Red Hat Linux 7: The rich get richer

Red Hat Inc., the dominant vendor in the burgeoning Linux market, is like a bulldog that does not want to cede any of its territory.

Although not flawless, the newest version of Red Hat Linux 7 — the Unix and Windows NT alternative — strengthens some weak links in the product and adds attractive features. Once again, users running Linux in their department ought to take a look at the latest offering from Red Hat.

Both the flaws and improvements are apparent from the outset. System administrators will find the release comes with a few compatibility concerns and several bugs. However, administrators will be able to install Red Hat Linux 7 in production environments more quickly thanks to a new subscription service — the Red Hat Network (www.redhat.com/network) — which was introduced along with this version of Red Hat's Linux product.

Agencies that sign up for the Red Hat Network (free through December; $9.95 per month thereafter) have two options for managing updates and changes to the operating system.

One option makes it possible to automatically download and install updates and changes to the software. If that makes you feel a bit nervous, you can choose simply to be notified of updates and changes, leaving it to you to pick the updates you want. After trying both, I decided I prefer the second option because it gives me more flexibility.

Agency administrators who implement Red Hat Linux 7 should pay close attention to changes that have been announced in recent days (www.redhat.com/ support/errata) — particularly bug fixes for a file descriptor leak and compatibility fixes. The good news is that the open-source model and work being done by Red Hat are speeding up the discovery and repair of issues. And using the World Wide Web as a delivery method keeps administrators up-to-date on the latest changes. There is no need to wait months for a service pack, as you might do with other operating systems.

The Red Hat Linux 7 distribution comes with some useful additions (see box, Page 40). Some of them boost server-side functionality while others improve the end-user experience. Although the 2.4 version of the Linux kernel (the central module of the operating system) is not yet available, Red Hat has included features in this release that will make it easier for administrators to upgrade to the new kernel version when it arrives. The Red Hat Package Manager module, for example, is ready for the 2.4 kernel. If your Red Hat Linux server supports Web applications, you will appreciate the addition of some new encryption capabilities. This version supports Open Secure Sockets Layer, which encrypts data that is transferred between end users and the server. This will help address security concerns for agencies that are implementing transaction-based Web applications.

I tried implementing Red Hat Linux 7 on more than 20 different server configurations, including high-end and departmental servers. After implementing the updates and fixes, I had no trouble supporting Web serving, file and print services, e-mail, firewalls and other typical applications. Red Hat Linux 7 is a solid bet for supporting a wide variety of server functions at a price that won't bust the budget.

Many administrators are also running Linux on end-user devices, and Red Hat Linux 7 has some new features that will improve the experience for end users. Most notable in this release is support for Universal Serial Bus interfaces for keyboards and mice, making it easier to run Red Hat Linux on the latest hardware. Also of interest is support for 3-D hardware accelerators, which improve graphics processing, while Red Hat's switch from the Enlightenment window manager to the Sawfish window manager will make the interface easier to understand for many end users.

I loaded Red Hat Linux 7 on a wide variety of end-user machines — from traditional desktops to lightweight notebooks. This release is easier to load and supports more hardware configurations than previous versions. It is also possible to set up Red Hat Linux 7 on a machine running other operating systems. In fact, this review was written on a dual-boot Sony Electronics Inc. Vaio Z505 using Sun Microsystems Inc.'s StarOffice on a Red Hat Linux 7 partition — although such dual-boot installations are not as easy with Red Hat Linux 7 as with Caldera Systems Inc.'s Linux software.

Whether your agency is considering running Linux on a server or on end-user machines, Red Hat Linux 7 is well worth looking into. Be aware that you will need to load updates and fixes via the Web before putting Red Hat Linux 7 into a production setting. However, the Red Hat Network makes the operation a simple affair, and you can deploy this release in relatively short order.

Biggs has more than 15 years of strategic and tactical, business and IT experience. She uses Linux on everything from big-iron platforms to middle-tier servers, traditional desktops and post-PC devices.