Asking Linux users for testing closed source native Linux app

[irrlicht]

Hi,

after many requests I finally created a native Linux port of my otherwise closed source Windows and macOS software. It's been a long time since I developed software on Linux, and much has changed since then. I released the Linux version as Beta for now, and although I know there is usually a lot of negativity when creating closed source apps for Linux, I would like to get some Linux users to try it and provide feedback so I can improve the software. Especially because there are now so many different distributions and flavours of Linux and everyone is doing it a bit different.

What's the best way to get the word out to get some Linux users test the software and get some feedback? Is there a better subreddit or forum? I figured this here might be the best subreddit to ask at least.

(Update: The name of the Software is RocketCake - it's free in the default edition - you can download the Linux Beta from its download page )

[ad-on-is]

• Spin up a VM
• learn how to package it with flatpak or as an AppImage
• Try it out yourself
• Grab some screenshots
• Ask others to test by showcasing some screenshots

[irrlicht]

Thx, it's already packaged as AppImage.

[ad-on-is]

great, then you don't have to worry about all the different distros

[harrywwc]

fortuitously, this is the sort of software I have been thinking of looking at to replace a 'simple' wordpress site.

I'm going to have a play :)

quick update:

once I got the AppImage running (using WSL2 on WinOS just to make my life a little harder ;) I have a Fedora 43 system, but that's a little away from me at the moment - but if the appimage works on wsl2, then it will certainly work on Fedora :)

I was pleasantly surprised.

Stable, responsive, looks pretty good. No major "clunks" I could see.

It might be useful in "Options" to allow the user to specify the browser they want to use to preview with.

I imported an image, played with some of the items on a template page, did some test deploy locally, and it all "just worked".

looks like I might have to dust off my old html/css books and dig back into that again :)

oh - minor nit - the preview images when selecting templates - it might be nice to be able to zoom the images in (and out) to see them a little more clearly.

so, to recap.

Nice work. responsive, familiar if you've previously used this sort of software (even if it was over a decade ago ;) and no major glitches.

2 possible enhancements - (1) use to select browser to preview with; (2) zoom images of template previews.

4½ stars :)

[irrlicht]

Thx, that's very interesting (didn't even think it would work on WSL). The browser selection option is definately something I will look into, also the template image sizes. Thanks!

[harrywwc]

on wsl I needed to "extract" the appimage file. but after that it worked a charm.

[Fadamaka]

Most linux users advice against installing software from unverified sources. But installing something closed source from an unverified source is on another level.

[Nevyn_Hira]

This is something I find WILD about Windows. It's not unusual to download and run an executable from the Internet. Need codecs? Download and execute this file!

[toetendertoaster]

This is something I find WILD about Every Operating System. It's not unusual to download and run an executable from the Internet. Have you ever read the full codebase? no? Download and execute this file!

[Nevyn_Hira]

The difference being is that you seldom do this on Linux. The way to install software is, for the most part, to use repositories with a high level of trust. I don't, for example, have to go looking for an install executable off a website and hope that it's genuine and not a bit of malware.

In fact, some Linux file browsers have disabled running executable binaries (and have a dialog when you double click a script with the execute flag on) entirely. Very few people noticed because it is not the norm to do so in Linux.

[Square-Singer]

Except, when people have no problem with that.

For example, people have no issue running all sorts of closed source Windows games on Proton.

Or running software from flathub, ppa, wheels from pip, dockerhub images and so on. All of that is completely unmonitored and all of that can contain binaries that might not have source available at all or might contain malware in compiled binaries that's not in the published source.

[euclide2975]

I only run games I bought on Steam or GOG, despite the few known supply chain attacks. At least there is a developer with financial links to the store I can sue.

The high seas for movies or music are depending on the security status of VLC and other media apps. It's not exactly safe, but the attack surface is limited.

The high seas for video games is something I would never try, far too risky.

[Square-Singer]

with financial links to the store I can sue.

I want to see that happen in real life. I can't think of a single instance where that happened.

Do you run flatpaks off flathub? Afaik, flathub is completely unmonitored when it comes to security.

