[wplug] suse

Vanco, Donald VANCOD at PIOS.com
Thu Feb 6 11:22:02 EST 2003


Rafael E. Herrera wrote:
> Vanco, Donald wrote:
>> 
>> You folks realize that your comparing prices on FREE software -
>> right? 
>> 
>> When you pay for RH or Mandrake or SuSE what you're paying for is
>> the box, the media, the books, and whatever support the particular
>> package has with it. The $40 version of Red Hat has the EXACT same
>> install binary disks as the $200 version - the difference is the
>> inclusion of the garbage application CDs and the SUPPORT.
> 
> Wrong. You pay for someone having put it all together, created an
> installer, etc. In short, making sure all works. You think integrating
> thousands of programs together is done by four geeks in a garage? Try
> installing Linux from scratch yourself and you'll probably become
> productive and do actual work in a few months.

	No - I'm not wrong.  Linux is free.  Always has been.  You really
need to do a bit of reading up.  The decision to build a new distro is
purely a personal one - and Red Hat started as TWO geeks in an apartment.
	I _have_ installed Linux from scratch myself - starting back in 1995
when I downloaded like 24 floppies and fed them to a 386 machine in my
office.  I'm well aware of the history, diversity, complexity, and zero cost
of GNU/Linux.  I'm currently fiddling with Gentoo - it compiles on the fly,
so I'm back to installing from sources at a minimum...  I got my latest copy
at LinuxWorld a couple weeks ago.  Some guys were there with a Gentoo banner
and a PeeCee burning copies.  I shoved 2 bucks into a used plastic container
from "Gramma's Potato Salad" or something and got me a copy.  It was free -
the donation was 1) optional and 2) to defray media costs. 

	If you think that selling $50 boxes of a Linux distro is enough
dough to maintain:
	- a bevy of full-time programmers
	- a manufacturing channel capable of full media control (CD/DVD and
printed material)
	- a distribution channel
	- a sales team
	- a marketing team
	- a 24x7 support team
	...and manage it all in a cyclical loop you're mistaken.  If you
think a company can survive and not address all those functions you're
mistaken.  TurboLinux tried it - gone.  Mandrake tried it - gone soon.
Storm tried it - gone quicker than lightning.  Corel tried it - gone, with a
bullet from Microsoft in the form of a cash injection.  Half a dozen others
never even saw the light of day.

	Read the press - learn from history.  Linux _is_ free - the money to
sustain a distro and spur true growth comes from SUPPORT and SERVICES.
Period.

	I make my living off Linux - but I don't sell boxed copies of a
distro.

>> If you _need_ support that's fine, but choosing a distro based on
>> price is not good reasoning.  It's Linux - it's Free.
> 
> Linux and most of the software that comes in a distribution is
> licensed with the GPL. To learn what it is intended when that
> software is referred to as "free", check this link
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.
	Sure - that and $40 will get you a box of Red Hat
	...but this will get it for you for free:
	http://www.redhat.com/download/mirror.html

	Free as in the GPL is a great ideal, but the fact remains that Linux
is zero cost.  Deciding what distro to run based on it's price tag at
BestBuy is not a strong foundation for selecting a distro IMHO.  Showing
your support for your distro of choice by buying a copy is certainly "the
right thing to do" - but again, it's not a prerequisite to use said distro
and decide if it's the one for you.

Don



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