OpenBSD Project in Financial Danger

DieNadel writes "In an entry to the OpenBSD Journal, Marco, from the OpenBSD project, warns about the somewhat disturbing financial situation in which they are now. The OpenBSD team is the one that also develops the OpenSSH suite, used nowadays almost everywhere. From the entry: 'What I want to point out what a lot of people don't seem to realize is that OpenSSH development is paid from the same pool of money as OpenBSD. OpenSSH is in use by millions around the world however the revenue stream just simply isn't there. This is where other projects could help. Without naming entities or projects by name there are others out there that are sitting on some cash. It would be wonderful if these entities could share some of the wealth to keep us going.'"

Comments

order an OpenBSD CD

[lotzmana]

Brother, improving your security is as easy as ordering a CD: http://www.openbsd.org/orders.html

The CDs that OpenBSD project sells is their main source of revenue and support.

Re:How to get the money

[dkaplowitz]

"Somebody needs to set up a site where we can donate money to the OpenBSD project through PayPal or some other convenient method."

http://www.openbsd.org/orders.html

Slashdot Editors:Please add this link to the story

[NZheretic]

OpenBSD's Donations:

OpenBSD has no wealthy sponsors, nor a business model.

Naturally, the OpenBSD project requires funds to operate, due to electrial costs, Internet line costs and the same hardware upgrades that everyone must experience. For this reason, the project sells CDROMs and T-shirts and posters. Thus, when you buy an OpenBSD CD, whether at a conference, from any sales site, or from our CDROM ordering page, you are helping to increase the chance that OpenBSD will continue to make future releases.

It is also possible to donate funds or hardware, in which case your name ends up on our Donations page.

Re:Sad

[compass46]

http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html

Re:Do what you can.

[Suppafly]

Only high-profile speakers get their expenses covered by the conference itself, and only if the conference has a high budget.

No, if they want to hear what you have to say, they will pay for it. You probably just aren't that good at negotiating.

The moderators suck.

[Inoshiro]

http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html

Once again, with feeling:

http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html

I already donated today. Cheque, credit card (my preferred method), and Paypal are all easily listed. I guess having the donations link on the main page (just below project goals) was not obvious enough.

Re:Consider going GPL?

[Compenguin]

This is untrue. You are not allowed to sell GPL'd software unless all authors of the software are in agreement with the action. You may charge for the distribution of the software as long as the fee applies solely to the distribution . This is according to the license. As long as someone receives the software, they may request the source by which you, the author(s), must comply.

Just because you have to make the source available to anyone who receives the software and you can't limit their redistribution does not prevent you from selling GPL'd software without the authors consent.

See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#DoesTheGP LAllowMoney