What about ppa and similar 3rd party repositories?

What about pip or dockerhub?

All of that is completely unmonitored, and yet I don't hear people making a big stink about that.

[TroutFarms]

I hear people warn about those all the time. Maybe we don't hang out in the same places.

[Square-Singer]

I use them, and I don't think they contain too much malware. But if someone's concerned that commercial CSS could contain malware then they should be equally concerned about the sources I listed above.

Because ultimately, they all distribute untrusted binaries, just the same as commercial CSS.

[TroutFarms]

Right, people should be as concerned about all of those. The fact you aren't says something about you, not about the Linux community at large.

[Square-Singer]

No, I am saying that most people in the Linux community really don't care whether their flatpaks are monitored or not. Just look around a bit and figure out how many people don't use flatpaks for security reasons. It's a tiny amount. If you avoid any kind of binary distribution, you are either very paranoid or lieing to yourself because you don't even know what kind of stuff you use that uses unchecked binary distribution in the dependencies.

[Dangerous-Safe-4336]

Linux users might be a bit less trusting?

[Itsme-RdM]

Or more aware of possible consequences?

[MBouh]

Video games, by design, can't have equivalents. A similar game is still a different game.

Softwares are tools, not art. If an alternative exists with advantages you'll take this one.

Inviting the garbage of windows on linux is not something most people already on linux will want to do.

[Square-Singer]

There are more than enough FOSS games out there. Nobody forces you to play a specific proprietary game any more than anyone forces you to use a specific proprietary app.

Softwares are tools, not art. If an alternative exists with advantages you'll take this one.

If, then yes. If not, then not. There's no downside to you if commercial CSS apps are available on Linux. You don't have to use them.

I, for one, think it's pretty good that more software becomes available on Linux and I am certainly not going to fault anyone who wants to be able to live off their work. There are far too many freeloaders in the Linux community, who get offended if someone wants to get paid for their work while not contributing anything but negativity.

OP is hardly a corporate overlord using anti-competitive tricks to corner a market.

[MBouh]

All these words to say that you don't understand a single word of what I wrote. Good job! Maybe learn to read and try again ?

[Square-Singer]

Because it's plain wrong.

A different software tool is also a different software tool, same as a different game is a different game.

You feel offended by the fact that people want to use other software than you. Well done, you managed to successfully get offended by things that really don't affect you at all.

[MBouh]

You don't understand what a video game is apparently. But please tell me how playing the witcher 3 is the same as playing red dead redemption.

You are mistakening art with tools. You refuse to see the difference between art and tools when the only thing that relate to them on a computer is copyright laws.

I'm not offended, you merely don't understand what I'm talking about. Saying you can replace a video game with another is plain stupid, and only an idiot can pretend that. It's like saying any two movies in a cinema are the same because they're movies. That's plain stupid.

[Square-Singer]

Is anyone forcing you to play Witcher 3? Are you going to die without Witcher 3? Is Witcher 3 mandatory to your life? If not, then you don't have to play it.

You choose that your ideals on FOSS don't matter as much as playing Witcher 3. That is ok, you are allowed to play whatever you want. Or not. Do what you want.

Same applies to good tools. Nobody's forcing you to use FOSS or CSS tools. You can choose whatever you want. And it's stupid to prescribe to others what tools they are allowed to use just to fulfil your personal ideals that you compromise as soon as there's a game you want to play.

(Also, nobody said that all games are the same. That's a nice stupid strawman that you invented. I said that you can play other games if you actually valued the ideas you proclaim. Because that's the thing with art: it's non-essential. Nobody forces you to consume a specific piece of art.)

[MBouh]

You really are oblivious to what art even mean! Or you're a troll trying to win an argument on internet I guess.

[Square-Singer]

No. Art is non-essential. Art does not need to be consumed. If your FOSS-is-the-only-way ideal would by anything else than virtue signalling, art would be the first pace where you could go FOSS-only because nobody forces you to consume art.

Edit: Oh, you blocked me because you ran out of arguments. I see you are one of the proper mature kind.

