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Open Source Software

Participant’s Package

September 2012

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Original work by Toronto Public Library. The support of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture

and Recreation and of the Government of Canada through Industry Canada is acknowledged.

Open Source Software

Outline I What Is Open Source Software

• Is It Safe? • History of Open Source • Advantages to Open Source

II Software Licenses & Major Contributors

• Open Source vs. Freeware vs. Shareware • Google & Android • Linux

III Examples of Open Source: Basic Computer Use

• Operating Systems • Web Browsers • Virus Protection • Computer Maintenance

IV Examples of Open Source: General Tasks

• Compression • PDF Conversion

V Examples of Open Source: Desktop Publishing

• Email • Word and Office Suites • Desktop Publishing • Personal and Business Finance

VI Getting Creative in an Open Source Environment

• Photo Editing • Drawing and Illustration • Video Playback and Conversion • Audio Playback and Conversion • Video Editing • Audio Editing • 3D Animation

VII Open Source Software Glossary • Glossary

VIII Open Source Software Useful Links

• Links to Resourceful Websites

I. What Is Open Source Software Open Source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. Open source sprouted in the technological community as a response to proprietary software owned by corporations. Open Source software is built on Trust, Teamwork and Transparency just as great teaching is. Open Source software is the perfect fit for education. It reflects some of the best practices out there. What is it? Open Source software is free as in freedom (libre) and free as in $0. Rationale for this movement is that a larger group of programmers not concerned with proprietary ownership or financial gain will produce a more useful and bug-free product for everyone to use. The concept relies on peer review to find and eliminate bugs in the program code, a process which commercially developed and packaged programs do not utilize. Programmers on the Internet read, redistribute and modify the source code, forcing an expedient evolution of the product. The process of eliminating bugs and improving the software happens at a much quicker rate than through the traditional development channels of commercial software as the information is shared throughout the open source community and does not originate and channel through a corporation's research and development cogs.

Is Open Source Safe?

Is Open Source more of a risk to my computer then other computer programs?

No. If anything, open-source software has the potential to be safer. Not that it always is, of course.

An open-source program is one whose source code is open to anyone who wishes to study it--or improve upon it. Open-source software is usually free and often public domain. Popular open-source programs include Linux, OpenOffice, GIMP, InkScape and a program you're quite likely use every day to check the internet: Mozilla Firefox.

When everyone has access to the source code, a great many experts are able to examine that code thoroughly and determine if it really is secure. That's prohibitively expensive if the only people with access to the code are on the payroll.

And it's not as if closed-source programs are especially secure. People have always found holes throughout Windows since its conception.

Back in 1999, security expert Bruce Schneier wrote that "Public security is always more secure than proprietary security...For us, open source isn't just a business model; it's smart engineering practice.”

(From Lincoln Spector, PC World)

History of Open Source

The concept of free sharing of technological information existed long before computers. For example, cooking recipes have been shared since the beginning of human culture.

In the early years of automobile development, a group of capital monopolists owned the rights to a 2-cycle gasoline engine patent originally filed by George B. Selden. By controlling this patent, they were able to monopolize the industry and force car manufacturers to adhere to their demands, or risk a lawsuit. In 1911, independent automaker Henry Ford won a challenge to the Selden patent. The result was that the Selden patent became virtually worthless and a new association (which would eventually become the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association) was formed. The new association instituted a cross-licensing agreement among all US auto manufacturers: although each company would develop technology and file patents, these patents were shared openly and without the exchange of money between all the manufacturers. By the time the US entered World War 2, 92 Ford patents and 515 patents from other companies were being shared between these manufacturers, without any exchange of money (or lawsuits).

A collaborative process of the 1960s led to the birth of the Internet in 1969.

Early instances of the free sharing of source code include IBM's source releases of its operating systems and other programs in the 1950s and 1960s, and the SHARE user group that formed to facilitate the exchange of software. In a foreshadowing of the Internet, software with source code included became available on networks in the 1980s.

Example of boards specifically to discuss modification grew at length. A culture of "modding” software and distributing the mods, grew up so extensively. The sharing of source code on the Internet began when the Internet was relatively primitive. Linux became the archetype for organized software development orientated around the sharing of source code.

