[pca] No more free patches

[Dražen Kačar]

Martin Paul wrote:

> Using an operating system where the only way to fix security problems is
> waiting for the next version is a no-go, so the minimum cost for running
> Solaris on a real-world system is now that of a basic service plan (324$
> and up per year).

Well, that's Oracle's policy for the database. You can download the base
release (say 10.2.0.1) and use it for development at no charge, but that's
it. Downloading any patch requires a support contract[1]. They also don't
have security patch bundle for 10.2.0.1 at all. It exists for 10.2.0.2
and higher 10.2 releases.

I don't know what's the policy for Oracle XE (free database edition), I
don't currently use it.

> Sun didn't make enough money, so it's obvious that Oracle handles things
> differently. Whether this is a wise decision is left to the future. The
> fact that there's no public announcement reveals a lot.

Hm. Maybe that's just a sign of an internal confusion. Who's supposed to
make that sort of announcements, who's supposed to deal with disgruntled
users, what to tell them etc. requires organization. And it takes some
time to put it in place.

Making this sort of changes without notice only makes things worse. I'm
sure Oracle management knows that.

> There should be a much simpler way to get basic patch support (think
> about a PayPal button at the end of the OS installation to get the
> idea). And it definitely should cost less than the service plans.
> Personally, I'd prefer a one-time fee for the OS (which should be
> included in the price of a server when bought from Sun).

[1] Or becoming a partner, for developers, system integrators and the
    like. It costs a bit, but it's much cheaper than the support
    contracts.

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