes his company’s experiences with several operating systems, ranging from SUSE to Red Hat to Solaris. He also laments the dilemma of a lot of people who want their purchases to reflect their beliefs: When push comes to shove, can you afford to pay a higher price for a product — in this case, Red Hat Linux — because its maker follows principles you believe in?

I really enjoyed reading this blog and the comments.