Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is a commercial Linux distribution that provides a stable and secure operating system for enterprise-level deployments. Here is a brief history of Red Hat Enterprise Linux:

1. Origin: Red Hat Linux, the precursor to RHEL, was first released in 1994 by Bob Young and Marc Ewing. It was initially a community-driven distribution that gained popularity for its ease of use and extensive software packages. Red Hat, Inc., was established as a company in 1995 to support and further develop Red Hat Linux.
2. Enterprise Focus: As Red Hat Linux gained popularity in enterprise environments, the company recognized the need for a more stable and long-term supported version tailored for business needs. In 2002, Red Hat introduced Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a separate product focused on enterprise customers.
3. Collaboration with the Community: Red Hat continued its strong collaboration with the open-source community, especially with the Fedora Project. Fedora served as a community-driven testing ground for new features and technologies that would eventually be incorporated into RHEL.
4. Subscription Model and Support: Red Hat Enterprise Linux adopted a subscription-based model, providing customers with access to software updates, security patches, and technical support. This approach ensured the long-term stability and reliability of the operating system for enterprise deployments.
5. Release and Versioning: RHEL followed a consistent versioning scheme. Each major release had a life cycle of around 10 years, divided into multiple maintenance phases. Updates and patches were released regularly, addressing security vulnerabilities, bug fixes, and adding new features.
6. Security and Stability: RHEL placed a strong emphasis on security and stability, making it suitable for mission-critical applications. Red Hat incorporated technologies like SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) to provide advanced security features and mitigate risks.
7. Expansion into New Architectures: RHEL expanded its support to various hardware architectures, including x86, x86-64, PowerPC, IBM Z, and ARM. This broadened its reach to different server environments and helped RHEL cater to diverse enterprise needs.
8. Community Development Projects: Red Hat encouraged community involvement in RHEL development through initiatives like the CentOS Project, which provided a free, community-supported distribution based on RHEL. CentOS served as a popular alternative for those who desired RHEL-like stability without the associated subscription costs.
9. Red Hat Enterprise Linux Open Source: In 2019, Red Hat released the source code of its CentOS variant, CentOS Stream, under an open-source license. This move aimed to facilitate more active community participation and collaboration in the development of future versions of RHEL.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux has evolved over the years to become one of the leading enterprise Linux distributions, known for its stability, security, long-term support, and collaboration with the open-source community. It continues to be widely used in various industries, powering critical applications and infrastructure in enterprise environments.