June 29, 2023Keeping Open Source Open  ## Metadata - Author: [[rockylinux.org]] - Full Title: June 29, 2023Keeping Open Source Open - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #open_source - #linux - #enterprise_linux - #rhel - #rocky_linux - #licensing - #gpl - #containers - #ospo - #community_governance Author: rockylinux.org Source: Website Reference: https://rockylinux.org/news/keeping-open-source-open/ date created: 2025-08-22 00:00 --- # Title: Keeping Open Source Open (Rocky Linux response to Red Hat source access changes) ## Table of Contents: - [🧭 Overview](#-overview) - [🏗️ Governance and Philosophy](#-governance-and-philosophy) - [🧩 The Red Hat Policy Shift](#-the-red-hat-policy-shift) - [🔁 Impact on Source Acquisition](#-impact-on-source-acquisition) - [📦 Workable Paths to Source Code](#-workable-paths-to-source-code) - [⚖️ Licensing, Rights, and Ethics](#-licensing-rights-and-ethics) - [🤝 Community Call-to-Action](#-community-call-to-action) - [🗒️ Notes](#-notes) - [📖 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items (Advocacy/OSPO-aligned prompt)](#-action-items-advocacyospo-aligned-prompt) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### References: - GNU General Public License overview: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html - Red Hat Universal Base Images: https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/introducing-red-hat-universal-base-image - OCI containers standard: https://opencontainers.org/ ## 🧭 Overview Rocky Linux reaffirms its mission to keep enterprise open source stable, accessible, and community-led. In response to Red Hat limiting access to RHEL source code to paying customers, Rocky outlines practical, GPL-compliant methods to continue obtaining sources (UBI containers, cloud instances) without accepting restrictive TOS/EULA terms. The piece underscores governance principles—reproducibility, transparency, avoiding vendor capture—and invites community support. ## 🏗️ Governance and Philosophy - “Every user of Rocky Linux is valued… open source software should remain stable, accessible to all, and managed by the community.” - Foundational commitments: reproducibility, transparent decision-making, no single-vendor control, compatibility with RHEL to preserve a unified Enterprise Linux standard and CentOS’s original aims. ## 🧩 The Red Hat Policy Shift - Red Hat has stated they “do not find value in a RHEL rebuild” and restricted RHEL sources to paying customers. - Rocky characterizes this stance as narrow and contrary to open source spirit, especially given the upstream origins of many packages. ## 🔁 Impact on Source Acquisition - Previously: Rocky relied on the CentOS Git repo as recommended. - Now: Must source from multiple places—CentOS Stream, pristine upstream projects, and RHEL SRPMs—because not all RHEL-matching versions are in CentOS Git anymore. ## 📦 Workable Paths to Source Code - UBI-based approach: - Use Red Hat’s UBI container images (available from multiple registries, including Docker Hub) to obtain sources “reliably and unencumbered.” - Validated via OCI container workflows. - Pay-per-use public cloud: - Spin up on-demand RHEL cloud instances, retrieve sources and errata via DNF, and automate via CI to publish to Rocky’s repos. ## ⚖️ Licensing, Rights, and Ethics - Rocky refuses to accept TOS/EULAs that appear to impede rights guaranteed by the GPL. - Legal advisors confirm the right to obtain source for any binaries received; GPL ensures no one can prevent redistribution of GPL software. - Approaches may evolve, but commitment to open source values remains. ## 🤝 Community Call-to-Action - Invitation to contribute via the wiki, share the project, and engage with the community to help Rocky thrive. ### Direct quotes and where to find them - “do not find value in a RHEL rebuild” — early section - “No one can prevent redistribution of GPL software.” — mid section - “we decided not to bisect the Enterprise Linux community.” — early section - “Using the UBI image… obtain Red Hat sources reliably and unencumbered.” — mid section ## 🗒️ Notes - Mission - Community-managed, stable, accessible enterprise OS. - Aligns with CentOS’s original goals; maintains a single Enterprise Linux standard via compatibility. - Challenge - Red Hat limits source access to paying customers; CentOS Git no longer mirrors all RHEL versions. - TOS/EULA terms perceived as conflicting with GPL’s purpose. - Strategy - Multi-source acquisition: CentOS Stream, upstream projects, RHEL SRPMs. - UBI containers and cloud instances as lawful, scalable paths. - CI automation to fetch via DNF and publish to Git repos. - Legal/Ethics - GPL rights to source and redistribution. - Avoid agreements that curtail user freedoms. - Community - Open invitation to contribute; advocacy for transparency and resilience. ## 📖 References: - Rocky Linux post: https://rockylinux.org/news/keeping-open-source-open/ - GNU GPL: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html - Red Hat UBI: https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/introducing-red-hat-universal-base-image - OCI: https://opencontainers.org/ ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1) Original idea: Red Hat does not see value in RHEL rebuilds and limited source access to paying customers. Rocky views this as narrow and at odds with open source, since sources are largely upstream. - Paraphrase: Red Hat has declared that RHEL clones aren’t worthwhile and has constrained source availability to subscribers. Rocky contends that this perspective is short-sighted and misaligned with open source norms, particularly because most components derive from independent upstream projects. 2) Original idea: GPL power and lawful methods via UBI and cloud instances; legal counsel affirms right to obtain source for binaries. - Paraphrase: Thanks to the GPL, distribution rights cannot be curtailed. By leveraging UBI images and on-demand RHEL cloud environments, Rocky can legitimately access SRPMs and binaries without agreeing to restrictive contracts. Attorneys confirm recipients of binaries are entitled to corresponding source code. ## 📰 Newsletter: This week in web and WordPress: sharpening your open source superpowers. Red Hat’s tightened RHEL source access sparked strong responses, and our friends at Rocky Linux mapped practical, GPL-respecting routes to keep enterprise Linux open—think UBI containers and ephemeral cloud instances orchestrated by CI. Why should WordPress folks care? Sustainable open ecosystems, transparent governance, and contributor rights are the bedrock of our plugins, themes, and core. On the WordPress front: keep polishing your JS/PHP chops; try a sprint-friendly Git workflow; and explore community spotlights highlighting first-time contributors. New plugins picked by the editorial team put performance and accessibility first—ship lighter CSS