Terrasoft appears to be taking order for YDL 4.0 now

[Clinton MacDonald]

Mr. Nix:

Ryan Nix wrote:
> Quite frankly, I feel ripped off by Terasoft and
> will definitely wait for future free versions.
> Clinton, if I already paid for Terrasoft's distro,
> why should I have to pay them again to support it?

I know it *feels* like you bought the product, and therefore support 
should be included, but that is not how Terra Soft does it (or Red Hat 
or Mandrake...). I feel the same way, but I know I have to fight that 
feeling. Terra Soft sells two version of YDL 4.0. One version does not 
include support, and is cheaper. The other version includes support, and 
is US$30 more expensive:

<http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/store/index.php?submit=ydl&PHPSESSID=63c048d1c14f151108ff608180d69674>

"Available with and without 60-days Installation Support.

"With Installation Support: $89.95 + Shipping
"No Support: $59.95 + Shipping"

If you went cheap (as most of us did) and did not buy support, then you 
are supposed to know what you are doing. It's not very nice, but it is 
how Terra Soft makes its money. You paid money for the product, but 
support is a separate item. For that matter, if you buy an operating 
system from Apple or Microsoft, you pay quite a lot more money -- but 
(limited) support is included. In a way, Terra Soft is doing the 
consumer a favor by unbundling a "feature" (support) that not everyone 
needs, and is passing the savings back to the consumer!

> Again, if I've already paid for it (I downloaded
> YDL 4 as soon as it was out) why couldn't reupload
> it the day I bought it? As long as all the
> copyrights are there, the distro is based
> completely on open source and therefore subject to
> the GPL where it says I can modify it and
> redistribute it as I see fit.

Quite possibly you can re-upload YDL 4.0 -- or possibly you cannot. That 
all depends on the exact license you agreed to when you first downloaded 
or installed YDL 4. Read your license. However, I would not be surprised 
if you had to agree to observe Terra Soft's embargo in order to download 
the software. As long as Terra Soft is following the GPL or whatever 
licenses are involved in its version of Linux for Power PC, then you are 
bound by whatever agreements you made with Terra Soft.

At first it seemed quite strange to me that Free Software "anarchists" 
(my term, not theirs) were so vehement in  their support of licensing, 
even of the Free or Open Source types. But then it occurred to me that 
strict adherence to the licenses is what separates them from pirates, 
thieves, and "old school oligarchists" of the type you rail against. It 
is only due to the almost fanatical devotion to the Pope -- uh, I mean, 
the GPL :-) -- that is going to save Linux from the evil and depraved 
lawyers at SCO. In the long run, the licenses, though they seem 
restrictive, have been the secret to "free" software.

Best wishes,
Clint

-- 
Dr. Clinton C. MacDonald | <mailto:clint DOT macdonald AT sbcglobal DOT net>