free software Archives - Page 2 of 2

Q&A: Can I create Linux installation discs and sell them on Ebay?

Posted on October 18, 2022

Question from Larry: Hi, Rick. I love your blog and subscribe to your newsletter. I respect your opinions very much.

I’d like to ask a question if you don’t mind.

I’ve been buying yard sale items in bulk locally and selling them on Ebay for a couple of years now, and I’m looking to branch out.

I’ve been thinking lately about creating Linux installation media (DVDs and USB flash drives) on my home computer and selling them on EBay.

My question is can I legally do that without getting into any kind of legal trouble? [Read more…]

7 awesome free software downloads that I use and recommend

Posted on August 26, 2020

The methods used to distribute software programs to the masses have changed quite a bit over the years.

Back in the early days of personal computing, software was usually distributed in one of three ways:

1 – We could buy a program outright and use it for as long as we wanted to without having to make any further payments.

Eventually the software companies figured out that most of us would be willing to shell out our hard-earned dollars on a regular basis to buy “upgraded” versions of our software.

That’s why many folks pay out the nose once a year or so for the privilege of installing the “new and improved” versions of their favorite programs. [Read more…]

Great news: SourceForge has abandoned the ‘Sneakware’ business

Posted on February 15, 2016

For many years SourceForge was my favorite site for downloading free software because they didn’t bundle third-party add-on programs (aka sneakware) with their installation files.

Well, that all changed in July 2013 when the folks at SourceForge decided to follow in the footsteps of their competitors by joining the widely-despised DevShare program.

In a nutshell, the DevShare program allows download sites to earn extra cash by bundling additional software with the programs that users download from the site.

The problem is the “extra” (and almost always unwanted) software will usually be installed by default along with the downloaded program unless the user unchecks one or boxes to “unbundle” the add-on programs. And those check boxes are typically pretty hard to notice, or even find. [Read more…]