<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-06-02</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001087423</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RED HAT INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RHAT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001180595</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SZULIK MATTHEW</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Chairman/CEO/President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Common Stock, $.0001 par value per share</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2003-06-02</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <deemedExecutionDate>
            <value>2003-06-02</value>
        </deemedExecutionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionTimeliness>
            <value></value>
        </transactionTimeliness>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>20000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>7.5</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>D</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>2536352</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </nonDerivativeSecurity>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This stock sale was effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan effective 4/23/03.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 16,472 shares held of record by the Matthew J. Szulik GRAT dated 5/26/99, for which the Reporting Person is the trustee, and 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock which are subject to a right of repurchase by Red Hat, Inc., such right lapsing over a period of four years.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Donna Kimmerly, Atty In Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-06-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

