I would love to be able to get a support contract or something on the community edition, giving me the right to call in remote support when I’d need it, and needing yearly renewal. It is harder to convince ceo’s to donate to opensource then it is to get them to pay for backup support in the event shit hits the proverbial fan.
I am aware that support that I pay for is not better then support I can get for free. But people who have to assess ISO or NEN norms want to know your backup plan. They rather hear professional support by the creators then free support asked on a forum in hopes of getting an answer in time to satisfy requirements.
Also, and that is my main issue, it is much easier to support the project that way. I will have a lot less trouble telling people we need a yearly subscription. Banner the server manager that you don’t have a subscription if that is the case, like Proxmox VE, and I will have no trouble arguing we need it. Compared to what I would pay for M$, and what I get from Nethserver for free, I feel like stealing, but a business doesn’t donate money often…