Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Why I hate Redhat

Yes, I hate Redhat for good reasons.  
I have pasted 9 blog pieces showing my Love and Hate Relationship with Redhat in the past. This comment is about the present state of affairs. 
I have nothing against proprietary applications but when they show "that they know the best" attitude that puts me off and the balance state of my mind..
 
1. Anaconda Installer is a pain in the ArXXX. I tried to install Russian ROSA, Linux. 
It took a hell of a long time to install and I took undue care and checked every step but it froze and would not boot.
 
2. They treat YOU like a KID.
One step at a time and one has to say one has finished the step and it then says Done and I have to click the mouse button.

Stupid and crazy.
 
3.  The Butter fs or Btrfs SUCKS.
 
4. Only desktop and no applications. 
 
5. No EFI. 
 
6. Fedora sucks 
 
7. Workplaces sucks 
 
 8. Last but not least the its image is not freely available. 
A story is relevant.
A monk from Denmark who was an ace homosexual cheated me with a faulty CD out 3 he gave me free. 
It had to be 4 CDs, to be precise. 
Being a doctor, I quickly realized what he is up to and never went to Sarana Road Buddhist Center which was established by the most Venerable Narada Thera whom I cared for as a doctor, in Colombo General Hospital.
The incident is stated below in a blog piece.

I got 6 out of 7 Redhat CDs from Singapore through a friend of mine in Colombo who had a thriving CD/DVD center in Nugagoda.
 
There are many more events and please read my past blog posts below.

1.  Bazzite Linux

I have fallen out of Redhat and Fedora for ages.

However, having browsed FOSS Linux, I decided to download Bazzite Image of 7.72GB.

It is a Gamer and it has an image for hand held devices.

It claimed to support Lutris and Steam.

It is an Installer Image and it takes over the hard disk. It was just  a waste of time and when I burned it to the USB, I could smell the charcoal burn which is perhaps even nastier than what was expected. It has never happened to me burning at least 5000 or more images both to DVDs and USBs.

By the way, current Batocera also takes over the hard disk
I haven't got a bootable Batocera USB now. I had in the past but I erased it.

I am glad I left Redhat and Fedora long time, ago.

It was after an altercation with a Foreign monk (perhaps a homosexual guy), in Sarana Road Colombo 7, long long time ago, who gave me 3 out of 4 Fedora CDs. One CD did not work.
 I think he copied them using Windows Utility which did not read and write the CD file properly).
 
I managed to get the 6 out of 7 C.D.S from Singapore (I knew a guy in Colombo who had worked in Singapore and got the C.Ds through him).

I got some CDs and later DVD that came with Large Linux books before I went for
Mandrake Linux which got the Linux Ball rolling for me.

 
2. REDHAT LInux 10.1 Iso Image Download

I am trying to download 9.5GB Redhat trial version for 60 days and it gets frozen at 4.2GB.  

 I started my Linux career with with    Redhat-8 DVD I obtained from a Linux book (pasted on the cover). 

I have only 10GB in my home folder and deleted everything stored there to download the 7.2 iso image.

This will finish my Linux testing of images.

Finally I got the image.

If it takes over my
NUC, I would not install it. Well it does not boot.

It is an anaconda boot no EFI in it. 

I erased the Batocera USB image in the USB to write the Redhat image.

At least, now I know that it won't work on my NUC. 

These corporate guys and girls.

They are not EFI compliant.

 

3. Redhat Nobara Official Installation

I am Installing on my NUC now.

I deleted the 40GB part taken over by SuSE, expecting Nobara to take over the un-partitioned portion of hard disk (which Debian Gnome does automatically) but it did not. It wanted to take over the whole disk which is a disaster to begin with.

I decided to manually partition it with EXT4 partition but it goes strait to
Btrfs file system format.

 I had to look for it, partition type, I mean and find.

It is is installing now the installer is Calamares.

It is very SLOW.

It has mealy 300,000 files.

It is
KDE Desktop which I do not like.

I did not want to download Gnome edition from Linuxtracker.

Did not configure the GRUB file

I picked the EFI correctly during the inital set up stage.

This is the problem with Calamares. 

It does not realize there are lot of distribution in the Linux World.

I do not want to write bullshit in my book but real world facts. That is why zi physically check them but not on Virtual Machines.

I am ditching Nobara, too.

I have to reinstall Debian over the Redhat Space.

