would you be willing to pay for linux if you had to?

hook

_IF_ SCO would succeed and would take some parts of linux under their own license they would (very possibly) want money for it ...so what would you do IF that would happen

let's all hope it won't
_________________
tea+free software+law=hook

(deep inside i'm still a tux's little helper)

AlterEgo · Veteran Joined: 25 Apr 2002 Posts: 1619

Yes. I'm more than happy to pay for linux (I do and did), but not because of rats like SCO. I hope SCO dies quickly but painfully.
All flames intended.

holek · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 9:19 pm Post subject:

If i would have money

For now i would use a pirated copy i think

(only because of money thou)
_________________
... and the aliens sent an android down to earth, to slow down mankind's development ... and they named it Bill Gates.

hook · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 9:22 pm Post subject:

Ari Rahikkala · Guru Joined: 02 Oct 2002 Posts: 370 Location: Finland

No. It's not the price that would turn me off, though. It's that I'd be using an operating system that's essentially controlled by a single company - a company that I've learned to hate. SCO hasn't defined what in Linux is infringing on their [copyright, patent, hell, I don't remember what - the world would be a better place if the term "intellectual property" had never been invented] so they could essentially strongarm the kernel and core utils developers to do whatever the hell was good for SCO's interests. I'd turn to FreeBSD, hell, I'd start practising C development (I know C well... in *theory*, not in practice) and start helping to flesh out some obscure operating system like EROS. I am in charge of this computer, not SCO.

(note: This post has been written under the influence of /. FUD and is highly likely to be Just Plain Wrong. If you want factual information, look elsewhere.)
_________________
<laurentius> gentoo linux?
<ari> Yesh.
<laurentius> they look horny

DefconAlpha · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 11:19 pm Post subject:

I'll not pay SCO a dollar for linux. I use linux (note the use of lower case letters) not CRYPTIC PROPRIETARY UNIX (note the required use of caps to formulate any result with UNIX).

Gentoo, however... well, I've been using linux off and on since RedHat 5.2 was replaced by 6.0 and exclusively since i found gentoo. It's the only distribution i can make "work" with all of my multimedia and gaming requirements (hah, all those *easy* package managers...). I would pay to run gentoo. It *works*. It's *stable*. And god dammit if it's not the fastest thing since sliced bread.

:)
_________________
In the end, the love you get is equal to the love you make
--John Lennon & Paul McCartney (The End - Abbey Road,

telex4 · l33t Joined: 21 Sep 2002 Posts: 704 Location: Reading, UK

I'd be willing to pay for a GNU/Linux distribution - in fact I've already bought boxed copies of SuSE in the past - but I wouldn't be happy about having to pay money to SCO. Surely though SCO can only truly cause a problem with patents, since copyrighted code can always be rewritten?

Zombie[BRAAAINS] · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 62

I would, and have paid for Linux.

If I had to pay to use it, I would definately not use it. I use Linux because it's free as in speech, not because it's free as in beer. I don't run Windows, but it's not because I'm cheap, it's because they try to tell me what to do with my own property. Regardless of intentions, if someone tried to force paying for Linux, sooner or later they would end up doing something underhanded. I'd just make the break before they had the chance, much like I would leave a room that an angry drunk with a gun was in before the inevitable happened.

I've always liked BSD anyway.
_________________
RAWR! Brains, BRAINS! BRAAAINS! MUST EAT BRAINS!

zephyr1256 · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 2:35 am Post subject:

While I would voluntarily support the 'free', open-source linux community, if a company managed to acquire proprietary rights that allowed them to force a fee to use it, I think it would fundamentally cripple most of the benefits of the GPL market model. I would move on to something else that was free and open source. So I say, 'No!', but not because I would object to paying to suport linux *as is*, but rather to paying for what linux would be if you *had* to pay for it.

modal · Apprentice Joined: 02 Oct 2002 Posts: 277

That's a hard idea to answer. I would pay for linux if I had to, but I don't...and that's why I love it.
The idea of thousands of programmers working on something, just because. That's awesome. The communities, and the friendships you make with fellow comrads (hehe, another reference to the communist metaphor for oss) aren't available with proprietary systems the way that a community like gentoo can form and flourish.
Linux=good, because it's free...(as in speech AND beer)

hook · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 11:14 am Post subject:

i think it's about time that i say my aspect of this too.

i would definetly pay for linux if i really had to and if it wouldn't change in its main ways (free as in speech), because i just love this bugger

but my own view is that every OS should be free (as in beer), because it's a must on every computer
_________________
tea+free software+law=hook

(deep inside i'm still a tux's little helper)

Evangelion · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 11:36 am Post subject:

I would pay for Linux. I have bought several copies of SuSE in the past. I think the guys who make this awesome OS deserve our support.

