RIIR

Compared to the cost of the production and distribution of pipes (particularly large pipes and fittings for multi-unit buildings)?

Yeah, production/packaging and distribution is essentially free for the software in question ("small" command line tools).

You never have the "lone maintainer" problem for the production and distribution of large pipes and fittings, at least produced at the scales we're discussing, because you simply _can't_.

It may not feel that way for the lone maintainer, for sure, but an objective comparison of the costs demonstrates otherwise.