I use clarkconnect linux for my router/server. It is based on redhat, and then I use http://rhn.redhat.com to manage my packages. I get e-mails from redhat whenever a potential security vulnerability has been discovered along with a link for an updated RPM. I can also from a shell prompt type:
up2date XFree86
and it will load the latest version of XFree86
Redhat's "Redhat Network" is very compelling to me. You can get a free account for one system that includes e-mail updates and access to their RHN errata website. The only real down side is with the free service you get pushed to the end of the line when it comes to downloading updates. If the server load is high, the unpaid users don't get access until the load dies down. So you may have to wait a few hours or a day for an update, but you can still get the files from the RHN website or the updates section on the redhat site.
Here is an example:
Using username "root".
Authenticating with public key "imported-openssh-key"
Last login: Fri Jun 6 16:47:08 2003 from 192.168.0.128
[root@router root]# uname -a
Linux router.home.stonent.com 2.4.20-18.7 #1 Thu May 29 08:32:50 EDT 2003 i686 unknown
[root@router root]# up2date -p
Updating package profile...
[root@router root]# up2date -u
Fetching package list for channel: redhat-linux-i386-7.3...
########################################
Fetching Obsoletes list for channel: redhat-linux-i386-7.3...
########################################
Fetching rpm headers...
########################################
Testing package set / solving RPM inter-dependencies...
########################################
kernel-doc-2.4.20-18.7.i386 ########################## Done.
Preparing... ########################################### [100%]
Installing...
1:kernel-doc ########################################### [100%]
[root@router root]#
For 60$ a year redhat will put you on the preferred list and you can even set it up to automatically install updated packages, and since it keeps a log of your package lists (free and paid versions), you can click on the different registered systems to see what is out of date or available for upgrade.
One could argue that the up2date program is just basically like apt-get but off hand, I am not aware of a e-mail update system like this on Debian.
Those are my reasons for Redhat.
