Shareware tends to combine the worst of commercial software with the worst of free software

Shareware tends to combine the worst of commercial software with the worst of free software

Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux operating system, is a strong advocate for open-source software and has been critical of both commercial software and free software models. When it comes to the concept of shareware, Torvalds has expressed concerns about how it combines the worst aspects of both commercial and free software.

Shareware is a type of software that is typically distributed for free, but with limited functionality or features. Users are encouraged to pay for a license to unlock the full version of the software. This model has been criticized for being deceptive, as users may not realize they are only getting a trial version of the software until they try to access certain features.

From Torvalds' perspective, shareware can be seen as combining the worst aspects of commercial software, such as the pressure to pay for a product that may not be worth the cost, with the worst aspects of free software, such as limited functionality and lack of support. This can create a frustrating user experience, as users may feel misled or disappointed by the limitations of the software.

Torvalds believes that software should be freely available for users to modify and improve upon, without the restrictions imposed by commercial software licenses. He has been a vocal critic of proprietary software models, arguing that they stifle innovation and limit the potential for collaboration among developers.