SharpDevelop - wow

So, I’m planning on doing a bunch of presentations at our local universities.  I am expecting a “if it ain’t free, we don’t want it” type of crowd so I went searching for a free – open source (lightning strikes) editor and stumbled across SharpDevelop (www.icsharpcode.net).  I was blown away.  How can this be…?  Open source…. Hmmmm. 

I also am taking a look at Jext (www.jext.org) – also very nice.  But still need to do a command line compile. 

Anyway, I’m looking for other great open source editors… if you have any favorites.. pass them my way. 

How do you make money on Open Source solutions?  I don’t get it.  Use open source tools to build more open source – free tools.  Where is the business model – someone, please help me understand where all the money is.

5 Comments

  • You don't need to open source code you write using SharpDevelop. You only need to open source if you include their code (like their text edit control) in your products.

  • Sure, your open sourced products may be free, but you can always make it up in volume.

  • On a p3-933 I found SharpDevelop pretty slow and the intellisense is not working for types you write your own (at least that's what I had in my testing).



    Nevertheless it's a great tool for people who don't have the money to buy vs.net or C#builder.



    Open Source is often written as a side-project, or a home-project. In other words: not a lot of money is put into it, so you don't have to earn money back :)



    Giving away OSS btw can also be a marketing tool: draw attention to your applications with a freebee.

  • Donations and contributions for features sound viable.

  • Not sure what you mean by "all the money", but everyone I know who makes money by working with Open Source software makes it exactly the same way I do working with MS software. Not by writing and selling a piece of software over and over but by writing and implimenting custom solutions for clients. I don't sell any software to my clients, they already have it 95% of the time unless there is a specific component needed. My open source friends get paid by the hour or project, just like me.

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