White Box Enterprise Linux



(Back to docs.huihoo.com)

Introduction

What is the goal for White Box Linux? To provide an unencumbered RPM-based Linux distribution that retains enough compatibility with Red Hat Linux to allow easy upgrades and to retain compatibility with their errata SRPMs. Being based off of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 3.0 means that a machine should be able to avoid the upgrade treadmill until October 2008 since RHEL promises errata availability for 5 years from date of initial release. Or more briefly, to fill the gap between Fedora and RHEL. Why was White Box Linux created? Its initial creation was sponsored by the Beauregard Parish Public Library in DeRidder, USA out of self interest. We have several servers and over 50 workstations running Red Hat Linux and were left high and dry by Red Hat's recent shift in business plan. Our choices were a difficult migration to another distribution or paying Red Hat an annual fee greater than the amortized value of our hardware. So we chose a third path, made possible by the power of open source.... White Box Linux.

White Box Linux的目标是什么呢?提供一份基于RPM的“不受妨碍的”Linux发行,它保留与Red Hat Linux足够的兼容性,能容易地进行升级,并保持与修正SPRM包的兼容性。它基于Red Hat Enterprise Linux(RHEL)3.0,这意味着,一台安装该系统的机器将避免一轮又一轮的操作系统升级,直到2008年十月,这是因为RHEL承诺自发布之日起 5年内的安全更新服务。简而言之,White Box Linux填补了Fedora和RHEL之间的空白。为什么要创建这样一份Linux呢?其最初的开发是由位于美国DeRidder的 Beauregard教区公共图书馆出于兴趣而赞助的。我们拥有几台服务器以及50多台工作站在运行Red Hat Linux,但Red Hat近来的业务计划转变令我们感到难以承受及乏味。我们面临这样的选择:或者艰难地切换到另外一种发行,或者每年向Red Hat支付一笔比我们拥有的硬件设备还昂贵的费用,况且我们的硬件还是分期支付的。因此,我们选择了第三条出路,这依靠开放源码的力量成为了可能……这就是White Box Linux。

Links

• White Box Enterprise Linux Homepage
• White Box Enterprise Linux @ Freshmeat
• White Box Enterprise Linux Wikipedia
• White Box Enterprise Linux Download