Re: Choosing a Linux development platform

["Rick Genter" <rgenter@gis.net>]

> Hi,
> 
>> > 5) Though as a developer who takes pride in his work I find a certain
>> > attractiveness to producing software under GPL/LGPL, I don't see how I can
>> > make any money at it, and money is *a* motivation for me (obviously not the
>> > only motivation, nor even the strongest motivation). Is there a way to
>> > reconcile the shareware model with producing GPL software?
>> With the GNU GPL, no. You can sell copies of your software, but the
>> person who buy it can give it to anybody. There are others GPL, you can
>> read them, or write your own GPL...
>
> OTOH, It should be possible to sell the data files (sound, music) required for
> running a game, while keeping the program itself free.
> E.g. you might release a "completely free" package which includes the sources
> and, say, the first three levels of the game, while selling the level data,
> graphics, sounds, music etc. for everything beyond level 3 seperately.

Excellent point. And since, supposedly, the value of a game is its content,
not its engine, this reasoning nicely integrates the shareware model and the
GPL model.

I need to talk it over with my partner, but I think you've just convinced me
to make AT '41 GPL :-).
--
Rick Genter
ICQ UIN# 8291497
<mailto:rgenter@gis.net>

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