Re: Can't save a plot

[Jorgen Sandberg]

Dear Jordi,

It is fine with me to pay for Octave when I get an installer that installs 
all what is needed to run all features of Octave. I hope it will be much 
cheaper than MATLAB.

Please, let me know when you have the install ready for procurement and 
hopefully some e-mail based support.

I find it is a great pity that so much work is effectively reserved for 
software developers. I am aware that it requires work and testing to prepare 
a complete package, but your customer base will increase exponentially. I am 
not the only one who is reluctant to use "free software" since we have 
experienced that it takes developer knowledge to install and run it.

I recommend you in addition to source forge will have a shop selling 
complete packages for people like me that want to use the software and not 
be faced with developer level of problems to install and run the software.

Regards,
Jorgen


-----Original Message----- 
From: Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 5:17 PM
To: Jorgen Sandberg
Cc: Octave Help
Subject: Re: Can't save a plot

On 12 November 2012 10:52, Jorgen Sandberg <address@hidden> wrote:
> Sorry to have upset you. I will write Octave in the future.

You didn't upset me. :-) I thought it was cute you were shouting
OCTAVE, probably a habit from shouting MATLAB, which is an acronym of
sorts.

> However, please think of users like me that want to use your free 
> software,
> but do not want to fight complicated installation procedures.

Installing Octave isn't difficult because we deliberately want to make
it difficult, but because making it easy for you to install is
difficult for us to do. It just takes work. We will undertake this
work, but bear in mind you're pleading with volunteers to do extra
work for you. Your pleading is more effective if it's accompanied by
involvement (bug fixing or helping other users) or with money:

   https://my.fsf.org/donate/working-together/octave/

Also note that "free" in "free software" doesn't mean "gratis". Think
freedom, not zero monetary price. You're free to take the Octave
source code and make a better installer if you're not happy with the
current efforts.

> I am a software user not a software developer. This is the reason for my
> wish to have a complete installation package with all included.

Your wishes are noted, but they can't be fulfilled just because you
wish them. I am planning on making a future release of Octave that
will be easier to install on Windows, but I do not plan on
distributing the result without pay. In effect, I plan to make it
easier for people like you to pay for Octave.

Alternatively, you can use a free operating system like GNU/Linux. It
is much easier to distribute free software on a free OS, so it's less
work for us and easier for you to install. Windows and Mac OS X are
hostile environments for free development.

- Jordi G. H.