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Linux : Open-Source Software Gains As Moneymaker.

investors.com — Free open-source software is not so free anymore as more companies — including longtime makers of conventional software — strive to make money on the technology.

Who dugg this? Made popular May 14, 2009

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  • sonofabiscuit, on 05/14/2009, -2/+12So what? This is definitely a good thing.

    More money = more development.
  • fiddler616, on 05/14/2009, -0/+8If they sell extras (support, maintenance, etc.) that's fine.

    But I will get very angry if the "Free and open source" / "Expensive and 'Premium'" idea permeates the market. The best software should be available for free *cough*RedHat*cough*
  • PhillyOC, on 05/14/2009, -0/+6Seeing as Oracle and Sun are now the same company (as of a few days ago) I assume they will begin to become the biggest kid on the block when it comes to open-source.

    Seems like they had other ideas already on the table when the Red Hat deal fell through. Win/win either way for open source.
  • RoboDonut, on 05/14/2009, -0/+6Maybe BSD-licensed stuff, but they can't build upon GPL code without making their changes available to everyone.
  • ChronicColonic, on 05/14/2009, -0/+5If you wear a welding mask or something safe to look at the Sun, you can actually see the Oracle logo on it. Larry Ellison hired Richard Branson to fly up there and put it on.
  • Wargasmic, on 05/14/2009, -0/+5It means that much of the IBM Lotus suite of collaboration software is based on Linux
  • Hermmunster, on 05/14/2009, -0/+5Wrong, and you should have been dugg down as a troll.

    You are saying that bottled water companies are selling you water and thus they are bad? You don't understand open source. Linux is doing what it was intended to do all along. This is the ultimate goal of Linux--to ooze into the larger business models, permeate and then gain a stronger foothold. It has nothing to do with whoring.

    Did the gravel companies that sell rock whore themselves out when the pet rocks were being sold?
  • Hermmunster, on 05/14/2009, -1/+5Though I did the article, as I support Linux in all ways, he didn't say much of anything. It's nice to know IBM has 1,000 programmers working on open source full time I'm not sure we've seen much of it on the desktop in any practical sense.
  • RoboDonut, on 05/14/2009, -1/+5FTA: "Much of the IBM Lotus suite of collaboration software is based on Linux"

    What is that even supposed to mean?
  • Hermmunster, on 05/14/2009, -0/+3They aren't talking about selling the software. They are talking about selling support services or software that runs on Linux that's not actually created with open source development efforts in the traditional sense. If you develop code based on someone elses either you get permission to sell/distribute it or you give the code changes back. In most cases the code is given back to the community which then can enhance it further.

    This guy is just reiterating the Open Source model as it is utilized by big business--which is to say he said nothing as we all pretty much know how open source works. They are not modifying it to their own ends. He's saying big business is complying with open source and making money and that helps open source as much as open source helps them get to their bottom line faster through code submission and a large base of user testing that they probably couldn't do internally.
  • tbrotherofasis, on 05/15/2009, -2/+4The stronger linux is financially, the better products they will develop, and the more people will realize that Microsoft model of making money is simply not the only one to go.

    Good for Linux.
  • sloppychris, on 05/15/2009, -0/+2To be honest, I'd rather pay a few dollars extra if it means running my favorite games and Adobe Suite natively on Ubuntu.
  • Hermmunster, on 05/14/2009, -1/+2robodonut,

    No, it doesn't. It means they use open source technology developed by the community within their products. The kernel is not part of Lotus suite of software. The kernel is a different part of Linux altogether.
  • enoyls, on 05/15/2009, -0/+1I don't think it's accurate. Lotus Symphony is based on Open Office (not Linux), and Lotus Notes and Lotus Sametime are based on Eclipse (also not Linux).

    I know there are other Lotus products, but these are some of their biggest (I can't think of another offhand).

    I don't think Lotus has released an operating system which could legitimately be based on Linux, or more accurately GNU Linux for the pedants.
  • mozareli, on 09/02/2009, -0/+0Free Software for Windows
    http://www.filehorse.com
  • RoboDonut, on 05/14/2009, -1/+1"Linux" refers to the kernel exclusively.
    Other projects are not related to Linux, and do not depend on the Linux kernel in any way. Sometimes we refer to a bundle of software as a "Linux distribution", but the "distribution" part of the title is absolutely necessary to indicate that works from other projects have been included to provide a full operating system.

    "Free and open-source software" would have been a better choice of words to use in this context.
  • rmxz, on 05/15/2009, -1/+1"I assume they will begin to become the biggest kid on the block when it comes to open-source."

    Uh, why? Note how much bigger IBM is than Oracle and Sun put together.

    Heck, even Fujitsu is bigger than Oracle+Sun, and has notable F/OSS contributions. Indeed, if you need commercial support for your database, would you risk it with a little company like Oracle, when you can support for Fujitsu Supported Postgresql from a much bigger company? :-)
  • Thermal2113, on 05/17/2009, -0/+0Unless companies find holes in the GPL, like TiVo managed to, this can only be a good thing.

    Commercial activity with regard to Linux will help dispel the notion that software can't be good if it doesn't cost money - as the companies who make money off it serve as evidence to the contrary.
  • ddcool1124, on 05/15/2009, -1/+1Lotus notes is a piece of *****.
  • bradyh1, on 05/14/2009, -9/+8Linux is the best! Good story.
  • RoboDonut, on 05/14/2009, -2/+1Based on a kernel?
    What is this I don't even.
  • mydiggID1, on 05/14/2009, -2/+0Are you as oblivious as sonofabiscuit? Why the hell do you think larger companies are getting involved? To make money...Their goal is to get as many people to buy the "premium version" as possible, and their strategy will likely be making it blatantly superior.

    This is offensive to me. They weren't making enough money elsewhere, so they had to harass open source...
  • inactive, on 05/15/2009, -4/+1If you did the article, why didn't you add more details? Because you didn't, I don't think you support Linux in all ways. Would you kill for Linux? I know I would. Linux or die. I'm that hardcore.
  • inactive, on 05/14/2009, -12/+6Right on, I mean people make money selling dirt, water and freaking air. Might as well profit off other free products. Congrats Linux, you finally managed to whore yourself out.
  • inactive, on 05/15/2009, -6/+0I've seen you on Slashdot, and you are just as lame there as you are here.

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