The label "open source" was adopted by a group of people in the free software movement at a strategy session held in 1998. This group of individuals at the session were the pioneers that came up with the suggested title "open source". Over the next set of weeks they spread the word. Those people who adopted the term used the opportunity before the release of Navigator's source code to free themselves of the ideological and confrontational connotations of the term "free software". Netscape released its source code under the Netscape Public License and later under the Mozilla Public License.

In February 1998, the Open Source Initiative was formed.

The term was given a big boost at an event organized in April 1998 by technology publisher Tim O'Reilly. Originally titled the "Freeware Summit" and later known as the "Open Source Summit". The event brought together the leaders of many of the most important free and open-source project. At that meeting, the confusion caused by the name free software was brought up.

Starting in the early 2000s, a number of companies began to publish a portion of their source code to claim they were open source, while keeping key parts closed. This led to the development of the now widely used terms free open-source software and commercial open-source software to distinguish between truly open and hybrid forms of open source.

Advantages to Open Source

Many people like Open Source for many reasons, here is an overview of some of the more important reasons.

Security: Open Source Software suffers from fewer security vulnerabilities than Microsoft products.

For example, the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team has recommended using web browsers other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and many people are

switching over to the Open Source Firefox web browser for a more secure solution.

Fixed in a considerably shorter amount of time. Updates are released immediately, not on a monthly schedule, and clock in at fewer than 10 MB. Users are notified automatically and prompted to install the update with a single click. The update process doesn’t take more than a minute on a modern computer.

Anyone can contribute and analyze the code making it more secure and constantly increasing the quality.

Features: Open Source programs are often programmed by people who use them, they tend to have much more advanced features that some companies haven’t thought of; or are holding back for future releases.

Advanced Searching & Customization Capabilities

More up to date filters, effects and graphic tools

Increased Security

Some companies don’t release the latest tools to their paying customers and repackage the software to sell a new version to them that is 95% the same. It doesn’t make sense!

Cost: Open Source Software is FREE! Anyone can install a Linux operating system with Open Office and you will be able to go online, create documents, spreadsheets and more.

Edit Manipulate and Fix Photos; Edit Audio and Video; Create Software, Games and more.

A report by the Standish Group states that adoption of open-source software models has resulted in savings of about $60 billion per year for consumers.

Community: In the Open Source community, anyone can take the freely available source code, modify it to suit their needs, and release it back into the community.

Forums allow users the opportunity discuss issues

PDF instruction manuals / templates

Online video tutorials and additional resources are widely made available.

At the heart of open source is one thing: Public Collaboration. Your open source community will build, improve, tear down, rewrite, document, criticize, test, stretch, redefine, and give your software legs and a life that exists way beyond the original authors or any one person. Because of that, your community is your software’s best feature.

II. Software Licenses & Major Contributers

Open Source vs. Freeware vs. Shareware

What are the differences between three models of "free" software, and why does it matter? With all the excitement, many people are actually confusing open source software with two other models of "free" software--with potentially serious consequences. Here, we'll try to clear it up. Freeware The word "freeware" has been so overused, its meaning is no longer clear. Today it is often synonymous with "shareware," but for our purposes, I will define "freeware" as "software which can be downloaded, used, and copied without restrictions.” Legally, the difference between freeware and open source is that you do not have access to the source code. Organizationally, this makes a big difference: There is no community and no development infrastructure around "freeware" as there is around open source software. Thus, while you can use freeware "as is," there is no real way to improve upon it or obtain support for it. Shareware Shareware is a different concept. You can download and try shareware for free, but if you use it, you are supposed to pay for it. It is developed and released by someone who keeps full control of the intellectual property. The user does not have access to the source code and cannot modify it. There is also no collaboration or community around shareware. In the end, the only difference between shareware and commercial software is that you can download and try shareware for free. Like commercial software, you are ultimately dependent on the developer of shareware for enhancements and support. Thus, shareware is "free" as in a "Free Sample”. Open Source Open source means that the source code is available to all potential users, and they are free to use, modify, and re-distribute the source code. Legally, the "free" of open source refers exclusively to the source code, and it is possible to have support, services, documentation, and even binary versions which are not monetarily free. (Although some licenses, notably the GPL, requires that the source code always be freely available in such cases.) In practice, open source usually means that the application is free to users as well as developers. Furthermore, most open source software has communities that support each other and collaborate on development. Therefore, unlike freeware, there are future enhancements, and, unlike shareware, users are not dependent on a single organization. Open source advocates like to say that open source software is "free" as in "free speech," which is true. Since the user has the source code, it's also usually "free" as in "free lunch," even if sometimes you'd have to tip the waiter to get good service or pay for the wine.

