Oracle Linux Reviews

Name: Oracle Linux
Brand: Oracle
Rating: 4 (110 reviews)

Vendor: Oracle

4.2 out of 5

110 reviews
91% willing to recommend

1,196 followers

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What is Oracle Linux?

Oracle Linux is a stable, reliable, and scalable operating system primarily used for deploying and running Oracle databases. It is also suitable for various other functions, including managing operating systems and web servers, supporting traffic surveillance, and identity management.

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Oracle Linux is the #3 ranked solution in top Operating Systems for Business. PeerSpot users give Oracle Linux an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Oracle Linux is most commonly compared to Ubuntu Linux: Oracle Linux vs Ubuntu Linux. Oracle Linux is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 62% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 14% of all views.

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Featured reviews

Marcelo Muniz

Database Engineer at kyndryl

It is important to work with a vendor who will sell you the correct product for your environment rather than just try to make the most money off of you. Study the solution and learn how to install it correctly and use it in the best ways. Follow best practices from Oracle and get some training in the operational system. The solution comes with a lot of features and options that you can use for free. It is reliable and you can even use an old version with no issues. It is not the most user friendly, but you can learn it with a bit of study. Overall, the solution beats other operational systems by a large margin. The solution is rated a nine out of ten.

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LLIEDNO

Sr. NetBackup System Administrator at University of Delaware

I use the solution to host Oracle Database and ACSLS which manages tape libraries. ACSLS used to be owned by StorageTek but was purchased by Oracle. For example, our infrastructure utilizes the solution to run ACSLS and provide commands to the tape library, conduct inventory, provide encryption…

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Peter Karlsson

System specialist at Savecore

There is a desire to include ZFS as a supported file system from the installation phase. I find it to be an excellent file system that significantly simplifies storage management on systems. Unlike other setups where you need both a file system and a volume manager, ZFS combines these functionalities into a single package. It provides a proven and stable solution, eliminating the need for continuous testing with different technologies. ZFS is enterprise-proven and, compared to other Linux file systems, stands out in terms of management efficiency. While some file systems may offer slightly faster speeds, ZFS excels in overall performance, manageability, and reliability, making it a top choice in the Linux world. Another notable aspect that could be improved is minor compatibility with Red Hat. This is crucial for customers seeking ISV support. ISVs often limit their support to a select few distributions, typically Red Hat, and maintaining compatibility is vital for application functionality.

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Oracle Linux mindshare

As of September 2024, the mindshare of Oracle Linux in the Operating Systems (OS) for Business category stands at 16.1%, up from 15.0% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Operating Systems (OS) for Business

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Aug 7, 2024

Valuable Features

Oracle Linux's most valuable features include high compatibility with open-source projects, exceptional stability, frequent patches, Ksplice for no-reboot kernel updates, excellent performance, scalability, strong security, ease of use, and straightforward setup. Its binary compatibility with Red Hat, user-friendly interface, reliable technical support, minimal resource usage, documented support for integration, and consolidated support with other Oracle products are also highly regarded. These aspects make Oracle Linux a preferred choice for database management and enterprise environments.

"Patches and upgrades for Oracle Linux are readily accessible. The package management system is streamlined and well-organized. Oracle Linux provides a more integrated approach to package management, consolidating resources and minimizing the need to search for various components separately."
"It is very compatible because it's from the same product family, so it makes the work very easy."
"If we use Linux, Solaris, or some other operating systems, we have to build a lot of packages using RPMs (the packet manager). That's a difficult task. With Oracle Linux, we use a single command to update from the Oracle website."

Room for Improvement

Oracle Linux users highlight the need for better documentation, improved hardware compatibility, and enhanced security features. They express concerns about the user interface, the installation process, and package support beyond Oracle databases. Issues with deployment complexity, download speeds, and support costs are also mentioned. Users desire more frequent updates and improved integration with other operating systems, cloud services, and software repositories. Pricing and scalability are additional areas needing attention.

"They keep increasing their license prices, making it increasingly costly. So many banks and customers are moving away from Oracle Linux."
"Managing upgrades, especially moving from one version of Oracle Linux to another, can be challenging."
"The main challenge for new users of Linux is the command-line interface (CLI). It can be intimidating if you're not familiar with it."

ROI

Users experienced a 100% ROI from Oracle Linux. They saw the expected returns, noting positive ROI and benefits from consolidated support and time savings. However, fluctuating dollar rates made calculations challenging. Despite business struggles and aiming for three to five-year solutions, Oracle Linux remained stable, reliable, and well-performing. Organizations achieved a medium level of ROI and considered it an okay solution so far.

