Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations TouchToneTommy on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Freeware, Shareware, Open-source
- Thread starter Dimandja
- Start date
MikeBarone
Programmer
Freeware:
Software that is available for free, usually over the Internet.
Shareware:
Software that is available for free, usually over the Internet. It sometimes expires or has a volutary pay system associated with it.
Open source:
Same as freeware but the source code (the code that makes it work) comes with it. This software is usually developed by a community.
Software that is available for free, usually over the Internet.
Shareware:
Software that is available for free, usually over the Internet. It sometimes expires or has a volutary pay system associated with it.
Open source:
Same as freeware but the source code (the code that makes it work) comes with it. This software is usually developed by a community.
- Thread starter
- #3
aardvark92
Programmer
I would just add this to MikeBarone's definitions:
Freeware usually refers to software that is available for free and cannot be sold.
Shareware usually refers to a free demo version of software; the full version is available for a fee.
In many cases there is little difference between freeware and shareware.
Open source is software licensed under the GNU General Public License, or a similar license, that gives the user more freedom in how they use the software. The user can sell it, give it away, customize it, whatever, as long as they agree to give all other users the same freedom.
Freeware usually refers to software that is available for free and cannot be sold.
Shareware usually refers to a free demo version of software; the full version is available for a fee.
In many cases there is little difference between freeware and shareware.
Open source is software licensed under the GNU General Public License, or a similar license, that gives the user more freedom in how they use the software. The user can sell it, give it away, customize it, whatever, as long as they agree to give all other users the same freedom.
- Thread starter
- #7
>Open source is software licensed under the GNU General Public License, or a similar license, that gives the user more freedom in how they use the software. The user can sell it, give it away, customize it, whatever, as long as they agree to give all other users the same freedom.
Just so I understand, how is Red Hat (or anyone else for that matter) able to to go from open-source ("Same as freeware but the source code (the code that makes it work) comes with it") to license for-profit product?
Am I missing something? Are any of these Linux-selling companies violating something, or creating something I am not aware of?
Pardon my obvious ignorance about these matters (although I have been developing software for over 25 years -- dinosaur, I know). But, where does open-source lose the "freeware" portion?
Just so I understand, how is Red Hat (or anyone else for that matter) able to to go from open-source ("Same as freeware but the source code (the code that makes it work) comes with it") to license for-profit product?
Am I missing something? Are any of these Linux-selling companies violating something, or creating something I am not aware of?
Pardon my obvious ignorance about these matters (although I have been developing software for over 25 years -- dinosaur, I know). But, where does open-source lose the "freeware" portion?
sleipnir214
Programmer
Linux is distributed under the GPL. The GPL states that software published under that license can be sold. The only requirement is that a written document which announces the availability of the source code.
Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!
TANSTAAFL!!
Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!
TANSTAAFL!!
Open source for many people and most purposed IS the same as freeware in that they can get it, copy it and use it for free.
From a business perspective it's indeed quite different in that freeware licenses specifically restrict charging for the software (and sometimes place restrictions on the distribution medium as well) while OS licenses usually do no such thing.
Either can include source or not in which case there may again be restrictions on freeware source which are not present on open source source (but then some open source licenses are actually highly restrictive effectively making it impossible to use the product in a commercial environment, the GPL for example makes it impossible to use GPL distributed software as part of any other product that's not distributed under the GPL making the creation of commercial software using it impossible).
From a business perspective it's indeed quite different in that freeware licenses specifically restrict charging for the software (and sometimes place restrictions on the distribution medium as well) while OS licenses usually do no such thing.
Either can include source or not in which case there may again be restrictions on freeware source which are not present on open source source (but then some open source licenses are actually highly restrictive effectively making it impossible to use the product in a commercial environment, the GPL for example makes it impossible to use GPL distributed software as part of any other product that's not distributed under the GPL making the creation of commercial software using it impossible).
Freeware - Software which is free as in beer. No charge, no fee, no moolah changing hands.
Freeware does not necessarily mean the source code is handed over.
Shareware - Software which you can install and readily distribute (the share in shareware) to other people. The proviso is in the licence agreement, which generally stipulates a payment, usually after a trial period.
