The history of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is marked by its evolution from an open-source project to one of the most widely used enterprise Linux distributions. Here’s a timeline covering the major milestones in RHEL’s history:
- Red Hat, Inc. was founded by Bob Young and Marc Ewing in 1993. Ewing released the first version of Red Hat Linux in 1994.
- Red Hat Linux introduced the RPM (Red Hat Package Manager), which became a standard for software package management across many Linux distributions.
- Red Hat Linux became popular in the open-source community due to its simplicity and ease of use. It was one of the first Linux distributions to gain traction in enterprise environments.
- Red Hat Linux 6.0, released in 1999, was a landmark release with improved installation and support for advanced networking features.
- In 2002, Red Hat announced that it would shift its focus from its standard Red Hat Linux line to a more stable, enterprise-focused version called Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
- RHEL was designed to meet the needs of enterprise customers with a strong emphasis on stability, long-term support, and compatibility.
- With the release of RHEL 2.1 in 2002, Red Hat introduced a subscription-based business model, which included support and updates.
¶ 4. Growth and Popularity in the Enterprise (2003–2006)
- RHEL 3, released in 2003, expanded support for server applications, making it more suitable for large-scale enterprise environments.
- By 2005, RHEL was the most widely used enterprise Linux distribution, supported by major vendors like IBM, Oracle, and Dell, making it a mainstay in the corporate world.
- To support open-source development and keep a free version of its Linux system available, Red Hat launched Fedora in 2003.
- Fedora served as a testing ground for features that would later be incorporated into RHEL, allowing Red Hat to experiment and gather community feedback.
¶ 6. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and Virtualization (2007)
- RHEL 5, released in 2007, introduced built-in virtualization capabilities via Xen and later KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine).
- This release marked Red Hat’s entry into the virtualization market, providing businesses with an integrated, enterprise-grade virtualization solution.
¶ 7. Expansion of Cloud and Container Support (2010s)
- RHEL 6, released in 2010, focused on cloud computing and server virtualization, while RHEL 7, introduced in 2014, emphasized container support and introduced Docker and systemd as the default init system.
- During this period, RHEL also began to support integration with cloud platforms, such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
- Red Hat acquired CentOS, a community-driven Linux distribution based on RHEL, in 2014.
- CentOS allowed organizations to use a RHEL-compatible system without the subscription cost, which fostered even greater adoption of the RHEL ecosystem.
- In 2020, Red Hat announced a shift in the CentOS project from a RHEL rebuild to CentOS Stream, a rolling-release distribution that provides a preview of the next RHEL versions.
- This change sparked some controversy as CentOS users had to adapt to a new model more aligned with Fedora, leading some to seek alternative distributions like AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux.
¶ 10. Modern RHEL (RHEL 8 and Beyond)
- RHEL 8, released in 2019, focused on hybrid cloud and DevOps, with enhanced support for containers, cloud environments, and automation tools like Ansible.
- RHEL 9, released in 2022, brought further innovations aimed at hybrid cloud environments, edge computing, and security with updates to SELinux and other core features.
- RHEL remains the most widely used enterprise Linux distribution, supported by a robust ecosystem that includes training, certification, and partnerships with major hardware and software vendors.
- Red Hat continues to focus on hybrid and multi-cloud environments, Kubernetes, containerization, and edge computing to meet the evolving needs of enterprises worldwide.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux has grown from an open-source project into a foundational technology for enterprises worldwide, with strong support for cloud, containers, and hybrid environments. Through its focus on stability, security, and innovation, RHEL has maintained its position as a key player in the enterprise Linux market.
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Support & Service for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)