4. Redhat Linux

I haven't made any reflection on Redhat Linux except criticism but it looks like Redhat Linux is coming out of corporate mentality and decided to release its image without registering under them which, I always declined and to be a part of.
Redhat whuch was my heart throb in the beginner days and I have moved on without it to Debian. 
I am currently downloading Redhat Images including an old Iso image from Archive Linux. It is called Useful Desktop. It did not boot without Efi.
Download was very slow. 
 
5. Productivity or Security
Freedom or Corporate Villain
X11 or Wayland

 
Redhat supports and plays the peudo-security option to make the user a sucker.
I exited Redhat and Suse in early nineties and never looked back.
Debian has done a great job to keep the Linux Freedom thrive.
While X11 makes Open Standards viable for a guy who is in his retirement.
 
Nobody with right senses should support Redhat 10.
 
It is trying to survive on AI with NVDIA support.
 
Both are money grabbing sinister organizations.
 
China has seen this problem and come out with DeepSeek and Huwavei.
 
With their cheap manufacturing base, the world is seeing alternatives and President Trump's attack is based on his attempt to support IBM base.
This is a seemimhly head on clash on Chip Industry that may even cause Third World War over Taiwan.
 
In the meantime, Russia is thriving on a robotic war short of Nuclear War with Oreshnic in their armory.

I think I should kick the bucket and I have no intention of buying a new Mini PC.

While both Gnome and Global DVD1 of Debian 13 series are working fine on my basic NUC, I do not think except Debian, any other Linux distribution without financial backing would rival Redhat.

Even though, the Debian Leader was eliminated by American Police, the community has made wimming strudres, overall.
 
6. Fedora
Sponsored by Red Hat, Fedora is supposed to be called, a cutting edge distribution that features the latest technologies. 
Its software packaging is RPM. 
I have not used it for over 20 years, even though, I was a fan of Redhat 8 and 9
Well organized, somewhat rigid workplaces were its forte, usually four in number.      
The latest version is stuck at 9.4 and I think, it still uses Gnome 3. 
I believe that is to protect it’s Code Base with a copyright tag attached which violates the “Free Software Principles”.
 
The recent inquiry and testing of Redhat based Isos after installing, I found it uses Btrfs file system to hide its faults within duplicate files and the files are compressed into single file which I cannot probe and examine and look for bugs. 
There may be bugs and bugs within Redhat Code only they know that bugs exist within them.
Do not use it as daily driver or as a desktop.
I have no problem corporate guys and girls using it.

In that sense, it cannot boast itself to be the cutting edge distribution and that is my bone of contention. 

What one needs, as an average user is not the glossy appearance but the stability and security of the system.

7. Redhat is the X11 Killer Organization 

Redhat, Ubuntu and now Gnome are hand in hand to Kill  X11 Standards.
Redhat is using FreeDesktop as a subsidiary to scuttle any forking X11 into a community project.
It all started with
XLibre project forking a branch from X11 so that X11 Code remaining for future updates.
 

Redhat has become a Vampire for Linux Freedom.

Thankfully, I did not publish my book on Linux Essentials and these efforts will be highlighter there.
 

We have to boycott both Ubuntu and Redhat.
 

Gnome attempt is bizarre.
I use it as a desktop.
They are trying to make brand new Linux distribution.
All these were born of Linux.
This is what I call
throwing the baby with the bath water.
It is cynical and corporate mentality.
Shun them with all cost.
I think
Debian should design a new desktop from base.
The goal is to make an alternative arrangement to scuttle Gnome's sinister plan.
I think China's stand is welcome and Russia is left stranded in Linux.
 

Russian developers should have a plan of action to destroy corporate Redhat and Ubuntu. They do not.

 Saturday, May 19, 2012
 
 Wednesday, May 16, 2012
 

8. REDHAT is DEAD 

 REDHAT is DEAD, RHEL is Billion Dollars' Worth, yet Linux and its Desktop is not DEAD but soon be 21 years OLD

In my life with Linux, two incidents made me to change my Outlook.

They were both challenges.
 

1. Number ONE.
Redhat deserting Me.
 
That was easy, I went to SuSe.
Another disappointment, SuSe went into corporate world.
 

Mandrake/ Mandriva was good but had legal disputes for the name  and Linux was not popular then the Globe Trotter was a failure.
 

I went to PCLINUX FullMonty.
 
2. Number TWO.
The local cronies of
Microsoft Corporation, using school leavers to disrupt a tiny Workshop introduction to Linux for KANDY school boys.
 
