HP Announces Support for Debian Linux

Bain writes "PC World reports that HP is to offer support for Debian Linux on its ProLiant and HP BladeSystem servers. Support will be provided by HP telephone operators rather than the discussion-group method that current Debian users rely on. The move to support Debian continues HP's relationship with the community-based OS, which stretches back to 1995."

hooray!

For me it's useless, but I'm sure it will help give Linux a more serious look for the PHB out there..

Re:hooray!

> "Ok, now open the control panel."
> "What control panel?"
> "Click Start, then click control panel."
> "Start? What Start?"

Exasperated tech support guy takes a deep breath to stop from screaming.
"Ok, use the mouse, point to the lower left of the screen..."
"What mouse?"
"Arrrgghhh!!!!"

Level two support:
"Do you have ssh?"
"Of course"
"Ok, what the ip address and the root password?"
"Nice try."
"Well, I can't help you if you don't give me the root password."
"You said it."
"I said what?"
"You can't help me."

Level three uber-tech-support from hell:
"Ah, yes, I can see what the problem is."
"You can?"
"Of course. Lemme fix it"
"But how can you get in? You don't even have an account on the server?"
"Correction, it's you that doesn't have an account... anymore. BWAHAHAHA."

Sorry. I'll go back to coding crappy corporate proprietary code...

Re:hooray!

This is good to hear, but as always implementation is everything.

I disagree, in this case it's the declaration of support that matters. Am I ever going to actually call HP for debian support? No, I'll search the web like usual. But when spec'ing out the system, it could help to say my OS of choice is "supported" by HP. And this is a very good indication that all the hardware will work, even on other distros.

Troubleshooting Linux is easier than Windows.

I feel very, very bad for the poor folks answering the help line in 3-4 years when there are hundreds of small companies without someone who knows what they are doing. You think helpline support for Windows is bad? Wait until you've got to help someone who's only ever used Windows with their Debian install. And no, you can't tell them to RTFM.

In my experience, working through the boot process of a Linux box is incredibly simple compared to Windows.

Remember, this won't be troubleshooting Apache/SSL or anything. This will be determining why the OS doesn't like the hardware and whether it is an OS problem or hardware problem.

Re:Troubleshooting Linux is easier than Windows.

Ahh, Windows. Stick a log file in a configuration directory, then take that configuration directory and stick it in a system file directory. Brillant!

Another Layer of goo

So when I call HP for support, I can watch for their posting on the Debian mailing list to find out the answer? This should be fun!

Other Debian distro's?

Does that include support for other Debian distributions (like Ubuntu)? What about testing and unstable? The article is pretty light on what's actually covered.

Still, good for HP.

Re:Other Debian distro's?

From cnet [com.com]

HP's offer will apply to the current "Sarge" version 3 of Debian and to version 4, "Etch," due in December. (Debian versions are named after characters in the movie "Toy Story.")

Obligatory "the IT Crowd" quote:

*Ring Ring*
Hello, I.T.
Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Everybody Loves Linux

How many of these do we get nowadays? I've read enough bits about many companies "supporting" linux in one form or another. Dell, HP, Real, even Microsoft has a Linux lab. Yahoo loves the Linux, Google loves the Linux, IBM loves the Linux, SCO owns the Linux.

So where is Linux in all of this? Sure, some of the companies mentioned above have actually shown their support for Linux. Some others seem not to go much further than lip service. Dell comes to mind -- couldn't hunt down a preinstalled Linux box easily. (Not sure if that has changed since I last tried that).

I guess Linux is like that weird looking new kid in school (no offense to Linus) whom everyone just didn't know what to do with so everyone stayed away from him. Hell, some of 'em probably made fun of him and bullied him, too. Then it turns out he's pretty cool and everyone all of a sudden wants to be his friend.

bdale garbee?

I'd be interested to know how much this gentleman had to do with it:
http://www.gag.com/~bdale/ [gag.com]
He's a former Debian Project Leader and now Linux/OSS CTO at HP.

apt-get install aclue

Outsourced HP Linux support? This could get ugly.

Go HP!

Somebody ought to say it:

Well done, HP! I hope this boosts your sales!

And on the day HP overtakes Dell in PC sales, I'll be opening the champagne.

define "support"

HP can barely handle the point and click associated with RHEL and Windows. I'm at a loss as to who in that company is going to support Debian. I know it's surely not their L1 or L2 phone techs.

This is vital

Support is vital for any OS to be taken seriously where downtime is unacceptable. I know way too many IT guys who would love to run some form of *nix for their servers, but their CEO's wouldn't let them. The reason? If there's a problem they can't fix, they resort to googling, mailing lists, forums, etc: they're pretty boned.

If there's a Windows problem they can't fix they can fly someone in from Redmond to get the job done in a few hours. Unfortunately Red Hat can't compete with that (yet). If minutes of downtime = millions in losses, Official support that always gets the job done is a requirement that can't be ignored.

win-win?

I would guess this is going to be very inexpensive for HP to do. The article doesn't say, but I assume they're going to be selling the servers with Debian preinstalled, in which case not much should go wrong, and it should be easy to support. And if a lot of their customers have already been buying servers and installing Linux distros on them themselves, HP is probably already getting tech support calls from them (even if they're phrased as hardware support calls). The difference would be that now, the customer gets a machine that has had everything set up correctly by HP, and HP will only be supporting a single distro, which will be easier. Sounds like a win-win.

