Ubuntu For Sale??

[dethklok02895]

I was in a book store the other day and they were selling 3 Ubuntu Live CDs for $7.00. I was mildly confused about this especially when it doesn't say on the cd or case what Kernel it uses or the Distro Release of the OS.

First I was confused because it was a book store and they were selling CDs for an open source Operating System.

Second They were selling them for 7.00 when I can order the CD for free online.

Three It didnt have the release or kernel on the cd itself.

After inquiring about this at one of the desks the person said they don't know anything about it at all.

As you can imagine I walked out after a highly depressing facepalm.
Anyone else got thoughts on this.

[Freston]

Yeah, I know others who sell open source software as well. In fact, this is explicitly allowed.

Just as long as you do not charge for the software itself, which is free (both in the sense of 'free beer' and 'free speech') but you can certainly ask money for the act of getting empty CD's, burning the software on a CD and offering advice about how to install... all these things are allowed.

The thing of course is, that once people are familiar enough with Ubuntu in the sense that they want to try it, they probably know it can be gotten for free. But not everyone has broadband, and not everyone has a burner. Your neighbour might do it for a cup of coffee and the bookstore does it for $7,00.

And yes, you can order Ubuntu CD's for free online, but from what I gather you need patience.

[dethklok02895]

That makes sense I suppose. I ordered a CD from the website and ended up receiving two of them though lol.

And it wasn't a burned CD it was in a box and everything. Kind of like if they had bought it from Canonical and then resold it.

[Freston]

Ubuntu in a box? No, that I haven't heard. Last time I saw a boxed set for sale in a store it was '99 and I'm not kidding :feels old: The rest I meant was all online resellers.

Well, I suppose some of that $7,00 will end up, or has ended up, in the pockets of Canonical.

[hazel]

I don't see the problem here. Before Ubuntu, you always had to pay for installation CDs. You were (and are) paying for convenience. If you wanted Linux for free, you had to download it and burn the CD yourself. Canonical were the first people, as far as I know, to provide free installation discs by post.

As to clerks in bookshops not knowing what version of the OS or the kernel was on disc (or even what a kernel was), that's just what I would have expected.

[elija]

Canonical were the first people, as far as I know, to provide free installation discs by post.

And even that has come to an end. Shippit

[Carbin]

Yeah, I know others who sell open source software as well. In fact, this is explicitly allowed.

Just as long as you do not charge for the software itself, which is free (both in the sense of 'free beer' and 'free speech') but you can certainly ask money for the act of getting empty CD's, burning the software on a CD and offering advice about how to install... all these things are allowed.

The thing of course is, that once people are familiar enough with Ubuntu in the sense that they want to try it, they probably know it can be gotten for free. But not everyone has broadband, and not everyone has a burner. Your neighbour might do it for a cup of coffee and the bookstore does it for $7,00.

And yes, you can order Ubuntu CD's for free online, but from what I gather you need patience.

I ordered a CD from the website and ended up receiving two of them though lol.

[electroman6913]

As to clerks in bookshops not knowing what version of the OS or the kernel was on disc (or even what a kernel was), that's just what I would have expected.

I bet they didn't even know what Ubuntu was.

[MikeTbob]

I would guess there is a book in that box and that's what you would be paying for, not the CD's or Ubuntu itself.