Pricing

Oracle Linux offers a cost-effective licensing model with flexible annual subscriptions. Many users find its pricing reasonable and lower than competitors like Red Hat. While sometimes considered expensive for smaller companies, it can be cheaper when bundled with other Oracle products or negotiated for multiple servers. Its open-source nature makes it free to use, with charges mainly for support. Organizations rate it as affordable and appreciate its ability to reduce overall IT costs.

"The cost is relatively affordable."
"We are not paying anything for the operating system."
"We are currently operating the solution using a license-based version. We get licenses per machine."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Oracle Linux as an operating system for databases, virtualization platforms, and server systems. They leverage it for deploying Oracle databases, developing applications, migrating to cloud environments, and improving system stability. It also supports development environments, DNS servers, and IT infrastructure tools. Additionally, Oracle Linux is utilized for specialized cases like security, cost-effective licensing, and compliance in virtualized database scenarios.

Service and Support

Customer service of Oracle Linux is responsive and helpful. Users appreciate the knowledgeable support team that resolves issues efficiently. However, some mention that response times can vary. Support documentation is comprehensive, aiding in troubleshooting without direct assistance. Feedback indicates that customer service enhances user experience with proactive communication and professionalism. Issues are usually addressed in a timely manner, though a few users suggest an improvement in consistency of support quality.

Deployment

Users find Oracle Linux's initial setup to be easy and straightforward. Most installations take between 30 minutes to a few hours. Documentation and support resources are mentioned as helpful. Some deployments involve additional steps, like patching and configuring hardware drivers. Larger projects might require several team members, while smaller ones can be managed by one or two administrators. Despite occasional challenges with specific versions or complex environments, the overall feedback is positive about the setup process.

Scalability

Oracle Linux is highly scalable, adaptable for diverse environments such as cloud and hybrid settings. Users report its ability to scale up or down easily, with robust support for clustering and high availability. It efficiently manages a range of workloads, from small setups to large-scale deployments, outperforming other systems in handling substantial tasks. Many organizations express confidence in expanding their usage without facing significant scalability issues.

Stability

Oracle Linux is highly stable according to feedback. Users highlight no significant stability issues, with rare occurrences primarily due to software or hardware rather than the operating system. It is described as extremely reliable, devoid of bugs or crashes, and suitable for critical environments like banking. Many users mention consistent uptime and commend its performance, even under heavy loads, rating stability favorably and often higher than other operating systems.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Oracle Linux Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Educational Organization

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

University

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Retailer

Energy/Utilities Company

Insurance Company

Media Company

Construction Company

Non Profit

Hospitality Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Transportation Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Pharma/Biotech Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Legal Firm

Outsourcing Company

Performing Arts

Logistics Company

Compare Oracle Linux with alternative products

Learn more about Oracle Linux

Oracle Linux is highly valued for its stability, reliability, scalability, good technical support, and ease of use. It has helped organizations to achieve faster DNS queries, stable development environments, reduced vulnerability issues, good performance for Oracle applications, and improved ability to run test scenarios and parallel queries across massive databases.

Oracle Linux Features

Oracle Linux has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

The software is 100% free (no cost) to use, distribute, and update

Ksplice allows for zero-downtime kernel and user-space upgrades

DTrace provides comprehensive kernel and application tracing

For Oracle Linux Support clients, Linux management and high availability are available at no additional cost

It's Oracle-optimized and works well with Oracle Database and Oracle Applications
New workload optimizations:
- Enhanced memory performance by attempting to better locate a process near its memory and better placement of tasks that do not fit on a single NUMA node
- SPECjbb's performance has been improved by up to 3.6 times thanks to optimizations that help reduce lock contention.
- With bcache, it's simple to employ SSDs as a block cache for slower block devices. A new, scaled block layer subsystem supports many millions of IOps on NVM-Express and high-end PCI-E devices.
Oracle Linux has three deployment options:

Linux in the cloud: Oracle Linux Premier Support is included in all Oracle Cloud Infrastructure subscriptions at no additional cost.
Linux on premises: This is the industry's most comprehensive and open Linux distribution.
Embedded Linux design: Embedding a feature-rich Linux distribution is an optimized, cost-effective solution for your business.

Oracle Linux Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Oracle Linux. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Save money by only paying for support for the systems you need
Improve security by applying patches faster and spending less time troubleshooting and updating
Improve Oracle software and hardware performance

Reviews from Real Users

Oracle Linux stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its stability and scalability. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

One PeerSpot reviewer, an IT Manager, reports, “I find the virtualization the most valuable.” He adds, “Oracle Linux is the best Linux operating system that I have ever known. It is very stable and strong.”

An Enterprise Architect at a financial services firm writes of the solution, “You also don't have memory issues, especially when it is engineered with platforms like Exadata and Oracle Cluster. These give you the most throughput and performance.” He adds, “It is very scalable, especially on platforms like Oracle Cluster and Exadata.”

Oracle Linux was previously known as Oracle Enterprise Linux.