Servers are a lot easier to configure than desktop systems, too. The amount of software is small, and most of it is relatively mature. None of this insanity with rapidly changing versions of GTK+ libraries, etc.

Debian wins! Debian wins! Debian wins!

That's what this means. As soon as a winner became apparent in the OSS Distro fog, the major players would join in to try to make a buck. Good for them! Good for Debian. Good for you. Charles

Enterprise Support != Home Support

I've read a lot of replies in this thread knocking the HP support by making comparisions with what sounds like (to me) their home support line. The technicans that you talk to when you call for support on a Proliant server are not the same guys you are going to talk to when you call with a problem on your Pavillion Media Center PC. HP has been supporting *nix for a long time now and I'm sure that they will do a good job with Debian. If their Debian SmartStart CD is anything like the Windows and Novell ones, then getting the OS up and running on a Proliant will be SIMPLE. Like another poster said, all the HP techs are going to be doing is helping you figure out why the OS and the hardware aren't getting along with each other. Based on past experience with HP, the only reason something wouldn't work is because of an actual hardware failure. I've never, ever had a problem with an HP driver on a production server.

Debian support means any GNU/Linux should work

As someone who recently tried to install Debian on a newish ProLiant, and failed miserably because of unsupported hardware, I'm happy to see this announcement. It means that HP will be using hardware for which Linux drivers already exist, and that the Debian installer will be able to load those drivers into the kernel at install-time.

The bigger bonus is that if vanilla Debian can do it, any Linux disto can: Ubuntu, Gentoo, Slackware, whatever.

Better than OpenView I hope

HP's OpenView product mentions support for Debian. Unfortunately, this idea of support means that you have configure your Debian box to work with RPMs and then try and install them.

Security Support

Are they kidding. The last version was only supported for one year after the previous version. So I'm going to go tell the PHB we should start using a distribution that should be upgraded every other year. Unless they can offer longer version support I don't see this helping.
Those of us working in the real world don't change versions unless we have to, because it lowers our TCO.
I know a data center that was still using RH8 on some of their servers up until 4 months ago and last year I talked with a guy who said they still had RH6.2 on one of their servers.
Heck, until six months ago I had RH7.3 running on 3 servers and still have RH7.1 running on one.
At a minimum I want 3 years security support and prefer 5. Why would I care if I obviously have servers which aren't using security support. Because I don't want multiple flavors of linux, this keeps my training cost down and support cost down.

Wow!

I'm getting a Woody just thinking about this!

.debs?!

Does this mean I'll be able to get debian packages of the tools for my DL380 Gen4 without having to do magic with alien and their crap ass RPMs?

--
Phil

Woo Hoo

IBM & Suse - Cool HP & Debian - Cool Dell & RedHat or Suse - Cool Gateway & Microsoft - Boo Hey 3 out of 4 aint bad

A little too late

"The move to support Debian continues HP's relationship with the community based os which stretches back to 1995."

August 16th, 1993.

Have you tryed

Have you tryed: shutdown -r now

Oh is this for servers :D

How long before

How long before a system maker like HP (or someone other than Apple) buys / starts their own Linux distro?

Linux Support?

Duh, dont you /.'ers know?
its Linux, once its installed and config'd you dont touch it and it just works.
so HP supporting linux will be easy, soon as the client installs other software and it doesnt "work" its not HPs fault because it it not a product they are supporting.
Although L1 support will still prolly not know anything, but thats okay because they have to filter out all the non-OS related issues.
and why do i have the feeling that the callcenter will be in india and run on MS only products (except for maybe the PBX)

Very good! Now Oracle!

This is very good so now the very well know Debian distribution will fight against the big ones whit commercial support like RedHat and SuSe.

I know people that doesn't use because things like "Oracle doesn't support them", but now that HP does another companies like Oracle will do the same. :)

Support and inevitability

I see where this is going. HP will create their own flavor of Debian - which, because it'll stop being Debian, the Deb community won't support either.

Hey, It's a start

I think this is a distro for people who already know/whant to learn GNU/Linux. pretty useless for me.

But it's a start. HP offers Debian support. Next comes Company X. Then Company Y. Now there is competition, cause 3 companies support Debian. HP decides they want to jump out ahead of the crowd, so they start supporting Ubuntu and Fedora. Company X and Y slowly follow suite. The process continues. Boom, Linux is now part of every Server company's business plan.

Re:what about printers?

this is a distro for people who already know/whant to learn GNU/Linux.

Whell, what else whould you whant from them? Whe need to start somewhere to get Linux mainstream.

Anywhay, I don't think Debian is as hard as some whant to think it is. Those having problems are usually working hard at being clueless. It's like whatching someone try to set the time on a VCR: "What? Press 'setup', select 'set time' and enter the time? Why make it soooooo complicated? I don't understand! If I try that it might exploide! They shouldn't put such dangerous buttons on the control!"

Re:what about printers?

My HP printer [linuxprinting.org] works fine, thanks to hplip [sourceforge.net] (which, incidentally, is also a Debian package).