Free Linux development tool from PROIV

PROIV is one of the leading RAD tools, and this is the first Linux version. The aim is to get PROIV into Linux developers’ hands, so they learn and understand the environment.

PROIV Single Developer is free, and fully functional. There is one component that is not included: the full multi-user runtime. If a developer writes an application that needs a full runtime licence (for multiple use or for multiple developers), then that becomes chargeable.

This model is the opposite of many development tools. Rather than pay up front for a development environment, with PROIV Single Developer you can create and run as many single applications as you like, and never pay a penny until you “go commercial.”

When the applications go into full-scale commercial production, then a licence fee becomes payable, and a full copy of the PROIV software is required (which has some additional functionality suitable to enterprise-scale operations).

The PROIV advantage is that an application created in PROIV Single Developer for Linux can be ported straight to the PROIV environment on any other platform. For software developers, this is a key benefit.

Because the PROIV Single Developer licence is free, there is no commitment from software developers if they wish to test its powers. This compares favourably with time-limited trials or demo versions of other development environments.

The disadvantages of PROIV Single Developer are that it is exactly that: a single developer licence. Only one person can work on an application at one time, and only one instance of the application can run on one machine at one time.

For many Linux developers, the restrictions of the PROIV Single Developer free licence will only be significant if they are commercially successful.

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