Google & Android The open source movement has been around for years, but just recently it has received a major boost from one of the biggest companies in the 21st century. Recognizing the vital role that open source software plays at Google, they unveiled a wide variety of options to help develop your own open source project through Open Source Programs Office. Its objective is tasked with maintaining a healthy relationship with the open source software development community. In addition to that, Google financially backed the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., and later purchased it in 2005. The unveiling of the Android distribution in 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 86 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google releases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.

Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("Apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java. Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Google Play (formerly Android Market), the app store run by Google. In June 2012, there were more than 600,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play was 20 billion.

Android became the world’s leading Smartphone platform at the end of 2010. For the first quarter of 2012, Android had a 59% Smartphone market share worldwide. At the half of 2012, there were 400 million devices activated and 1 million activations per day. Analysts point to the advantage to Android of being a multi-channel, multi-carrier Operating System.

Google is coming to the Open Source party a little late compared to the giant LINUX.

Linux

If you're new to Linux and want to find out more about the fastest growing operating system today, all you have to do is check out: http://www.linux.org Linux is a very popular operating system, followed by thousands of people each day.

Linux is an operating system that evolved from a kernel created by Linus Torvalds when he was a student at the University of Helsinki. Generally, it is obvious to most people what Linux is. However, both for political and practical reasons, it needs to be explained further. To say that Linux is an operating system means that it's meant to be used as an alternative to other operating systems, Windows, Mac OS, MS-DOS, Solaris and others. Linux is not a program like a word processor and is not a set of programs like an office suite. Linux is an interface between computer/server hardware, and the programs which run on it. A brief history of Linux When Linus Torvalds was studying at the University of Helsinki, he was using a version of the UNIX operating system called 'Minix'. Linus and other users sent requests for modifications and improvements to Minix's creator, Andrew Tanenbaum, but he felt that they weren't necessary. That's when Linus decided to create his own operating system that would take into account users' comments and suggestions for improvements. Free Software pre-Linux This philosophy of asking for users' comments and suggestions and using them to improve computer programs was not new. Richard Stallman, who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had been advocating just such an approach to computer programming and use since the early 1970's. He was a pioneer in the concept of 'free software', always pointing out that 'free' means 'freedom', not zero cost. The kernel We should point out here that the focal point of any operating system is its 'kernel'. Without going into great detail, the kernel is what tells the big chip that controls your computer to do what you want the program that you're using to do. To use a metaphor, if you go to your favorite Italian restaurant and order 'Spaghetti alla Bolognese', this dish is like your operating system. There are a lot of things that go into making that dish like pasta, tomato sauce, meatballs and cheese. Well, the kernel is like the pasta. Without pasta, that dish doesn't exist. You might as well find some bread and make a sandwich. A plate of just pasta is fairly unappetizing. Without a kernel, an operating system doesn't exist. Without programs, a kernel is useless. 1991, a fateful year In 1991, ideal conditions existed that would create Linux. In essence, Linus Torvalds had a kernel but no programs of his own, Richard Stallman and GNU had programs but no working kernel. Linux is introduced Late in 1991, Linus Torvalds had his kernel and a few GNU programs wrapped around it so it would work well enough to show other people what he had done. And that's what he did. The first people to see Linux knew that Linus was on to something. At this point, though, he needed more people to help him.

People all over the world decided to take him up on it. At first, only people with extensive computer programming knowledge would be able to do anything with that early public version of Linux. These people started to offer their help. The version numbers of Linux were getting higher and higher. People began writing programs specifically to be run under Linux. Developers began writing drivers for different video cards, sound cards and other gadgets inside and outside your computer could use Linux. Nevertheless, throughout most of first part of the 1990's Linux did not get out of the 'GURU' stage. GURU is a term that has evolved to mean anyone who has special expertise in a particular subject. That is, you had to have special expertise in how computers worked to be able to install Linux in those days. Linux, at first, was not for everybody. Other popular software companies sold you a CD or a set of floppies and a brief instruction booklet and in probably less than a half an hour, you could install a fully working operating system on your PC. The only ability you needed was knowing how to read. Those companies had that intention when they actually sat down and developed their operating systems. Linus Torvalds didn't have that in mind when he developed Linux. It was just a hobby for him. Later Where Linux is Today Today, Linux is enjoying a favourable press for the most part. This comes from the fact that Linux has proven to be a tremendously stable and versatile operating system, particularly as a network server. When Linux is deployed as a web server or in corporate networks, its down-time is almost negligible. There have been cases when Linux servers have been running for more than a year without re-booting and then only taken down for a brief period for routine maintenance. Its cost effectiveness has sold it more than anything else. Linux can be installed on a home PC as well as a network server for a fraction of the cost of other companies' software packages. More reliability and less cost - it's ideal.