Yes, they bribed the school leavers and threw in alcohol to douse them.
That was the turning point.
 
Had not for these two trivial incidents in my life full of bigger challenges to overcome, I would not have taken
almost obsessive interest in Desktop Linux.
 
OUTCOME.

 

1. Five (5) books in Linux including cloud computing. 

2. Almost daily downloading and testing Linux Derivatives.
 

3. Archive of over 400 Linux distributions from 1998 to 2012 (TODAY).
 

4. Promoting LINUX Magazine.
 

5. Contributing articles.
 
Good News
Two Debian Developers have translated the Linux Administrators Manual to English (from French).
Its print form is $50/= but digital form is FREE but make sure YOU Donate,a  few dollars in appreciation of their dedicated work.
 
REDHAT had the best MANUALS, until then.
 
It took another 10 years to fill the VOID.

Like what Richard Stallman had said about Apple Mac and Steve JOB,
 

I don't like his death, but I am happy he is gone.
 
I am Happy
REDHAT is DEAD and RHEL has gone its own way to the corporate world.
 
That does not mean Desktop User/s will sit back and Lick his/their wound/s for corporate ArXXXXSss.


They will innovate and move forward with new ideas.
If you have time and money please subscribe to Linux Magazine.
It has lot of wonderful tricks for newbies and experts. 
A comparison of Redhat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu Linux Websites

This is a simple warning to New Redhat Users

A comparison of Redhat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu Linux Websites
The two best web sites on Linux are Ubuntu and Redhat.
1. One is commercial, the other is both commercial (Entry into Music world) and social.

2. Ubuntu has enormous resources but poorly organized because of its dependency on Debian.

3. Redhat the resources are limited if one is a desktop user.

4. Its server resources are streamlined and well organized but the streamlining is not done by the User but by the corporation.

5. Its resources are based on Fedora Development which is very very SLOW but probably stable because of the slow input.

6. Ubuntu uses LibreOffice which is far superior to OpenOffice.

7.  OpenOffice was destroyed by ORACLE and then given to
Apache which is trying to revive its old roots and lags behind due to at least three years of stagnation.
 

It is bulky and I do not use it now.

I prefer light weight AbiWord.

If one is hooked to OpenOffice, Debian still faithfully bundle it with its distribution.
 
8.
So go for Debian instead of REDHT which is a GOLDMINE of resources.
 
9. Biggest plus point of REDHT is its Literature which no Linux distribution except perhaps Ubuntu can boast. Most of it is HiFi administrative stuff which only Administrators would worry about but not the ordinary users.
 
Debian has entered the foray now with a book in French and English.
 
I wish them Good Luck and one need not worry about Redhat's publications, and the money saved.  If you subscribe for digital form make it a point to contribute a little from the money saved from Redhat.

10. Biggest Minus point of UBUNTU is its lack of Administrative (ROOT USER) power and configuration ability. 

That is why I do not use it on a regular basis.
 
11. Current situation is very FLUID.

Ubuntu because of Unity (I have made comment elsewhere) and Fedora because of its Butter File (Btrfs) system and turning round on its head and torso, seeing 100 things at the same time, all because of the Rapid Spin.

It is too fast for any average desktop User or even an administrator to keep phase/pace with.
 
12. MIND YOU Ubuntu has made rapid progress in Server (Another reason I dissociated with Ubuntu) Editions and on Cloud Computing with Ubuntu ONE, and it is fast closing the GAP Redhat has established.
It is going to be a sure winner with 20 million targeted this year not REDHAT.
 
13. If you do not like UBUNTU, there are 100 of other derivatives and I recommend Ubuntu Studio, Ultimate Linux, Tango Linux and many more.
 
I LOVE Pinguy Linux the most.
Recently there are Terrible Linux, Hybryte, Unidockynapse and more for the newbies to play with.
 
14. For REDHAT there is almost nothing except Fedora and Scientific Linux. 
Mind you scientific Linux has no scientific packages in it.
 

One is on a desert and I am happy I have looked for other resources rather than REDHAT and many other distributions.

If you visit my blog site you may read my reviews on many of them.
I have a book on Linux distributions on Amazonś (both digital and print).

One day, I might Stop blogging altogether and that is the reason for this compilation.
I am currently working on Small Distributions (my academic work keeps me off the desk and desktop).
If you do not like all this there are over 300 more Linux Distributions to choose from that include
Puppy and Knoppix which are my favorites.
If you buy the April Copy from LINUX MAGAZINE one will get KNOPPIX FREE without any hassle for downloading.
If you subscribe for LINUX MAGAZINE print form you will get a FREE copy of the latest Linux Distribution.
If YOU are a newbie subscribe to the magazine but do not expect the writer to spoon feed you
.

