Why Screenix is not open-source

A personal note from the developer

I'm 19. I've been building projects (most of them in private, some in public) for about a year now. If you know anything about indie development, you already know how hard it is to make money from it.

One of my recent projects, arctic-cli, is fully open-source. I put real work into it. I haven't received a single dollar of support from it. That's not a complaint. It's just the reality of building in the open.

I know the Linux community has strong feelings about proprietary software, and I genuinely respect that. Open-source is something I believe in. But if Screenix were open-source right now, I wouldn't be able to pay my bills. And if I can't pay my bills, I can't keep working on this. It's that simple.

This isn't a choice I'm making out of greed or distrust of the community. It's a choice I'm making to survive as a solo developer. I want to keep building Screenix, keep improving it, and keep enjoying the work. Right now, that requires it to generate income.

If the project reaches a point where it's stable, sustainable, and I can afford to open it up, I will seriously consider it. That door isn't closed forever.

I hope you understand. I love this community and I'll always respect what open-source stands for.

Mathis, solo developer behind Screenix@mathaegon·Contact

The best way to support this project

Using Screenix and sharing it with other Linux creators is what keeps this project alive.