Open-Source Program Owners make money?

[Ultimate Predator]

I was just thinking, it could never be that someone who owned software (I was thinking of Malwarebytes), could actually make money if they made their software open-source, could they? Like, they couldn't charge for upgrades, I suppose would it be possible to charge for open-source software? Though seems a bit pointless, you can edit it, but it costs to own!

[Eldmannen]

Sure it is possible.

Example, you can have a "Thingymabob Open Source Edition" that you distribute for free then you can have an "Thingymabob Professional Edition" with more features that you charge for.

You can include a toolbar such as Yahoo! toolbar (like CCleaner does) and get money from Yahoo.

Example, Mozilla Firefox is open source, yet Mozilla Corporation made 66 million dollars in revenue (2006).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_mode...source_software

MySQL AB made some big money, and Sun bought them for a billion dollar.

[Ultimate Predator]

Hmm, I see.

[Ultimate Predator]

Concerning selling open source software commercially, I was just thinking, couldn't someone buy an open-source product that costs money, replicate it, and distribute it for free?

Also I'd rather have a piece of software free fo charge and not be able to tamper with it rather than the other way round.

Also, what about problems like this guy brought up (second post): http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5495

Also, how exactly does Firefox make money? I know I've asked you this before, but don't understand, how? Purely donations? Same with MySQL (in fact what the hell is MySQL, any thing else like it?)?

[Tarun]

Have you seen that Firefox Google start page? (Just a hint) :yay:

[Eldmannen]

Concerning selling open source software commercially, I was just thinking, couldn't someone buy an open-source product that costs money, replicate it, and distribute it for free?

Yes.

Example, CentOS is basically Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but without their trademark name and logos.

Also, what about problems like this guy brought up (second post): http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5495

Linus's Law states "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow".

Apache is considered much more secure than IIS.

Linux is considered much more secure than Windows.

With open source software, people can observe the code, find the bugs and get them fixed.

With closed source software have security through obscurity so it can be full of bugs just waiting for someone to exploit.

OpenBSD is an operating system which have only had two remote holes in the default install, in more than 10 years!

Also, how exactly does Firefox make money? I know I've asked you this before, but don't understand, how? Purely donations? Same with MySQL (in fact what the hell is MySQL, any thing else like it?)?

Partnerships. They have the default start page set to Google, and included Google in the quick-search bar, etc.

MySQL offer a "community edition" and a "enterprise edition". I think the enterprise edition has more features such a MaxDB storage engine. Also, paying customers get payed support, etc. Latest source code for community edition is always available, but I think sometimes pre-compiled binaries are not always available for the community edition.

You can read a bit about their business model on Wikipedia.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySQL_AB#Business_model

[Ultimate Predator]

Hmm. Well, I'd still rather own somehting for free but can't tamper than vice versa.

Now, I know what you mean about it being closed-source, and the problems, but don't you think that guy made a good point, for windows at least?

[Eldmannen]

Hmm. Well, I'd still rather own somehting for free but can't tamper than vice versa.

Free software is a matter of liberty, not price.

Now, I know what you mean about it being closed-source, and the problems, but don't you think that guy made a good point, for windows at least?

Security though obscurity is a controversial topic. Security experts tend to not agree with security though obscurity.

I believe that security vulnerabilities in open source software tends to get fixed faster.

It should be assumed that the enemy already knows the system.

Firefox and Thunderbird is considered way more secure than Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.

I don't think his argument is so good. I am not sure what he means with "they would know how to exploit our own software", but he indirectly acknowledges that his software is insecure. Just waiting for someone to come along and exploit it.

Someone could probably use tools such debuggers, hex editors, memory readers, etc to disassemble, reverse engineer, etc his software to find vulnerabilities if they really wanted to.

"Our software is secure, trust us. It is secure, because I say so. No, you cant inspect the code to verify it yourself! Just trust me."

"Our software is so crappy and full of bugs and security vulnerabilities that we wont let people see the code, then they could exploit it!"

[Ultimate Predator]

Hmm, good points. Though when I said free, I meant in rice. I'd rather own it for nothing and not be able to inspect it than vice versa, wouldn't you?

[Eldmannen]

Hmm, good points. Though when I said free, I meant in rice. I'd rather own it for nothing and not be able to inspect it than vice versa, wouldn't you?

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

Explains that "Free software" is a matter of liberty, not price".

I like software that is gratis.

The optimal would be for free software that is both free in the sense of liberty and price.

I definitely would not pay for proprietary software. It doesn't seem like a wise decision for me, I wouldn't feel that I got any value out of it.

I try to avoid to use closed-source software as much as possible. I want my system to be totally free of closed-source software. I think that it is a very nice idea, of an free open trusted system that lets me do anything I want, and doesn't try to keep secrets from me or forbid me to do anything.

There are lots of software that are freeware (closed-source but gratis). That's nice that they're gratis, but I still do avoid them since they're closed-source/proprietary.

Commercial proprietary software does not appeal to me.

Gratis proprietary software doesn't appeal me much either. Though more appealing than commercial proprietary software.

Gratis free open source software does appeal to me a lot.

Commercial free open source software appeals to me less than gratis foss, but I am not fundamentally against it.

It is very nice to be able to use software without paying for it.

I do intend to do voluntary donations to free open source software though. Only thing that is stopping me is my laziness.

Also, if Red Hat is selling Linux and making money of it. That is great. Especially when they use it to develop free software and contribute new features, fixes and patches upstream to free software projects included in other distributions such as Ubuntu, it benefits me. Big thanks to all people who bought Red Hat Enterprise Linux! :yay:

[Ultimate Predator]

I get what you are saying.

There are lots of software that are freeware (closed-source but gratis). That's nice that they're gratis, but I still do avoid them since they're closed-source/proprietary.

Shame that's impossible with Windows.

[Eldmannen]

Nope, its not impossible to ditch Windows.

For some people, it may be more difficult (e.g. avid gamers).

I gradually phased out proprietary software and was using Windows XP with mostly free open source software.

I bought a new computer, and at the same time took the opportunity to get Ubuntu 7.10 which I installed.

I had a dual-boot configuration running Ubuntu 7.10 and Windows XP. First I was mostly using Windows XP, but gradually it shifted towards more and more Ubuntu, and less and less of Windows. Later I upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04.

Now I still do have a dual-boot configuration, but find myself pretty much only using Ubuntu. I basically reboot to Windows once in a while, just to fetch the updates.

I am looking forward to the Ubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex" release which is scheduled for late October.

You can run Ubuntu (or other free software operating system of your choice) along in a dual-boot configuration with Windows, or run Windows inside of a virtual machine.

[Ultimate Predator]

I am going to do it some day.