| Red Hat founder's new project helps fund open source development |
Nov. 01, 2004
Red Hat co-founder and former chairman Bob Young has launched a new software marketplace intended to enable open source developers to publish software and fund their projects. Young calls his venture "Lulu," and describes the project as an online publishing tool for independent authors and publishers.
Lulu's newest software marketplaces focus on open source technologies. Beginning immediately, Lulu is accepting pre-orders for the latest version of OpenOffice.org and the Red Hat-sponsored Fedora Core 3 Linux distribution.
Lulu sells the latest version of OpenOffice.org's open source office suite software, complete with guide and instruction materials, for US $14.95. Fedora software comes with Colin Charles's latest book, Fedora Core: Made Simple, in a $24.95 set. Shipments are expected mid-month, according to Lulu.
The website grew out of Young's interest in alternative business models for the distribution of intellectual property. Launched in 2003, the site allows individuals to freely publish their software products online. Instead of Lulu charging software publishers for selling services, the publishers set their own prices and Lulu earns a small commission on each item sold, in an eBay-like manner.
Giving It Away, available from Lulu as a free download or as a printed document for a nominal fee, offers advice on the benefits of Open Source Software and how to make a business selling it.
Other open source titles now available include popular Bugzilla, a bug-tracking System for developers that keeps track of outstanding bugs in products, and Slash, a database-driven news and message board that serves as the foundation for websites like Slashdot.
Lulu allows individual developers, projects, and companies to create boxed-sets and sell products through the Lulu online community. Open source developers can generate revenues and collect donations using the service. Lulu's Community forums can help developers get started using the service. The company says more open source titles will be available soon.
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