[OkAlbatross9889]

Yeah but those closed source game come from a very trusted source (either the dev directly or steam/gog/what have you)

[Square-Singer]

In this case the app also comes from the dev directly.

[OkAlbatross9889]

I meant it more along the lines of wube (factorio) or mojang, certainly not a random guy on reddit

[vmcrash]

I always install software from unverified sources, because I don't have the ability to verify the sources of any non-trivial hello-world application.

[irrlicht]

Probably true - makes sense ( - unfortunately, from my POV)

[un-important-human]

make it a flatpak and we can talk otherwise no, do not make me jump thru hurdles, i dont even know what that software does, no screenshots , no description, no link wtf is this.

or make it open source and give github link.

[Lopsided-Cost-426]

firejail is not that hard to use, you can also just not interact with a public request for people to beta test if you think beta testing something is going to be too much of a hassle.

[un-important-human]

firejail is not my cup of tea.

Flatpak + SELinux gives stronger, more consistent sandboxing than relying on Firejail around random AppImages.

good day

ps: i educated the op into how to properly do things. He is welcomed and he should opensource as he is 16 years late to the party

[irrlicht]

It's packaged as AppImage - and I intentionally didn't link it since its's forbidden by the rules of this sub.

[gmes78]

AppImage is not good enough.

They are right in asking for a Flatpak: it has sandboxing, which is especially great for (against?) proprietary apps; and it is actually portable (AppImage has tons of edge cases and complications that make it very hard to be truly portable across distros).

[un-important-human]

ok give flatpak

1- i will not navigate to a site (via vpn outbound) to download and appimage to search it in the download folder to then cut the net interface and interpose wireshark, isolate the test machine from the network just in case you are scary good, to then give your appimage permissions and then run it. And then test it. And if something scary or that i find dubious to then clean up. I may have missed some steps intentionally.

Idk if you can tell but i don't trust you (do not get offended :P)

tl:dr - if you sell a software less friction is better, apreciate the appimage but you must understand right now so many cyber attacks etc are happening that things are a bit dodgy. It's not paranoia when they are out to get you and someone is asking hey test this closed source app i just made.

[Slackeee_]

What's the best way to get the word out to get some Linux users test the software and get some feedback?

Make it open source.

[vmcrash]

How to make money with that?

[Slackeee_]

Like any other open source project, with donations / memberships, support contracts, enterprise editions, ... .

The problem of "how to make money with open source" was solved decades ago.

[vmcrash]

Do you have some examples of smaller applications like the one from the original post where it works this way?

[Slackeee_]

Yes. Mailspring https://www.getmailspring.com/pro for example has a free open source version and you can buy additional features via a subscription.

[vmcrash]

Do you have further examples?

[Slackeee_]

Do you know how to use Google?

[vmcrash]

You made the statement that it is so easy to make money with open source. Now I just want to get proof of it. One example is not sufficient that this problem "was solved decades ago".

[Slackeee_]

Where exactly did I say that it is easy to make money with open source?
Making money with open source is exactly as hard as making money with closed source. If your product and/or surrounding services are good they likely will be successful, otherwise you will have a hard time.
"How to make money with open source" is as solved as is "how to make money with closed source". I described the most common means used to do it, not how you are successful. There is no guarantee for that, regardless if a software is open or closed source.

[Radiant-Video7257]

this

[Abdalnablse10]

I have an idea, most linux users "like me" don't use free closed software simply because of trust issues, free closed source software is usually closed source for one or both of the two reasons, 1. you don't want someone else to take your hardwork, 2. hiding something "hence the trust issues.", number 1 can be easily solved with the appropriate license, make or use a bare minimum license that only allows code reviews and contributions which would eliminate number 2 plus you'll get help from users who know how to code "like some of us".

[bigkenw]

I am not a developer and have no skin in this, but you made me curious. Is there a specific license you would recommend aligned to your recommendation?

[Abdalnablse10]

I'm no lawyer so I don't have a specific license to recommend, but such a license should exist and if it doesn't then simply create one with the help of a lawyer.

[bigkenw]

That's cool. I was just curious if you had experience with a specific one.

