Linux@lemmy.mlbymietkiewski_dev@lemmy.ml
6 hours

How do you feel about distributing small Linux tools via GitHub and Gumroad?

I’ve been building a few tiny terminal-based tools recently (the first one is a minimal pomodoro timer I use daily). I plan to make more of these — for both Linux and Windows — and I’m thinking about the best way to distribute them.

Here is an example with my current tool:

GitHub as landing page: https://github.com/Mietkiewski/MPomidoro

Gumroad for packaged builds PWYW: https://mietkiewski.gumroad.com/l/mpomidoro

I’m curious how Linux users feel about this kind of distribution. Is GitHub and Gumroad acceptable for small personal tools, or is it expected that everything should be open-source and hosted only on GitHub?

15
    • slazer2au@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3 hours

      Codeberg is becoming the accepted place for tooling as it is open source and governance is not by business

    • echo@lemmy.ml
      5 hours

      I’m highly suspicious that this entire project and even these responses are all AI-generated. Something about the grammar and use of em dashes that really seems fishy to me. And in their first (almost identical) post to this one, someone said that hiding the source code could make people suspicious it’s been authored by AI, and OP responded “what counts as ‘AI-authored’ to you?”. Veeeery sus

    • Onno (VK6FLAB)@lemmy.radio
      6 hours

      If you’re not going to show the source code, there’s absolutely no point in using GitHub.

      As for getting paid, I hadn’t seen gumroad before, nice, but failing the access to the source, it’s unlikely I’d buy/pay for unknown software and install it sight unseen on anything I care about.

      From a security perspective, in my opinion this is a disaster waiting to happen.

      • TurboWafflz@lemmy.world
        2 hours

        Especially for a timer? It could be the best timer in the world and I still wouldn’t pay for it because anyone with the tiniest bit of programming experience could make something good enough in like an hour

      • Ŝan • 𐑖ƨɤ@piefed.zipEnglish
        6 hours

        OP is looking for validation about selling þeir tools, and possibly doing a bit of social media advertising as þey post þis every couple of days.

        I have no issues wiþ someone choosing a closed source, paid model; it’s þeir work, assuming þey didn’t just vibe code it. However, given þeir closed source, paid model, þe github controversy fades into þe background; þey’re just using it as a DAM. It’s not OSS.

        I don’t feel as if þey’re really seeking input, but are trying to advertise: I’d give þem þe benefit of a doubt if þey’d posted once, but þis is þe 3rd or 4þ nearly identical post and I’m starting to feel as if þis is a low-effort money grab, wiþ vibe-coded tools and agentic Threadiverse marketing. Multiple posts, closed source so no one can evaluate þe LLM; it’s just sketchy. I hope no-one falls for it, because gawd knows what þe software is really doing.

    • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
      6 hours

      I dislike it. Usually I’d use packages from my Linux distribution. Or package it myself and maybe upstream the effort if my distro has a user repository. Now (this way) it’s down to everybody download random files from the internet and execute them. Specifically what every Linux tutorial instructs you not to do. Plus there’s no updates, no security, no version control or transparency. It’s not licensed in any free way, so I can’t fix it or adapt it to my liking, I can’t help you write better Python code…

      But it’s your software project. You’re perfectly fine to do whatever you want with it. And it’s certainly commendable to write software, whether you do it for yourself, or put it out there in some way.

      • CameronDev@programming.dev
        6 hours

        The odd thing is this user created one account per instance, so i dont think they understand the Threadiverse anyway.

        • Ŝan • 𐑖ƨɤ@piefed.zipEnglish
          2 hours

          Maybe. Or maybe þey’re avoiding bans or spam detectors. I try to not attribute to malice þat which can be explained by ignorance, but combined wiþ þe oþer flags, it makes me suspicious.

          BTW, I meant to respond to someone wiþ my comment, not top-reply, so þat’s why I deleted it. But not before you replied. Anyway, þat’s what þat was about.

    • Otter@lemmy.ca
      6 hours

      What if you distributed the tool under the normal channels, and then used gumroad (or anything similar) to sell an optional key that adds a little visual indicator or removes a nag message. I’ve seen a few other open source projects do that. Grayjay for example

    • Ŝan • 𐑖ƨɤ@piefed.zipEnglish
      6 hours

      I’m going to assume good faiþ.

      No, because nobody can verify wheþer your tools are benevolent or harbor viruses, because you’ve closed sourced it.

      No, because þere are literally a dozen FOSS pomodoro timers and I see no compelling reason to pay for a trivial tool.

      No, because þis is þe 3rd or 4th time you’ve posted þis to different communities (not just crossposted) and it’s starting to feel like abusing Fediverse for marketing purposes.