Quick question. Apologies in advance if I sound as a complete amateur but I am.

I would like to start a business which revolves around offering local small and medium-sized offices or schools (small private, public) to "refresh" their age-old computers and install distros such as Elementary OS/Ubuntu/Lubuntu/OpenSUSE over the presumably sluggish Windows Experience they may have and charge a fee for installation per unit. Is this acceptable or, if not, what steps may I take to provide such a solution in my intended business model?

Thanks in advance for replying to this message. Again, I apologize if I lack understanding of the most basic license terms for commercial use. I only know that Open-source software may be built-upon or customized. But as for customization, I do not know how far it must be for it to be called its own. Would really appreciate it if someone points me in the right way.

The short answer is yes, almost certainly. The long answer is, read the licenses for the particular Linux distros/applications you want to use, but the answer is still likely to be yes.

Thanks for the quick answer.

I was thinking of using Cub Linux as a starting point but am leaning towards Elementary OS (I have since posted the same query on their G+) Page. But what are your thoughts in this?

Totally fine* as long as the fee is a support fee, aka the installation, and you're open about the fact that the fee is for the labor of installation, and not for the software itself.

*-Assuming the distro you choose is libre. If it includes non-free, then local laws may make it so that it's not.

Thanks Timothy. Would it then be fair enough to price the fee as a flat one vs on a per system install or would either be totally fine?

AS it's a support fee, either is fine. It would most likely be more beneficial for you to price it per system.

i think it's important to understand that you're not selling them linux, but a service: help with installing linux.
or am i wrong?

It's no different to selling installation DVD's by mail to those with no or unreliable broadband. They're selling both the medium and the time they've taken to make the disk. You'd be selling your time and advice.

If you use an open-source program as the basis for one of your own, then there are rules: with the Gnu licence, you must make your own open-source as well.

As Timothy said, non-free software is a problem in the USA, where software can be patented. In practice, the only things affected are the media codecs. Those can be bought for about $20 from fluendo.com if they're needed. The codec for playing commercial DVDs is illegal in the USA, unless its bought from Microsoft or Apple.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Knowing this, I hope I can contribute to the community one day when everything goes well with the plan!

I think you are wrong. Linux is free as in free speech, but it doesn't have to be free as in free beer. Selling it for what you can get is perfectly compatible with the GPL as long as you don't impose any conditions on your customers that would prevent them from doing the same. The reason people don't charge large amounts for Linux is that, if they did, some outraged customer would put it up on his website for free just to teach them a lesson.

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I'm a bit confused by this. If this is the case, then, would starting a consulting service that revolves around advising a certain client(business or school entity) and installing a distro to their specification be in violation of the license? I plan to price it per system install as stated above. Can you give me your opinion about this?

I don't think it would at all, but I'm not a lawyer.

Totally makes sense. Thanks, Hazel.

"The long answer is, read the licenses for the particular Linux distros/applications you want to use"

You are entitled to use Linux as part of a for-profit or non-profit business as you see fit.

The legal strictures concerning Linux have to do with the software, itself. The various parts of Linux are copyrighted material, and the rule is that you cannot make "derivative works" from them that you then start to charge money for.

But it's perfectly all right to use Linux as the foundation of a proprietary software product and/or of a proprietary service. Your proposed business provides value to your customers, and you employ Linux as part of doing so without attempting to tie strings to "Linux, itself." Customers pay you for what you know and for the benefits that you bring to them.