Red Hat

Red Hat is a prominent Linux distribution developed by Red Hat, Inc., a subsidiary of IBM. It is known for its enterprise-grade solutions and support, making it a popular choice for businesses and organizations that require a stable and secure operating system.

History

Red Hat was founded in 1993 by Marc Ewing and Bob Young. The first version of Red Hat Linux was released in 1994. Over the years, Red Hat has become a leader in the open-source community, contributing to numerous projects and initiatives.

In 2003, Red Hat shifted its focus from the consumer market to the enterprise market with the introduction of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). This move allowed Red Hat to provide a more stable and supported platform for businesses.

In 2019, Red Hat was acquired by IBM for $34 billion, marking one of the largest software acquisitions in history.

Features

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is known for its robust features, including:

• Security: RHEL includes advanced security features such as SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux), which provides a mechanism for supporting access control security policies.
• Stability: RHEL is designed for long-term stability, with a lifecycle of up to 10 years for each major release.
• Support: Red Hat offers extensive support options, including 24/7 support and access to the Red Hat Customer Portal.
• Performance: RHEL is optimized for performance, with support for the latest hardware and software technologies.

Use Cases

Red Hat is widely used in various industries, including:

• Finance: Many financial institutions rely on RHEL for its security and reliability.
• Healthcare: RHEL is used in healthcare for its compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Government: Government agencies use RHEL for its security features and support.
• Telecommunications: RHEL is used in telecommunications for its performance and scalability.

Community and Contributions

Red Hat is a major contributor to the open-source community. It sponsors and contributes to many projects, including the Fedora Project, which serves as a testing ground for new features that may be included in future RHEL releases.

Also see

• Fedora Project
• CentOS
• Linux kernel
• OpenShift
• SELinux

References

• Red Hat, Inc. "About Red Hat." Accessed October 2023.
• IBM. "IBM Completes Acquisition of Red Hat." Accessed October 2023.