Guys,

From these forums, I see that so many people are so good at writing software. My question is why don't people sell their work?

For example I see tons and tons of shell scripts around. All of them have the GNU license.

I guess it's not easy to sell shell scripts as the code is visible. But one could port shell scripts to higher languages. Do you feel this is not feasable?

So in short I would like to know your views on whether writing complex functionalities which are useful for everyone in shell script(shell because I am well versed in it) and then porting it and then making money out of it makes sense.

Why do you assume we're even interested in making money from this? People have all kinds of motivations for the things they do, and only a small percentage of them have anything to do with personal profit.

I do scripting and help out on these forums because it's fun and interesting, and it helps me to improve my ability. I script primarily for the challenge of it, and to handle my own individual needs. I share what I've learned with others because of the satisfaction of knowing I'm helping out.

Scripts are kind of the low-end of the programming scale anyway. Most scripts are quickly knocked-off to solve a particular problem, and are usually too simple or specific in scope to be directly useful to larger audiences. Anything with the kind of features that people would actually pay for can be better written in a compiled language (although some people do create scripted versions of their program ideas as proofs-of-concept, before writing the final version in another language).

But what you really seem to be asking is, "why open source"? The answers to that question are all over the net. I've already given you a couple of reasons. Get on Google for the rest.

1 members found this post helpful.

I can picture shell scripts being sold as part of an integration package for an enterprise system...

where and how do you think someone becomes good at scripting?

We were given pointers, samples, and instruction for free (or for coffee) by the same kind of people (community) we find here. Payback can actually be kinda fun!

Guys,

I did not mean to make everything sound profit oriented. I was looking at the forum and found so many talented people. If someone wanted they could convert some of the talent into profits. But I am the first to accept its a different feeling to learn and code more and more. And when you help others, the feeling is unparallel to anything else.

My apologies if I hurt anyone's sentiment. Thanks for everything.

Shell scripts are generally used to automate tasks - by wrapping and combining other programs. Given this, it would be unusual to "sell them" (the way you're describing) as a standalone item.

I'd go with post #3; scripts are indeed sold as part of an integrated pkg; often handling the actual install.
OTOH, although shell is a Turing complete lang, it's really designed to help automate other stuff (post #6).
You'd be hard pushed to come up with something worth selling that wouldn't be better off in a compiled lang (eg C) or pseudo compiled lang (eg Perl).

I agree with david, different people have different points of view. What I think is that most people in the "Linux" world would prefer to show it to everybody and help. In the first place linux is free and since its free people wanted to share it to others...

I am a PHP programmer myself and every tool I develop, I always share it to the open source community. It will not only give me more ideas through their feed backs but it also feels great when you are able to help somebody...

Taking more time to think about it, many of us DO sell our scripts!
We do not sell them line or script at a time, but in terms of hours of work.

I get paid to solve problems: sometimes up to $350 US per hour.
Often the solution involves one or more scripts, sometimes ONLY scripts.
The process, not the script, is the solution I am providing: the script is only an implementation or tool of the solution.
To deny that I am getting well paid to provide that particular implementation of my solution would be disingenious, at best.

Crafting solutions to simple script questions, or answering questions about script behavior and expectations here, 'tickles' that part of my brain that makes me good at what I do, and also makes this fun! I suspect many others might agree.

I am 'giving back', but not only because I feel we 'owe' each other enlightenment (though that also is a factor).
We enjoy this!

If I were to sell a script, then someone might reasonably expect support from me when some subtly different usage case caused it to fail. If I give a script away, "If it breaks, you get to keep the pieces. If it eats your first-born child, then your second-born child just got a promotion."