Linux in the spring of 2012 released to favourable reviews it’s most up to date and complete operating system Ubuntu that many believe surpasses Windows and Apple. Creators of the new operating system believes that the operating system will see 20 million new PCs sold with Ubuntu in 2012, and that's not counting people who install it. Also in development is software for mobile devices, TV’s, and more. Ubuntu is free and it always will be.

III. Examples Of Open Source: Basic Computer Use

Operating Systems

Just as there is open source software for computer programs, there is also open source software for the entire computer’s operating system. Introducing you to Ubuntu, it competes with Apple’s OS and Microsoft Windows.

Ubuntu is Super-fast, easy to use and free, the Ubuntu operating system powers millions of desktops, netbooks and servers around the world. Ubuntu does everything you need it to. It'll work with your existing

PC files, printers, cameras and MP3 players. And it comes with thousands of free apps.

Advantages:

• Thousands of FREE Apps • Built-In Security • Free Upgrades For Life and more.

Other Open Source Operating Systems

edubuntu

Edubuntu is an educational operating system that is a part of the Ubuntu family. It aims to make Ubuntu, the popular Linux-based operating system, a great choice for the computing needs of children, students, parents, teachers, and schools.

Jolicloud

Jolicloud is a Linux-based operating system based on Ubuntu Linux, but is tweaked for netbooks and other computers with limited disk storage, memory, and screen size.

NetBSD

NetBSD is a free, secure, and highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system available for many platforms, from large-scale server systems to powerful desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices.

Dreamlinux

Dreamlinux is a modern and modular Linux system that can be run directly from the CD and optionally be easily installed onto your Hard Drive.

As most companies will update their operating systems for a price, Ubuntu has stated that it is “free and it always will be.”

Web Browsers

Mozilla Firefox (in Comparison to Microsoft Internet Explorer) Firefox is a serious competitor to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Over the last few years, it has severely diminished IE's dominance. And the latest version of Firefox is better than ever. Mozilla has heavily overhauled Firefox's look. The entire top area of the window is slimmed down. More of your screen is devoted to viewing Web content.

Safe Browsing Microsoft's Internet Explorer’s is rife with security holes. Many of these security problems have been patched through Windows updates. But new ones continue to appear. I recommend that you switch to the Firefox browser. It's free and inherently safer.

Other Open Source Web Browsers

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.

Flock

Flock is a cross platform web browser built on Mozilla’s Firefox codebase. It is well known for its ‘web 2.0� fatures, seamlessly integrating social media and networking services such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, etc.

Sea Monkey

Sea Monkey is an all in one web-browser, advanced e-mail and newsgroup client, IRC chat client, and HTML editing suite.

Amaya

Amaya is a Web editor/Browser, i.e. a tool used to create and update documents directly on the Web. Browsing features are seamlessly integrated with the editing and remote access features in a uniform environment. This follows the original vision of the Web as a space for collaboration and not just a one-way publishing medium.

Virus Protection

There are tens of thousands of pieces of malware circulating on the Internet. These include viruses, worms, Trojans, other monsters. To counter malware, use antivirus software. You should only run one antivirus program on your computer. Make sure to keep it updated, as virus definitions are constantly being added.

Virus Protection Software (Norton Internet Security 2012 - $50) • AVG AntiVirus(freeware) • avast! (freeware) • Avira AntiVir Personal (freeware) • Microsoft Security Essentials (freeware) • Panda Cloud Antivirus(freeware) and more.

Open Source Virus Protection

Untangle

Untangle is a software suite that effectively acts as a router, firewall, spam blocker, web filter, virus blocker, fishing blocker, etc …. It is easy to use and sets up in a flash.

