Re: Paying For Linux

On 5/29/25 09:17 AM, Daniel70 wrote:

On 29/05/2025 9:15 pm, Carlos E. R. wrote:

On 2025-05-28 13:48, Borax Man wrote:

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.advocacy.]
On 2025-05-27, Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

Is there ever a situation where you might actually want to pay for
Free Software?
>
Yes, there is. Remember, Free Software is about the freedom do do
things your own way. That includes spending your money the way you
choose, not the way somebody else forces you to do.
>
<https://www.zdnet.com/article/should-you-ever-pay-for-linux-5-times-i-did-and-why/>

I have done so.  When I first used Linux, I wasn't even sure it was
free.  Intially I thought the version I had was a 'trial' or 'shareware'
version.  I was prepared to pay, but the fact there were many distrs,
and I might switch stifled that idea.
>
I still ended up buying Red Hat 7.3.

>
The first Linux I installed, summer of 1998, was a CD on a computer magazine.

 Same with me. MandrakeLinux 10.1 on a Magazine cover .... about two weeks before 'they' had to change the name to MandrivaLinux because 'Mandrake the Magician' comic producers objected to the use of the name 'Mandrake'.
 MandrivaLinux late changed to MageiaLinux which I've yet to install on this Desktop computer.
 

I thin it was Red Hat. It booted, but I did not know what to do with that terminal.

 Same. Same. It looked good, but how do I use it to achieve anything.
 

Then I read a comparative on a magazine that claimed that SuSE was the easiest Linux. And another magazine gifted two CDs with it, so I installed that one. Version 5.2 or 5.3.
>
I installed that one, which had some help, liked it. Next, I bought the SuSE box for 6.2. Several CDs and a printed book or two.
>
Downloading it was out of the question for me: only a relatively slow modem, and I had to pay phone usage by the minute. Thus I certainly bought the box, and did the same next year to upgrade. And again. And maybe again, I don't remember.
>
The book(s) alone was worth it.
-

Daniel70

I did Red Hat too in those days.   It was so much terminal.  Now the versions that are available are all (or mostly) GUI.   I run Linux Mint and it's well liked and close to Windows so the migration isn't that hard.
--
Linux Mint 22.1, Cinnamon 6.4.8,  Kernel 6.8.0-60-generic
Thunderbird 128.10.2esr, Mozilla Firefox 139.0
     Alan K.