How do open source people earn?

[cranky]

I always wanted to ask this question, how do open source software developers earn, i mean for ex: u can get an ubuntu cd anywhere in the world for FREE, what's the use for them?? u may say i didn't google enough... i did, but this question is too general

 

[gxsaurav]

1) Providing support for the desktop & server OS.

2) Selling Server Software

3) Donation

 

[mehulved]

And quite a lot of them work for big companies like IBM, Sun, MS, etc.
There is hardly any money that these corporations make from selling OS's. Majority the money lies in providing support services to corporations. This not only holds true for open source but for all major software vendors and I believe, hardware vendors too.

 

[blackpearl]

^^ Exactly. Do you think Microsoft got rich by selling Windows to the people? With more that 80% of all Windows copies being pirated, they are as good as freewares MS earns almost the same way as open source organization does. Though MS has a couple of more tricks up their sleeve.

 

[Sykora]

Even the profit from the 20% which aren't pirated, is staggering.

 

[mediator]

@cranky : U might also want to read this!

 

[cranky]

Thanx for all the gyan guys!!
@mediator: Thanx for all the info, the very 1st few lines cleared my misconception

 

[GNUrag]

For any software company (Opensource or otherwise), majority of the income comes from writing custom software for their clients. These software are for a highly niche market and nobody else would be in need of it.

 

[saurabh kakkar]

good Q cranky i was planing to ask the same and thaxs ever one for

sharing Ur knowledge and letting many of us know How do open source

people earn