introduction to free software692

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Introduction to Free SoftwareDefinition, facts, myths, actors

Jean-Etienne Poirrier

http://www.poirrier.be/

June 28th, 2007

Jean-Etienne Poirrier Introduction to Free Software

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FreedomWhat are free software?

Software


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Free ... Software?


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Freedom

No subordination, no thrall, no constraint, no pressure applied by others


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In the actual computer world ...

obliged to buy a computer with an imposed operating system

“intellectual property” → theft, piracy

outlandish and incompatible file formats

lack of transparency regarding security


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Free Software 4 Freedoms

1 The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.

2 The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

3 The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.

4 The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements tothe public, so that the whole community benefits. Access to the sourcecode is a precondition for this.


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Some licences ...

More info: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/


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Operating SystemWord processorsSpreadsheetsInternetGames

Operating Systems

Linux (RedHat, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, SuSE, ...),FreeDOS, FIASCO, ReactOS, S.Ha.R.K., V2OS, ...


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Write texts

Writer, AbiWord, KWord, ...


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Do some computation

Calc, Gnumeric, KSpread, ...


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Surf on the web

Firefox, Konqueror, ...


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Play

Wormux, minesweeper, sudoku, 3D, racing, chess, ...


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DifficultiesWindows, Linux, MacOS, ...CostSecurityLanguages management

Myths about Free Software


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Too complicated for normal people?


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They already are used in kindergarten!

GCompris, educational software for children from 2 to 10 years old


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They became easy to install

And are they easy to use? Just listen to the next 2 presentations!


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Windows, Linux, MacOS, ...

Free Software are available on nearly all possible operating systems (free or not)


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Shareware, freeware, free-as-in-free-beer software

But freely re-distributable with source code!


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Free Software, security and support

Way better privileges and access management, software actions monitoring,speed of bugs correction, ... (very active) Community support + support from

commercial companies


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Free Software are very often multilingual

KDE is available in 34 languages, e.g.!


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Linux is even available in Walloon !


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Richard M. StallmanEric S. RaymondLinus TorvaldsEben Moglen

Richard M. Stallman

54 years-old

hacker (noble meaning)

free software activist

software patents destroyer

father of the GNU project(1983)

father of the Free SoftwareFoundation (1985)

father of the Emacs text editorand other basic tools foroperating systems

http://www.stallman.org/http://www.gnu.org/


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Eric S. Raymond

50 years-old

hacker (noble meaning)

founder of the “Open Source”movement

“The Cathedral and theBazaar”, 1997

disputed member of theCommunity

http://www.catb.org/ esr/http://www.opensource.org/


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Linus Torvalds

38 years-old

creator of the Linux kernel

self-proclaimed “benevolentdictator” of the Linux kerneldevelopment

rarely goes out of his modesty(but when he does, the entireworld knows it!)

http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/torvalds/


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Eben Moglen

47 years-old

law professor

founder and director of theSoftware Freedom Law Centerdefending Free Software legalinterests

Free Software Foundationmember

GNU GPLv3 writer

“Anything that is worth copyingis worth sharing”

http://emoglen.law.columbia.edu/http://www.softwarefreedom.org/


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Free Software ...

they are good, use them!

they can be freely copied and used

they allow us to easily do common tasks and much more!

they target all the ages, all the interests

they are not automatically free (as in free beer)

they are rather well documented

What are you waiting for?


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To know more...

LiLiT (Liege Linux Team) : http://www.lilit.be/ and its Meeting Parties,Installation Parties and its participation to various other events

Free Software Foundation : http://www.fsf.org/

Framasoft : http://www.framasoft.net/ (in French)

Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org


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Many thanks to...

LiLiT and its volunteers who prepared this evening

Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds to initiate this movement, both at aphilosophical and technical standpoint

you for your attention and because you will try free software, right now!

This presentation is available on http://www.poirrier.be/


introduction to free software692

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