TRY LEARN IT in your WAY and SPEED
.

Who knows at the end of one year YOU may be better than ME.
Mind you I am subscribing to the Magazine to SAVE my Electricity BILL (no downloading on a regular basis now) in Ceylon. It has sky rocketed now and if I save on my electricity I can buy 10 different types of Magazines (DEAD TREE- one has to kill a tree to PRINT a BOOK or Magazine).
I have no choice now but to PLANT as many small trees as possible.

Will you do that for ME?

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

8. Another Trick Exposed

Richard Stallman is right, moment the market forces are introduced to Linux distributions, there is hardly any difference from Microsoft, Apple or Oracle and for that mater XandroS, Freespire, Mandriva, SuSe or Redhat, Ubuntu, and ArtistX.

After many days of downloading what is said to be free distribution, I am unable to keep a copy of Mandriva, Suse or ArtistX in my USB hard disk for safe keeping.

Thank god, I did not bother to download DVDs in the first instance.

I was happy with CDs

I have no intention of selling them.
I am interested in testing them and saying something good about them generally and expose some of their weaknesses, as I see from a customer perspective, so that next version can avoid minor irritations.
Customer is the best judge and Linux guys are not trained to be good salesmen anyway.
 
That is why, the Linux guys with commercial interest fail.

That is true for Mandriva and SuSe.

They have hidden tricks up their sleeves.

They do not let you keep a copy for reference.
This scenario can be overcome by following methods.

1. Burn several copies of the CD and do not bother about the Iso Image like me.

2. Use K3B and make a image without burning into a CD or DVD.

K3B makes a Temporary Image in tmp and you have to rename it.

That is what I did with ArtistX.

Then copy it to a CD/DVD or to a USB hard drive (but remember the temporary name given).

3. Forget about using those distributions and select one out of the 100 and 1 distributions, I have listed in this blog spot.

4. Once you are comfortable with Linux avoid all commercial Linux.

5. Best solution is to have couple of Live CDs that have the applications you need.

When you try to copy, in the final few seconds they disrupt the coping process with a little script at the end that says it cannot be copied.

If they say, image should not be copied, it is a different matter.

Even if I sell a few copies I cannot become a millionaire.

This is absurd in the true spirit of FOSS.

They are no better.
Wolves in sheep clothing.
Take hard working Developers for granted.
Mandriva has the way of disrupting the last few MBs which does not tally with total MB, so that the would be newbie has to go and buy a copy.
If you are lazy it is far better to buy rather than download an Iso with missing files. Like a good salesmen one must state the facts but not like an insurance agents or dealers who have hidden clause/s. A clever customer can catch you and detect the faults unlike the gullible guy with lot of money and spare wallets.

It is like a bad dream or stale joke! 

Saturday, August 7, 2010

9. Fedora

Writing or avoiding writing something on Redhat or Fedora was not my intention.

I waited till I have scored, half a century (in short reviews) to write about Fedora.

It is a long story but I cut it short lest you get bored.

My entry into Linux started with Redhat 8.

Then I graduated to Redhat 9.
 

What was good about Redhat was it's book base.

Every time a new edition came, there was a plethora (pathological term for excessive congestion of blood) of books from little to big. All those books were the only resources, I had and I never had a proper Linux Guru.
The plethora was a blessing in disguise to me.
Evey time I had a problem, I could sort it out by reading a Redhat book.

Then they, the Redhat left me high and dry with the entry of Fedora.

I went up to Fedora 3 and I already had Mandrake installed in parallel with Redhat and decided to give a boot to Redhat and Fedora.

By then I have mastered Debian, too (it took almost 6 months for me to come to term with Debian it but it was worth the trouble) and booting Fedora and Redhat out was almost reflex action and automatic, with no regrets.
All the books were thrown to the attic.

Mandrake and Debian are well known for not having books written on them.
Debian, of course, because of its slow release cycles (of change) and the extensive online documentation (only a few access them for information) did not have to bother about the market forces but went on churning out (now over 42 CDs) package after package to boost the online community.

So I followed their progress to Lenny and when Mandrake became Mandriva I was fed up again.

I was left high and dry again.
I knew there were many equally frustrated like me out there.
I only knew that people who go with the market forces will fall with the market forces and I looked for new avenues.

