From: tzs@carson.u.washington.edu (Tim Smith) Subject: Re: What would people think of binary-only software on Linux? Date: 1 Mar 1993 05:59:56 GMT
mycroft@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Charles Hannum) writes:
>> If someone developed applications or drivers for Linux and sold them
>> in binary-only form, what would the reaction be?
>
>In practice, you would likely have very few customers, as Linux is
>still (and will probably always be) a small niche, often used by people
>who are not willing or able to pay for a commercial product.
>
>(This is the story of BSD-derived Unix, too.)
Actually, I wasn't thinking of charging. The idea was to take some
commercial stuff for other systems (where source is not usually
distributed) and port it to Linux and give away the binaries.
The hope is that the kind of people who want to use Linux on their own
machines are probably knowledgable Unix hackers who have a lot of
influence in their departments/schools/companies when it comes to
buying software. If they like our stuff on Linux, maybe when someone
wants to know what to use on SCO, Univel, OS/2, Windows, DOS, etc., our
version for SCO, Univel, OS/2, Windows, DOS, etc., might get recommended.
Those we charge for.
--Tim Smith