ClamWin

ClamWin is a Free Antivirus program for Microsoft Windows 7 / Vista / XP / Me / 2000 / 98 and Windows Server 2008 and 2003. It’s used by more than 600,000 users worldwide. It comes with an easy installer and open source code. Download is easy and absolutely free of charge

Computer Maintenance

Virus protection aside, another important step in computer maintenance is the practice of keeping your computer in a good state, checking the disk usage, speed and cleaning it frequently.

CCleaner This program cleans browser tracks and cookies for almost all popular browsers out there, take care of unused icons, invalid shortcuts, DLLs and clean the MRU and recent document history as well.

Spybot - Search & Destroy Spybot can detect and remove a multitude of adware files and modules from your computer. Spybot also can clean programs and Web-usage tracks from your system, which is especially useful if you share your computer with other users.

IV. Examples Of Open Source: General Tasks

Compression

Compressing files is the perfect way to help you stay organized, share information easily, and get your work done faster!

• Organize thousands of files into small, manageable packages

• Save storage space and fit more onto portable media

• Improve uploading/downloading times and reduce bandwidth usage

• Send smaller, faster email attachments with fewer server issues

Open Source Compression Tools

7-Zip

7-Zip (Windows) is an open source file archiver. 7-Zip operates with the 7z archive format, but can read and write several other archive formats such as: ZIP, RAR, CAB, APM and more.

Unarchiver

Uncompress RAR, 7zip, tar, and bz2 files on your Mac. Many new Mac users will be puzzled the first time they download a RAR file. Do them a favour and download UnRarX for them!

PDF Conversion

PDFforge

PDFCreator is a free tool to create PDF files from nearly any Windows application. Create PDF’s and send them via email, encrypt them or merge multiple files into one PDF.

CALIBRE

Calibre is a free and open source e-book library management application developed by users of e-books for users of e-books.

V. Examples Of Open Source: Desktop Publishing

Email

Sometimes your web based email account can’t do it all. In fact, sometimes they can be unreliable. If you need to be able to have the ability to share email folders, contacts, calendars, files, and carry out online document authoring with internal or external users, download one of the following.

• Contact Lists

• Calendar and Appointment bookings

• Online document authoring

Email Open Source Programs

Mozilla Thunderbird

Organize, secure and customize your email with Thunderbird – a solid application, tried, tested and used widely.

Claws Mail

Claws Mail is a cross platform email client with a lot of interesting features including support for RSS and newsgroups.

Also Check out Spicebird (Beta/Freeware)

Word and Office Suites

Apache OpenOffice is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.

Easy To Use OpenOffice is easy to learn, and if you're already using another office software package, you'll take to OpenOffice straight away. Our world-wide native-language community means that OpenOffice is probably available and supported in your own language. And if you already have files from another office package - OpenOffice will probably read them with no difficulty. Other Open Source Office Suites

AbiWord

AbiWord is a word processor lighter and quicker than OpenOffice’s Writer. It’s compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format too.

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a productivity suite that is compatible with other major office suites, and available on a variety of platforms. It is free software and therefore free to download, use and distribute.

KOffice

KOffice is an integrated open source office suite, comprising (principally) KWord, KSpread and KPresenter. Combined, these software components form an intuitive desktop publisher application. With it, you can create informative and attractive documents with pleasure and ease.

Desktop Publishing

Scribus is an Open Source program that brings professional page layout to Linux/UNIX, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4/eComStation and Windows desktops with a combination of press-ready output and new approaches to page design.

Underneath a modern and user-friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as color separations, CMYK and Spot Color support, ICC color management, and versatile PDF creation.

Easy To Use Scribus is a powerful desktop publishing software that helps you create great looking documents of all kinds. It also comes with a lot of support options to help you achieve the best result. There is an enthusiastic and friendly community around Scribus that assists beginners and professionals alike through our mailing list, IRC channel, wiki, contracted support, and the bugtracker.

You can create amazing publications with Scribus like the examples to the right.

Examples

Personal and Business Finance

GnuCash is personal and small-business financial-accounting software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL and available for GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.

Designed to be easy to use, yet powerful and flexible, GnuCash allows you to track bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. As quick and intuitive to use as a checkbook register, it is based on professional accounting principles to ensure balanced books and accurate reports.

TurboCASH TurboCASH .7 is an accounting package distributed under General Public Licence (GPL). It is one of the world’s first fully-featured open source accounts packages for small business.

TurboCASH is available in 25 languages, covering over 80 different tax regimes.

BUDDI Buddi is a simple budgeting program targeted for users with little or no financial background. It allows users to set up accounts and categories, record transactions, check spending habits, etc.