If I HAD to pay for Linux (to SCO particularly), I would resist.
_________________
My tech-blog | My other blog

Lovechild · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 11:43 am Post subject:

I would donate but not pay - I like Linux because it's free as in speech.

AngusYoung · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:05 pm Post subject:

hook · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:52 pm Post subject:

nikai · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:56 pm Post subject:

Question is, to whom, and why.

I don't see why I should use a product that forces me to pay money to a faceless giant because of software patents.

But I'd be very glad to pay bounties to open source developers for resolving bugs or adding features that I consider essential.

heijs · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2003 2:37 pm Post subject:

Beekster · Apprentice Joined: 26 Nov 2002 Posts: 268 Location: Sydney

I would be prepared to pay. I wouldn't support anything that would take Linux out of the open source/GPL though. In a way, many of us have paid, even if none of the money went to the developers/distributors.

In some countries, bandwidth is expensive, both in terms of paying for the speed and download limits. With either extra charges for exceeding a preset limit or reducing available bandwisth to 28 kbit/s over a cable modem.

I started using Linux about 6 months ago while in the US (Phoenix). Through cable over there (no limits, US$45/month) I was able to download and play with several distributions. Mandrake was too easy. Fast install, and thereafter quite slow. Debian's install _didn't_ work. Had thought it would be easier than Gentoo.

Tried Gentoo. Fell in love.

I still dual boot with XP, but have now leant to hate it more than I did before. NT4 (post SP4) was the only decent OS that MS made, if any of their OS products could be classed as decent by comparison with what else is available. When I manage to get my scanner, printer and camera working, as well as Word in either wine or vmware, XP will be sent on a very short trip to /dev/null. It will happen.

In Linux, I can play any video or sound file or DVD that I have come across, rip CD's or DVD's to a choice of formats, and do any or all of those things smoothly _while_ recompiling all or part of my OS with different optimisations... Yes, I would pay for that.

Try even playing a DVD on a fresh XP install if you have lost the CD that came with the DVD player...

But then who among the dual booters out there has ever paid a cent to MS?

idl · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2003 5:08 pm Post subject:

gsfgf · Veteran Joined: 08 May 2002 Posts: 1266

i'd hope the gentoo folks kept if free except for the SCO tax and use a pirated copy.
_________________
Aim:gsfgf0

RdsArts · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2003 2:12 am Post subject:

*types from his FreeBSD laptop, next to his Gentoo box* Umm... I think I'd just make the switch to BSD. Actually, it's been tempting me awhile. If it weren't for portage, I'd probably have a all-BSD setup right now. Expectly with how FreeBSD handles NFS shares. (which I use pretty extensively on my lan)

I use free software not because of the price, but becaues it's free. Once the patent issues hit, Linux would either be only distributable by SCO or liscenced dealers, and would no longer be able to be available free. Chances are likely you wouldn't be able to see some of the code anymore. All of the patents, BTW, I've heard, refer to the init system. So, if someone were so inclined, someone COULD come up with a NEW init system. It'd break it from being a legacy *n*x OS, but then, BSD never had a problem with that when they made their own.

Of course, this all just deals with America. In many other countries, they don't have to give it a moments notice. Which is becoming the sad, common thread in todays computing world...

tempy · n00b Joined: 21 Mar 2003 Posts: 15

I wouldn't pay SCO, but I wouldn't rule out buying a good distribution off the shelf. Any non-free software or manuals would just turn me off, but a talking Tux plush is a pretty good incentive.

gsfgf · Veteran Joined: 08 May 2002 Posts: 1266

Well, if SCO has a parent on the INIT system, aren't us gentooers ok?
_________________
Aim:gsfgf0

berryman77 · n00b Joined: 13 Feb 2003 Posts: 23

I would rather donate to further the effors of a distribution that a like (Gentoo) than pay for it because I have to.

jufoa · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2003 9:05 am Post subject:

I probably would pay if i had the money, but since i dont i use linux because its free.