Differentiates from trialware in 2 main ways: 1. you can pass it on to others and 2. the payment isn't often enforced (i.e. the software doesn't stop working after xx days. Occassional annoying popup boxes excepted.)
Open Source - The source code is provided in addition to the product. Most licences allow you to alter the source code, although various limitations can be imposed.
<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]
Freeware does not necessarily mean the source code is handed over.
Shareware - Software which you can install and readily distribute (the share in shareware) to other people. The proviso is in the licence agreement, which generally stipulates a payment, usually after a trial period.
Differentiates from trialware in 2 main ways: 1. you can pass it on to others and 2. the payment isn't often enforced (i.e. the software doesn't stop working after xx days. Occassional annoying popup boxes excepted.)
Open Source - The source code is provided in addition to the product. Most licences allow you to alter the source code, although various limitations can be imposed.
<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]
>making the creation of commercial software using it impossible
It's what lots of people seem to like to believe for some reason, but the GNU people say different (as per the link Sleipnir214 provides, which further links to
It's what lots of people seem to like to believe for some reason, but the GNU people say different (as per the link Sleipnir214 provides, which further links to
sleipnir214
Programmer
Not impossible at all. The GPL does not strip an author of his rights to the code.
An example of this is MySQL, which is distributed by MySQL, A.B., under both a GPL license and a commercial license. If you download MySQL under the GPL license, you get no support (as per the GPL). If you purchase a commercial licence, you get support.
Since part of the GPL is to give the author credit, I could, should I need to do so, contact the author of a useful piece of GPLed code and make arrangements outside the GPL to create a strictly-commercially-licences product from that code.
This means, I suppose, that I technically couldn't base commercially-only licensed code on GPL code -- when I make my deal with the author, I really am basing my code on a parallel license to the GPL version. But either way, I don't have to GPL my software.
Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!
TANSTAAFL!!
An example of this is MySQL, which is distributed by MySQL, A.B., under both a GPL license and a commercial license. If you download MySQL under the GPL license, you get no support (as per the GPL). If you purchase a commercial licence, you get support.
Since part of the GPL is to give the author credit, I could, should I need to do so, contact the author of a useful piece of GPLed code and make arrangements outside the GPL to create a strictly-commercially-licences product from that code.
This means, I suppose, that I technically couldn't base commercially-only licensed code on GPL code -- when I make my deal with the author, I really am basing my code on a parallel license to the GPL version. But either way, I don't have to GPL my software.
Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!
TANSTAAFL!!
if you use software released under the GPL in your own software you are under the GPL forced to release your own software under the GPL as well which effectively makes it impossible to profitably market that software.
That's the very basis of the GPL, to force software to become GPL software and thus widen the scope of open source software.
MySQL have found a way around this by allowing users to either use their product for free under the GPL OR to buy a less restrictive license which does not include the relevant clauses.
This does not mean the GPL doesn't contain this clause... If you choose the GPL licensed MySQL for your project your code does need to be GPL based as well.
That's the very basis of the GPL, to force software to become GPL software and thus widen the scope of open source software.
MySQL have found a way around this by allowing users to either use their product for free under the GPL OR to buy a less restrictive license which does not include the relevant clauses.
This does not mean the GPL doesn't contain this clause... If you choose the GPL licensed MySQL for your project your code does need to be GPL based as well.
And I repeat that one can quite happily and legitimately charge for software released under the GPL.
Some companies don't like doing so because they are forced to make their source code available; those same companies then write articles claiming it is impossible to release commercial software under the GPL, when what they actually mean is that they are happy to leverage the fruits of the Open Software movement themselves by using GPL source code or libraries to kickstart a new product, but don't see why the next people in the chain, even if they have paid, should similarly benefit from the (derived) product by having access to its source code. This strikes me as hypocracy in the extreme
Some companies don't like doing so because they are forced to make their source code available; those same companies then write articles claiming it is impossible to release commercial software under the GPL, when what they actually mean is that they are happy to leverage the fruits of the Open Software movement themselves by using GPL source code or libraries to kickstart a new product, but don't see why the next people in the chain, even if they have paid, should similarly benefit from the (derived) product by having access to its source code. This strikes me as hypocracy in the extreme
- Status
Similar threads