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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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SUSE To Be Taken Private By Its Largest Shareholder (www.phoronix.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Marcel LUX III SARL (Marcel) as the largest shareholder in SUSE is planning to take the company private and delist it from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. SUSE will be merged with an unlisted Luxembourg entity. Marcel currently owns a 79% stake in SUSE.

SUSE.com press release

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Canonical is also privately held and not publicly listed.

For sure. The difference is in who the owner is and what their track record in regards to FOSS is. Putting the 19 years of BDFL's Canonical ownership together, I think he's generally been okay. The core products have always been open source and free for both commercial and non-commercial use. I don't know much about the private equity firm currently holding SUSE.

And it looks like this is the same private equity firm that owned SUSE fully before taking them public. (Marcel LUX III SARL is a holding company owned by EQT Private Equity.)

I guess that's a positive, but we really don't know what direction they'd take once the curtains close. Chances are profit maximization will be at the top of the list. It's unknown how that will translate in reality in the short and long term. E.g. would they be nice and give stuff for free early to steal customers from RHEL, tightening down the road, or cutting costs today to make a buck now. It's anyone's guess.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

| the core products have been open source

They have been pushing more of the distribution into their proprietary app store format despite what the community says about it

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

At least Fedora and Flatpak does better...