I found an ally, that was PCLinux-2007 (of course Knoppix and Puppy Linux were there for my comfort).
I knew and believed that the next innovation has come to town (also the Flash Drive boot Pendrive Linux).
What happened with Redhat and Mandrake is now the dead past.

I thank them both for their diversion from the original philosophy.
They have given me the freedom of choice, lest I get hooked to any one of them for life.

This time not by market forces but my own choice.

Recent stock market crisis brought on by the greed is a reminder that profit making is not the only goal in life.

The sustainability in the minds of the users, here, there and all over that matters is the golden rule.
Few rich people or a few powerful politicians do not make this world better or make it go forward.

The rich philosophy of course will take us there.

 10-CentOS
Coming from Redhat base has committed the same offence of not keeping pace with the Desktop Community.
It has scored the worse possible scenario.
Less than 400 points out of 750.
Live CD version is one I would not recommend to anybody.
It has a long way to go. Unfortunately it is heavy on the RAM not light weight.
Only good thing and the positive comment is for its ability to detect hardware easily.
I hope it will do a good job next time around and take a cue from PCLinux's Zen Mini Me and start from there.
PCLinux which comes Mandriva is basically Redhat derivative.
They should go back to the drawing board.
Fortunately they have produced 6 CD version and I have only downloaded 2 CDs currently.
I would edit this page once the job of downloading is completed which is painfully slow in Sri-Lanka.
I am sorry guys / girls I am harsh on you.
Take it in good spirit!Linux guys are good at that perhaps not girls!


Friday, April 16, 2010

I have already downloaded over 200 Live Distributions.
Picking the fifty (50) or hundred (100) is no mean task.
I have already 53 in the fold and Fedora 13-54 (CD) is also among them.
I suppose that I have made amends with Fedora, the CD I downloaded few days ago is good for any occasion.

Mind you I download every possible Debian both live and install (12 out of the 40 odd series is with me).
Why I do not write anything on Debian is, it is the God Father of Linux, anybody who wants to master should try Debian.

Live Debian is one among many and writing only about Live CD does not do justice to Debian Community!

 Linux in Sinhala-Hanthana Linux included (by Dr.Asoka Dissanayake (Medical) on 2011-02-21 12:09:10 GMT from Sri Lanka)
I have waited over a decade to see a Linux version in Sinhala and finally it has arrived,
Our own Anurahdha who was an expert in Linux and especially Debian initialed it well over a decade ago and he produced an experimental version named Sinhala Linux(I still have a copy).
Then after 1994 tsunami he was drawn into presidential task force (had nothing going on at that time) to steer all web applications and e-commerce and the Sinhala project was push to a back burner.
I have been testing Live CDs (over 150 now, except Ubuntu) for the last 18 months and when I tested Debian 6 I accidentally discovered Sinhala Installation Capability which was a pleasant surprise. I downloaded all the Debian CDs and some DVDs for testing and they we pretty good.
Immediately blogged this fact at parafox and asokaplus (using them for promoting Linux 100) my rambling spaces in the web.

I am trying to distribute these Debian CDs / DVDs after thorough testing
But I personally prefer to install them in English which is second nature to me and activate the Sinhala capability afterward since the Sinhala terminology is somewhat GREEK to me.

Mind you Debian is not for the weak minded and certainly not for a newbie or a novice.
Linux in Sinhala-Hanthana Linux
And today I find Hanthana (I live down the Hanthana Range- on the other side of the University) Linux 3.6 GB DVD released which is Fedora 14.
It takes 3 to 10 days to download a DVD in Sri-Lanka and very few will bother to download it.
Now I have tested all Fedora 14 releases and Fubuntu (installed only Fubuntu for further testing) and all Fedora CDs freeze in installation (tried on several of my computers) but did not bother to see Sinhala capability,
In fact because of this nuance in Fedore 14 I decided to download all the 6 (5 CDs and one netboot) Fedora CDs for posterity.

It has some problem with the Grub file too.

I cut my teeth with Redhat 8 and 9.

Debian I learned many moons later.

Then again Fedora 3 was the first Linux to allow Sinhala font in Open Office and later Mnadrake.
I wonder whether the introduction of Sinhala font into a an experimental Linux distribution is a wise decision (hope my reservation prove wrong).
Anyway we have two robust distributions having Sinhala capability.
I hope Ubuntu will pick the trend and run faster than both of them.
I won't pass my judgment just for a little while!

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