From: cbbrowne AT news DOT brownes DOT org (Christopher B. Browne) Newsgroups: alt.os.linux,comp.os.msdos.djgpp Subject: Re: Software Distributor (Linux, maybe Dos and Windows)... _please_ help. Date: 4 Jan 1998 20:57:54 GMT Organization: Hex.Net Superhighway, DFW Metroplex 817-329-3182 Lines: 49 Message-ID: References: <34AC5292 DOT E72D7068 AT execulink DOT com> <87ra6pcfbi DOT fsf AT paramount DOT res DOT wpi DOT net> Reply-To: cbbrowne AT hex DOT net NNTP-Posting-Host: gvtx251.hex.net To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Precedence: bulk On 03 Jan 1998 18:23:29 -0500, Frank Sweetser posted: >Jeff Weeks writes: >> I'm a young software developer that's trying to set up a web site and a >> small business. My problem? I have no means of distributing my >> software or accepting money over the internet. >> >> I'm wondering if anybody can recommend a software distributor (or >> alternative solution) to me. My current work has not yet been released, >> but I intend to work mostly under Linux, with perhaps some DOS and >> Windows ports. > >for the linux ports, try talking to redhat. they're pretty good about >releasing commercial software. you may also have some luck with caldera, >but they're quite a bit bigger and more commercial. Or one could check with "secondary" distributors like the "Linux Mall." Aka Work Group Systems (http://www.wgs.com). Or perhaps LSL (http://www.lsl.com) or CheapBytes (http://www.cheapbytes.com). These are all reasonable places to check with if one wishes to use another organization as a distribution channel. The downside, of course, to using a distributor in this fashion is that most of the sales price won't get to you. I don't know specific numbers, but would hazard the guess that if the selling price were $50, you'd be pretty lucky to get $10 of that. That's not a criticism of these channels as 'gougers;' merely the observation that it's liable to be more profitable to self-distribute if at all practical. It's increasingly plausible what with the growth of the Internet; one can put out a "web shingle" as a contact point via which people can call/write to request copies of software. An original way that one might perhaps arrange reselling of product with maximum profitability would be to contact one of the Linux VARs (see: ), and arrange sales through one of them. *Unlike* with software sellers like LSL/Red Hat/Caldera/..., the hardware VARS are not primarily in business to sell software, so that they won't inherently consider "you" to be in competition with them. This means that they may not negotiate in as "bloodthirsty" fashion as I'd expect from the software distributors. -- Christopher B. Browne, cbbrowne AT hex DOT net, chris_browne AT sdt DOT com PGP Fingerprint: 10 5A 20 3C 39 5A D3 12 D9 54 26 22 FF 1F E9 16 URL: Bill Gates to his broker: "You idiot, I said $150 million on **SNAPPLE**!!!"