Pay for Arch?

mrjwalsh · 2007-02-27 05:06:26

Hey I know this goes against Linux in general, aswell as Arch but I was just wondering how many of you would purchase Arch? Like if it ever came in a pretty box with a great big manual would you buy it (maybe with desktop support or something) You know along the lines of the big distros like SuSE and Mandriva?

Please don't attack me with how different these distros are to Arch or anything like that; I'm an Arch n00b but it just sucks that a distro this good isn't making atleast a little bit of money like the big boys.

Replies? Statements? Flames?

Dusty · 2007-02-27 05:20:49

I probably wouldn't pay for it in that particular respect, because I don't need a pretty box or manual. I really have no reason to support the printers and publishers. ;-)

Having said that, I do pay for Arch every day, when I log in here and commit my time to helping other users and (ever more frequently ) deleting spam messages. I've also donated (http://archlinux.org/donate/) and bought the T-shirt (http://www.cafepress.com/archlinux/), and once I bought Judd a beer.

I think that when you contribute time and energy to the forum, wiki, AUR, pacman source code, and so on, your payment is multiplied by the number of users that find your contribution useful. When you pay a relatively small fee for a boxed set, you're benefiting only the printers and the few developers that receive a cut of that payment.

Paying for support is an entirely different can of worms. Again, I personally wouldn't do it, because I don't think I need it (and when I do need it, I bug the community here!), but I think it would be a great way for bigger corporations to use Arch and be guaranteed that it will work for them. Most distros don't make their big money off of individual sales to home users like us, they get it from licensing to universities, schools, and businesses. This is why they can afford to have 'community edition' versions of their distros available for free.

Dusty

xenobrain · 2007-02-27 05:28:49

I think there are better ways to support Arch. With the rolling release system Arch just isn't the right kind of distro to be kept in a box. I'll bet most of us do ftp installs when possible and hit up the wiki for the latest documentation, and printed manual would get out of date quickly.

With distros that have big once-a-year releases on 6 dvds that contain everything and the kitchen sink, retail distribution can work as well as it ever has for Linux, but there's no way I see that happening with Arch, or another fast paced distribution like Gentoo.

As for how Arch should make money, I'm not really the one to ask, but I for one can be seen proudly sporting an Arch Linux golf shirt at work and drinking my morning java out of my Arch Linux coffee cup

Last edited by xenobrain (2007-02-27 05:32:22)

mrjwalsh · 2007-02-27 06:23:23

oooo I did not know there was 'official' cafe press arch merchandise, gotta get me some of that, but I guess the actual designers of the stuff get around 2% profit or something :s

I understand the reasons for not boxing up Arch; still it would be good to find ways to make it more popular, to the general public and to the education & corporate section; and in turn give the developers a bit more kudos/profit.

It seems to me like it's one of the best kept secrets in Linux; and yet, even with the glowing reviews it receives; people(the general linux populous) don't take notice.

off the original topic already, thats the way i like it

Snarkout · 2007-02-27 14:53:38

What if each arch user with a paypal account or credit card dropped even $5 in the donations bucket every once in a while. Surely that would help more than 10% or less of users kicking in larger sums once in a lifetime. As cool as it is for any of us to be a contributing member of the community, I don't think that really helps the devs pay the bills.

STiAT · 2007-02-27 15:53:47

I prefer downloading software. I dont like running to shops, and CDs are worthless, some releases later i download the new cd for the new computer anyway.

If i knew the guys of arch (who ever of you guys represents it finally) gets a reasonable amount out of buying things from caffeepress, i'd have purchased some things (coffee cups - i love coffee, such a nice shirt and.. and, just nice things there ). But since i don't think so ... maybe 2$ out of 20?

I also already thought about donating an amount of money every time a new stable ARCH has been released. Might be the only way to get it supported in a good way.

Also, i invest some of my time helping arch users and contributing packages. A quite small help, compared to the total work done in arch.

phrakture · 2007-02-27 16:09:45

Ya know. If it came with more than just a manual.... like some fancy schwag... stickers, imprinted CD, nice printed install guide, I could totally see myself buying it.

Dusty · 2007-02-27 18:36:21

not to mention the fact that you'd get your money back as an Arch dev, eh phrak? ;-)

When one of the Arch servers needed an upgrade, Judd put out a plee for donations and was utterly shocked at how quickly the server was paid for. I think there's still some money left in the account on that. Nothing's going back to the devs for their work from that fund right now (goes to server and bandwidth costs, etc). I think the only way it would be likely that the devs would take a small wage is if the donations were coming in so thickly that server costs would never eat them up. Good luck on that. I'm just thrilled these top-notch developers are willing to volunteer their time to us; there's no way I could repay!

Dusty

Stalwart · 2007-02-27 19:15:27

I'd pay

iBertus · 2007-02-27 19:38:56

I already drop a few dollars in the donation pot when my budget will allow. Wish I could donate more to F/OSS projects around the internet, but currently Arch gets most of my donations.