and add automated TTS for posts. For background, see the GNU GPL’s essentials and Red Hat’s Universal Base Images to connect the dots between infra and our stack. Stay curious, ship responsibly, and remember: open beats closed—especially on a Friday deploy. - GNU GPL overview - Red Hat Universal Base Images ## ✅ Action Items: Prompt you can reuse for future articles to align with your role and OSPO goals: “Analyze how this article advances open-source advocacy, contributor engagement, and education within the WordPress and broader FOSS ecosystem. Identify: - Governance takeaways (transparency, anti-vendor-lock-in, compliance with licenses). - Contributor pathways and onboarding opportunities (docs, mentorship, CI visibility). - Educational assets I can produce (talks, workshops, curricula, labs) to teach PHP/JS/HTML/CSS/Git/GitHub with real OSS case studies. - Funding and sustainability angles (e.g., programmatic support, community grants, company sponsorship). - OSPO-aligned policies and metrics (license compliance, SBOMs, contri - Summary: The Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation, based on the shared vision that open source software should remain stable and accessible to all, is committed to keeping open source open. They prioritize reproducibility and transparency while ensuring that no single vendor or company can hold the project hostage. However, Red Hat has limited access to the sources for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) to only paying customers. Despite this, Rocky Linux has found alternative methods to obtain the source code, including using UBI container images and pay-per-use public cloud instances. They are dedicated to advancing Rocky Linux and serving the best interests of the open source community. - URL: https://rockylinux.org/news/keeping-open-source-open/ Every user of Rocky Linux is valued and their contributions matter. From software engineers to IT professionals and hobbyists, together, we are all part of the Linux and open source community. The Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation was established based on our shared vision that open source software should remain stable, accessible to all, and managed by the community. This commitment is ingrained in everything we do. Since the inception of the Rocky project, we have prioritized reproducibility, transparency in decision-making, and that no single vendor or company can ever hold the project hostage. When we first started, we discussed our model and mission, and we decided not to bisect the Enterprise Linux community. Instead, in the spirit of open source principles and standards, we created something compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). By adhering to this approach, we adhere to a single standard for Enterprise Linux and align ourselves with the original goals of CentOS. However, Red Hat has recently expressed their perspective that they ”[do not find value in a RHEL rebuild](https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/red-hats-commitment-open-source-response-gitcentosorg-changes).” While we believe this view is narrow-minded, Red Hat has taken a strong stance and limited access to the sources for RHEL to only their paying customers. These sources primarily consist of upstream open source project packages that are not owned by Red Hat. Previously, we obtained the source code for Rocky Linux exclusively from the CentOS Git repository [as they recommended](https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2021/02/03/a-guide-for-using-centos-project-code). However, this repository no longer hosts all of the versions corresponding to RHEL. Consequently, we now have to gather the source code from multiple sources, including CentOS Stream, pristine upstream packages, and RHEL SRPMs. Moreover, Red Hat’s Terms of Service (TOS) and End User License Agreements (EULA) impose conditions that attempt to hinder legitimate customers from exercising their rights as guaranteed by the GPL. While the community debates whether this violates the GPL, we firmly believe that such agreements violate the spirit and purpose of open source. As a result, we refuse to agree with them, which means we must obtain the SRPMs through channels that adhere to our principles and uphold our rights. The latency of this status update has been due to our desire to balance the needs of the community and technical requirements, with the challenges to open source and community principles that Red Hat has created. Fortunately, there are alternative methods available to obtain source code, and we would like to highlight two examples: One option is through the usage of UBI container images which are based on RHEL and available from multiple online sources (including Docker Hub). Using the UBI image, it is easily possible to obtain Red Hat sources reliably and unencumbered. We have validated this through OCI (Open Container Initiative) containers and it works exactly as expected. Another method that we will leverage is pay-per-use public cloud instances. With this, anyone can spin up RHEL images in the cloud and thus obtain the source code for all packages and errata. This is the easiest for us to scale as we can do all of this through CI pipelines, spinning up cloud images to obtain the sources via DNF, and post to our Git repositories automatically. These methods are possible because of the power of GPL. No one can prevent redistribution of GPL software. To reiterate, both of these methods enable us to legitimately obtain RHEL binaries and SRPMs without compromising our commitment to open source software or agreeing to TOS or EULA limitations that impede our rights. Our legal advisors have reassured us that we have the right to obtain the source to any binaries we receive, ensuring that we can continue advancing Rocky Linux in line with our original intentions. While we continuously explore other options, the aforementioned approaches are subject to change. However, our unwavering dedication and commitment to open source and the Enterprise Linux community remain steadfast. In the unfortunate event that Red Hat decides to ramp up efforts to negatively impact the community, Rocky Linux will persist to continue serving the best interests of the entire open source community. As a reminder, we welcome everyone to contribute to our efforts. You can learn more about how you can join us and all of the various ways to contribute [on our wiki](https://wiki.rockylinux.org/contributing/). Want to voice your support for Rocky Linux? Help us spread the word by sharing with your network, engaging with or contributing to the community, or telling friends about us. Our community is vital to our success, and we value your support. Together, we can make Rocky Linux continue to thrive!, June 29, 2023Keeping Open Source Open, rockylinux.org, 01h44r23hyygswg39vrkff5ehm.