[H-GEN] GCC/G++ MANUAL

[Martin Pool]

On Mon, Aug 10, 1998 at 06:37:58PM +1000, Frank Brand wrote:

> I find it interesting that a selling point for Linux is that it is free
> ($Free Martin).
> 
> Somehow I don't seem to find a lot of difference in cost in buying the
> software and getting the manual thrown in or buying six O'Reilly or SAMS
> books and getting the software thrown in.

I've never considered the price a top selling point, because to get
the best use out of it one should probably invest in a good book or
two.  Of course, ORA books are light-years ahead of a typical
lusermanual, and the software itself works better.

People can have proprietary software without paying for it, too.  It's
illegal, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

On the other hand, plenty of proprietary vendors fiddle the 'cost'
numbers by charging less up-front but then wasting staff time, or
charging for client licences, or locking the customer in.

Openness happens to be cheaper in the short term, but more importantly
it's better in the long term.

I think support starts to cost much more for proprietary software
(compared to, say, asking a question on humbug), whether you pay for
it through a Sun support contract or a M$ phone-support scam.

> the commercial interests so heavily now intertwined with Linux, could
> well drive Linux in a direction that not all the old hackers might like. 

I wonder if Debian would go in the same direction?  They seem
concerned by user-friendliness, but don't (?) have a commercial
interest in the mass-market.

-- 
Martin Pool

(Free Software! Free Beer! Free Martin!)