The Rocky Linux project has found a way to continue delivering its RHEL-based distribution, even after Red Hat stopped publishing the source code to its Git repository.
Red Hat started the disagreement by suspending the publication of their enterprise distro’s source code to its Git repository, which immediately impacted rebuilders’ ability to access critical components. The Rocky Linux project, in a blog post titled “Keeping Open Source Open,” presented two unique techniques of acquire the RHEL source code while adhering to Red Hat’s licence terms.
The first method makes advantage of Red Hat’s public UBI container images, which include distinct sections of RHEL’s user land and are hence compatible with RHEL-specific apps. Despite the absence of the operating system kernel and drivers, these containers provide a robust platform for future expansion.
The second solution proposed by Rocky Linux is to employ RHEL virtual machines (VMs) on pay-per-use public cloud providers. The project receives access to the needed source packages by temporarily becoming Red Hat customers, which are subsequently posted to the Rocky Git servers. The ownership and licence agreement are ended whenever the VM is shut down and removed, assuring compliance.
The project’s legal advisors have assured them that they are fully license compliant. However, the project notes that it is “continuously exploring other options” and that the aforementioned approaches are “subject to change.”
The sources for this piece include an article in TheRegister.