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I've desperately wanted a modern config management tool for ages. This looks nice, although I'd need to actually use it to be able to tell if would work for me.

by cedws 3y ago

I've desperately wanted a modern config management tool for ages. This looks nice, although I'd need to actually use it to be able to tell if would work for me. I've worked with both Ansible and Puppet and prefer Puppet's architecture, but it is an absolute beast of a tool. Unfortunately, I think the production licensing here will limit the success. I can't see companies forking out $1,000 a year for an immature tool with no ecosystem when they could just use Ansible/Puppet/Salt. Not necessarily even because of the cost, it's just a lot of extra bureaucracy to get products approved in some places.

candiddevmike 3y ago
I have a few customers, the $1,000 subscription isn't a deal breaker at all. It's typically easy to get small expenses like that approved/whip out the credit card for most businesses. Additionally, you can use the software without the subscription for your personal needs or in a non-production/evaluation phase. In the next couple of weeks we'll release EtchaOS, an immutable "meta Linux distro" that bundles Etcha, systemd, and containerd/docker on different variants like Debian, Alma, Fedora and architectures like amd64 and aarch64.
- cedws 3y ago
  Yes, I don't doubt you'll have customers. From the docs, I just don't see a compelling advantage Etcha has over existing tools that justifies the cost. Did you consider having an open beta? It might allow the ecosystem to develop while still enabling you to charge for the product later down the line. At my last job at a bank you most likely know of, getting any kind of product is a multi-month painful bureaucratic process. So engineers tend to live off the land with the stuff they can get for free, despite funds not being an issue.
  - candiddevmike 3y ago
    > Did you consider having an open beta? It might allow the ecosystem to develop while still enabling you to charge for the product later down the line. I don't think being free for personal/non production limits the ecosystem at all. Additionally, I don't appreciate rug pulls from changing free to non-free down the road, and I doubt my customers would. The pricing is what it is: ensure Etcha is sustainable and supported. Think of it as a forced OSS donation if you want. There's way more than $1,000 worth of value here.
    - cedws 3y ago
      >I don't think being free for personal/non production limits the ecosystem at all There are two aspects. The first one being that charging a nonzero amount decreases adoption, so fewer companies will publish modules and tools around it. The other is that people will generally not want to send pull requests adding features to something they have no stake in. If we take HashiCorp Packer or Ansible as an example, they have flourished as engineers send PRs extending the tools for their own purposes. Another thought that comes to mind is: what if your company disappears one day? Can you make some assurances that the source will be relicensed to allow users to maintain it? I wish your product great success. If it feels nice I may even end up getting a license in a future job myself. But I have stated my concern of missing out on all that the Ansible/Puppet community already provides.

by cedws 3y ago

candiddevmike 3y ago

I have a few customers, the $1,000 subscription isn't a deal breaker at all. It's typically easy to get small expenses like that approved/whip out the credit card for most businesses. Additionally, you can use the software without the subscription for your personal needs or in a non-production/evaluation phase. In the next couple of weeks we'll release EtchaOS, an immutable "meta Linux distro" that bundles Etcha, systemd, and containerd/docker on different variants like Debian, Alma, Fedora and architectures like amd64 and aarch64.

cedws 3y ago
Yes, I don't doubt you'll have customers. From the docs, I just don't see a compelling advantage Etcha has over existing tools that justifies the cost. Did you consider having an open beta? It might allow the ecosystem to develop while still enabling you to charge for the product later down the line. At my last job at a bank you most likely know of, getting any kind of product is a multi-month painful bureaucratic process. So engineers tend to live off the land with the stuff they can get for free, despite funds not being an issue.
- candiddevmike 3y ago
  > Did you consider having an open beta? It might allow the ecosystem to develop while still enabling you to charge for the product later down the line. I don't think being free for personal/non production limits the ecosystem at all. Additionally, I don't appreciate rug pulls from changing free to non-free down the road, and I doubt my customers would. The pricing is what it is: ensure Etcha is sustainable and supported. Think of it as a forced OSS donation if you want. There's way more than $1,000 worth of value here.
  - cedws 3y ago
    >I don't think being free for personal/non production limits the ecosystem at all There are two aspects. The first one being that charging a nonzero amount decreases adoption, so fewer companies will publish modules and tools around it. The other is that people will generally not want to send pull requests adding features to something they have no stake in. If we take HashiCorp Packer or Ansible as an example, they have flourished as engineers send PRs extending the tools for their own purposes. Another thought that comes to mind is: what if your company disappears one day? Can you make some assurances that the source will be relicensed to allow users to maintain it? I wish your product great success. If it feels nice I may even end up getting a license in a future job myself. But I have stated my concern of missing out on all that the Ansible/Puppet community already provides.