I would consider buying a boxed Arch if it had good docs and a pressed disc. I'm not sure if it really makes sense for a rolling-release distro to have a boxed version, but I would buy it for novelty sake. Perhaps someone (a few people) should write a nice "Hacking Arch Linux" book and include a pressed version of the newest CDs (both x86/x86_64) with the book. I would definitely buy that.

Cerebral · 2007-02-27 19:58:41

I want to get a t-shirt soon. Also I think that everyone should buy the official archlinux thong. Everyone

I probably wouldn't pay for arch-in-a-box tho.

Dusty · 2007-02-27 20:45:36

Cerebral wrote:

Also I think that everyone should buy the official archlinux thong. Everyone

Do they have to wear it or can I just hang it on my wall?

Dusty

iBertus · 2007-02-27 21:45:01

Cerebral wrote:

Also I think that everyone should buy the official archlinux thong. Everyone

Two parts:

1. The thong would make a very good holiday gift for a significant other or someone you wish to be your significant other.
2. Would you buy a boxed Arch Linux if it included the Arch thong?

Cerebral · 2007-02-27 23:35:27

iBertus wrote:

2. Would you buy a boxed Arch Linux if it included the Arch thong?

Hm... that makes for a convincing argument and would give an alibi -- "What? There's a thong in there? Well geez, I never knew about that...... gimme."

mrjwalsh · 2007-02-28 02:23:55

iBertus has a point about making like a hacking Arch Linux book, but I guess it comes down to the fact that Arch is so customisable that the only definite chapters would be on pacman and abs. Maybe someone needs to write a book "The complete-one-and-only-book-on-Linux - customized for Arch", it'd only be like 20,000 pages, someone here should get to it

I think one of the big problems with donation is the need to know that you made a difference; alot of people are reluctant in donating cause they're not really sure where it goes and why. Why not have goals like "new server = $10,000", "months broadband = $300" and have the amount depreciate as people donate? Other than that people like incentives to donate, maybe putting the doners names somewhere in a file as proof or something. Just some thoughts...

Btw, bought me one of those cafe press golf shirts, can't wait for it, I'm gonna make it 'obscure cool', wear it out to gigs and stuff ;p

Dusty · 2007-02-28 03:30:05

mrjwalsh wrote:

Other than that people like incentives to donate, maybe putting the doners names somewhere in a file as proof or something. Just some thoughts...

comme ca?:

http://archlinux.org/donate/

Dusty

Snarkout · 2007-02-28 04:13:29

How much is made from the cafe press stuff? I can't imagine it's much. I do have a nice (hella nice actually - really helped out this winter) hoodie. I really wish cafepress would print white rather than blank in areas where things are supposed to be white, though. Or is that the decision of the designer?

STiAT · 2007-02-28 08:11:12

I'd need a cup for at home ... and at least one, maybe two for work .
A Ringer T a Hoodie, a Golf shirt and .. maybe a boxershort .

iphitus · 2007-02-28 09:33:25

Dusty wrote:

and once I bought Judd a beer.

and that is the best way to pay for Arch

Beer for the win.

Otherwise, I might get a box... depending on how well done it is. If it had all sorts of stuff like stickers and a reasonable manual and install guide, I would without a doubt. Or a dvd with the whole of [extra] on it

James

dtw · 2007-02-28 13:34:57

I'm with both James and Dusty here in a weird mixed up way. I guess I might pay for a box, to support Arch, but prolly more as a gift for someone else. Having said that I think I have paid in many ways already, like Dusty. I'll happily donate when we next out grow the server though. Maybe I should get ahead of the game while the dollar is so lame....hey, that rhymes.

Mr Green · 2007-02-28 15:33:51

There is a donate link on homepage why not have it on forum?

What is the price of a beer in Canada ?

toastygoodness · 2007-03-01 00:34:33

I would buy a box... I like stickers and other "useless" thingamabobbers. That book would also be a good idea. I agree with mrjwalsh, you guys should list objectives and goals so people could see what they are donating to or what their money is gonna be used for. Obviously people donate money for Arch and the developers, but it seems a bit more organized with objectives listed out.

Dusty · 2007-03-01 03:15:28

Slightly on topic: I'd be curious to know how many people would be willing to donate if they knew their money was going directly to developer salary? i.e.: If you like a particular dev's work and want him to spend more time on it, you can donate to him. He may or may not spend more time on it, but its incentive. ;-) This is an interesting question, because it goes beyond supporting costs coming out of developer pockets and into actually filling those pockets.

Dusty

Pick2 · 2007-03-01 05:27:51

@ Dusty:
Are you talking about Dusty's Dunc Tank ?
That was a can of worms over at Debian !

I'll have to go over to cafe press and see what they have

plut0nium · 2007-03-05 11:13:16

I would rather pay for goodies...

IMHO, a packed CD and a printed manual would become obsolete rapidly.

And some goodies are fun, and make good advertising...

Arch Linux

#1 2007-02-27 05:06:26

Pay for Arch?

#2 2007-02-27 05:20:49

Re: Pay for Arch?

#3 2007-02-27 05:28:49

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#4 2007-02-27 06:23:23

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