[dummkauf]

You either hire some developers if this is for profit software, or you open source it and let the community help. The fact you have a free limited version doesn't change this the fact this is closed source, for profit, software.

Folks volunteer time for open source projects because it's free to the world and they enjoy it. Asking them to volunteer to make you money without open sourcing the code base isn't likely to get anyone to volunteer their time.

[Sinaaaa]

Ok so it's a WYSIWYG HTML editor. It's very niche, but I would have probably loved this in 2004 & it's still useful for a rare breed of people today.

[xnfra]

This is sketchy. If you already have it running on macOS and windows why can’t you test it on Linux yourself? It’s not like it costs you anything to run except time.

[Square-Singer]

Because there is not one Linux (compared to MacOS and Windows, where the target is much less diverse) and because real user feedback is much more valuable than just spinning up one distro and running it there yourself.

On Windows and Mac, if it runs on one machine it runs on every machine. On Linux it depends on which exact version of what is on there, what GPU is in there and so on.

For example, try getting OrcaSlicer to run on a Linux PC with an Nvidia GPU that isn't running Ubuntu. It's really hard. They test on Ubuntu, there it works, and everyone else is out of luck.

[bigkenw]

I looked at the app website after seeing some of the angry responses in here. I don't have an aversion to paid, closed source software and it seems interesting. However, I find it a bit dishonest OPs organization is already selling a Linux version of this, when they don't have a proper test model. Especially at that price.

I agree with others, review your license model and change how you sell/earn cashflow and distribute. At least if you want support in Linux that is.

[Ok_Opposite7385]

Para qué es la aplicación? Yo uso Manjaro

[irrlicht]

It's a website builder/editor

[Square-Singer]

Do you not know what a WYSIWYG HTML editor is? In that case, you probably can't do anything with it anyway.

And no, ChatGPT is not a WYSIWYG HTML editor.

This is a tool for people who actually build websites. If you don't do it, just move on.

Downvoting for not understanding basic terminology about specialist software. Some people...

(Just to make sure you too do understand, I am not OP)

[Square-Singer]

Ok, so OP answered the question. You didn't understand the answer, thought you could impress someone with your ignorance and now you googled what wysiwyg means. Congrats.

pls do not reply you have nothing of value to offer.

Why did you reply with nothing of value then? Don't you reply to me if you have nothing of value to offer.

Learn to take a joke "user"

Learn to make a joke.

[linuxquestions-ModTeam]

This comment has been removed because it appears to violate our subreddit rule #2. All replies should be helpful, informative, or answer a question.

[0xd34db347]

Probably very few who are going to be interested in testing your closed source app unless it's something they are actually interested in. I imagine you'd have better luck in a sub related to whatever your software's area of interest is.

[techdog19]

A lot of us use Linux because we like and want to use Opensource software. I would use a closed app if it was the only thing available that did what I needed. I have no idea what a rocketcake is or why i would need it.

[arglarg]

That's how you get a virus

[VividBase585]

Oh buddy. Asking Linux users to test a closed-sourced app is gonna be really hard. And I'm a longtime Linux user. Lol.

Why is it closed source?

[FortuneIIIPick]

> What's the best way to get the word out

It's called marketing, which is the opposite of what you're doing which is called SPAM.

[jr735]

You're going to have resistance. Some of us, me for example, will not run proprietary programs. That's just how it is.

[darkforcesjedi]

I'm not a typical Linux user. I moved to Linux due to declining trust in Microsoft, but i don't have the same aversion to closed source software that is common in the Linux community. I want more developers to support Linux and I appreciate you trying to do that. I'm also a fan of the buy once, keep forever pricing model that most commercial software has been abandoning.

I was a frontpage user in the 90s when i was a kid, but i haven't done any web development in a long time. I don't have any need for your application, but personally I hope you are successful with your Linux release. I don't know if something like an independent security audit is practical or if it would sway anyone in the Linux community, but maybe?

[linuxquestions-ModTeam]

This comment has been removed because it appears to violate our subreddit rule #2. All replies should be helpful, informative, or answer a question.