# Free as in beer Komodo editor **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [January 25, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/free-as-in-beer-komodo-editor/83370 "2007-01-25T16:27:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MSEdward\_SEdS\_Bora](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@MSEdward\_SEdS\_Bora](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MSEdward_SEdS_Bora)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/free-as-in-beer-komodo-editor/83370/1 "2007-01-25T16:27:35Z")
The folks at ActiveState have “freed the dragon”. They used to have two versions of Komodo, a “personal edition” which was priced around $29 and was only for non-commercial use and had fewer features, and the fully featured version. With the release of Komodo 4.0, they decided to remove the non-commercial restriction and make the “Komodo Editor” free. Here’s a feature comparison of what’s in the two versions: Hi Chris- > Debugger \* > Interactive Shells \* > Project manager \* \* > Toolbox \* \* > HTTP Inspector \* > DOM Viewer \* > Rx Toolkit \* > Code Browser \* > SCC \* > PDK integration \* So this is another entry in the “Ruby IDE” category. I still think I’m going to go with KDevelop over Komodo because of its ability to handle compiled languages and it’s freedom, but I’m going to have a hard look at the free Komodo editor at work, where I have quite a bit of Perl code that I might want to port to Ruby. – M. Edward (Ed) Borasky, FBG, AB, PTA, PGS, MS, MNLP, NST, ACMC(P) [http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/](http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/) If God had meant for carrots to be eaten cooked, He would have given rabbits fire. ---
**Author:** ![MSEdward\_SEdS\_Bora](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@MSEdward\_SEdS\_Bora](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MSEdward_SEdS_Bora)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/free-as-in-beer-komodo-editor/83370/2 "2007-01-25T17:04:50Z")
Robert D. wrote: > > So this is another entry in the “Ruby IDE” category. > > No Sir, not my choice. > > I would happily have accepted a closed license (as in free beer;) as > long as > I do not have to stop drinking beer upon written notice and send a bug > report to the brewing company whenever my beer was not good! > Komodo Editor is still in beta. That’s a standard sort of beta test > license – “if you like it, tell your friends, if you _don’t_ like it, > tell _us_!” 🙂 My day job forbids us to do beta tests on company equipment, so I can’t actually use it at work until it’s formally released. At that point, I need to clear the real license with the powers that be. I sort of beta tested the Komodo 4 at home on Linux – I verified that it would install on Gentoo, which was about all I had time to do before it went into general release. – M. Edward (Ed) Borasky, FBG, AB, PTA, PGS, MS, MNLP, NST, ACMC(P) [http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/](http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/) If God had meant for carrots to be eaten cooked, He would have given rabbits fire. ---
**Author:** ![MSEdward\_SEdS\_Bora](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@MSEdward\_SEdS\_Bora](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/MSEdward_SEdS_Bora)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/free-as-in-beer-komodo-editor/83370/3 "2007-01-25T16:38:37Z")
On 1/25/07, M. Edward (Ed) Borasky [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > The folks at ActiveState have “freed the dragon”. They used to have two > versions of Komodo, a “personal edition” which was priced around $29 and > was only for non-commercial use and had fewer features, and the fully > featured version. With the release of Komodo 4.0, they decided to remove > the non-commercial restriction and make the “Komodo Editor” free. Here’s > a feature comparison of what’s in the two versions: > \* > > So this is another entry in the “Ruby IDE” category. If I correctly interpret the license it not really is ☹ [http://www.activestate.com/products/komodo\_ide/beta\_agreement.plex](http://www.activestate.com/products/komodo_ide/beta_agreement.plex) I find that license unacceptable (unless I misunderstand) - After 6 month, or upon written notification or upon a commercial release I have to discontinue usage. - I _have to_ provide test feedback. No Sir, not my choice. I would happily have accepted a closed license (as in free beer;) as long as I do not have to stop drinking beer upon written notice and send a bug report to the brewing company whenever my beer was not good! I still think I’m > going to go with KDevelop over Komodo seems a very good decision to me because of its ability to handle > compiled languages and it’s freedom, but I’m going to have a hard look > at the free Komodo editor at work, where I have quite a bit of Perl code > that I might want to port to Ruby. > > – > M. Edward (Ed) Borasky, FBG, AB, PTA, PGS, MS, MNLP, NST, ACMC(P) > [http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/](http://borasky-research.blogspot.com/) > > If God had meant for carrots to be eaten cooked, He would have given > rabbits fire. Robert