On Thu, 16 Sep 1999, rude bwoy wrote:
> have any of u checked out what linux is
> retailing for these days?
>
linux does not retail for anything. some distributions do.
> it's like $70 or $80 for the cd!
>
> i got a new h/d and and i was gonna put
> rehat 6.0 on it. when i realized what
> they were selling "free" s/w for i decided
> to install 5.1 on the drive and download
> the rpm's i need.
>
i run RH 6.0. didn't pay a nickle. downloaded it off the Internet.
perhaps you are misunderstanding "free." free does not mean, in
this case, "no-charge." free means open and accesible and
according to freely available standards. the chair i am sitting on
is built with screws and fabric and metal which conform to
international, open, free standards. but a visit to an office
furniture shop will prove the chair is way far from free.
free means you can open the hood of your car and using sockets and
tools which cost lots of money but conform to free standards and can
work on your car, even re-engineer it if you've the knowledge and
skills and are so inclined..
non-free, propritary software, even free-shareware is like a car
whose hood is welded shut.
you have several concepts confused.
> i understand that effort goes into packaging
> and distribution - but the people who should
> be getting the money (the programmers) are
> not!
>
> what's the deal???
>
the deal seems very different than you think/expect. I am a raw
newbie to Linux and reasonably new to computing generally. hope
i've clarified "free' a bit.
> the rude
no charge...
--
--
Keith Robinson
kmail 1.0.024
RH Linux 6.0 kernel 2.2.11