Other Open Source Business Accounting Tools

Ehour

eHour is an open source web-based time tracking tool for companies and organizations who need accurate information on how much time is spend on projects by their people.

SIWAPP

An open source web application meant to help manage & create invoices in a simple, straightforward way.

QuantLib

A quantitative finance C++ library for modeling, pricing, trading, and risk management in real-life. A cross-platform free/open-source tool for derivatives and financial engineering.

VI. Getting Creative in an Open Source Environment:

Photo Editing

GIMP Like Photoshop, this free program can handle digital art, photo editing, website design and much more. It may not have some of Photoshop's most advanced features, but it is free and all many people will need.

One of the most powerful general-purpose image editors around, the upgrades make the GNU Image Manipulation Program eminently comparable to

Photoshop. Older features include channels, layers and masks, filters and effects, tabbed palettes, editable text tools, perspective clone, improved printing, and color operations such as levels.

The application provides professional tools that can stand against the big boys without the hefty price tag. Even the installation process has gotten simpler. Extremely powerful and easy to work with, GIMP is ideal for both amateur and pro photographers, Web designers, or anyone who wants to create and edit professional-quality digital images on a budget.

Other Open Source Photo Editing Tools

GIMPSHOP

GIMPshop is a modification of the free/open source GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), intended to replicate the feel of Adobe Photoshop. Its primary purpose is to make users of Photoshop feel comfortable using GIMP.

digiKam

digiKam is an advanced digital photo management and editing application that uses KDE SC 4 desktop environment technologies.

Darktable

Darktable is a virtual light table and darkroom for photographers: it manages your digital negatives in a database and lets you view them through a zoomable light table. it also enables you to develop raw images and enhance them.

Rawstudio

Rawstudio is an open-source program to read and manipulate RAW images from most digital cameras and convert RAW files into JPEG, PNG or TIFF images.

Drawing and Illustration

Inkscape Vector graphics are a staple of logo and Web design. Create top-notch vector images with this powerful free program.

An Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Xara X, using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format.

Pinta is a drawing/editing program modeled after Paint.NET. Its goal is to provide a simplified alternative to GIMP for casual users.

Video Playback and Conversion

VLC Media Player is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVD, Audio CD, VCD, and various streaming protocols.

• Simple, fast and powerful media player.

• Plays everything: Files, Discs, Webcams, Devices and Streams.

• Plays most codecs with no codec packs needed: MPEG-2, DivX, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, MP3...

MIRO Beautiful interface. Plays any video type (much more than windows media player). Subscribe to video RSS, download, and watch all in one. Search and download from YouTube and others.

Video Conversion Tools

Miro Video Converter

Convert any type of video to mp4 or theora. Convert any video for use with iPhone, iPod, Android, etc. Very clean, easy to use interface.

Audio Playback and Conversion

Songbird Sure iTunes is a free, capable media organizer. However, it doesn't work well with non-Apple products. Instead, use Songbird. It supports more file types, can import iTunes libraries and can support more types of mp3/media players.

Video Editing

Lightworks is an Academy and Emmy award winning professional-grade video editor with over 20 years of history in the film and broadcast industry. It includes a full feature set of editorial tools from

advanced trimming and media management, to stereoscopic support and real-time effects including multiple secondary colour correctors.

Avidemux

Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs.

Open Movie Editor

Open Movie Editor is a free and open source video editing program, designed for basic movie making capabilities. It aims to be powerful enough for the amateur movie artist, yet easy to use.

Audio Editing

Audacity is open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is a solid cross-platform sound editor supporting multiple formats with an intuitive graphic user interface. Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:

• Record live audio.

• Convert tapes and records into digital

• Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.

• Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together. • Change the speed or pitch of a recording.

3D Animation

Blender is a free and open-source 3D computer graphics software product used for creating animated films, visual effects, interactive 3D applications or video games. It contains all the tools you need to make 3-D models, scenes, animations and even games.

VII. Open Source Software Glossary

Apache An open source program for hosting Web pages.

Backend The servers and other hardware that support a network. A typical backend includes an Internet gateway, Web servers, and email servers. Compared to a desktop computer, backend solutions are usually complicated and challenging, whether proprietary or open source.

Beta testing The process of testing and improving unfinished software. Beta testing is most useful when the testers aren't the original programmers and can provide specific, meaningful feedback. The open source model is sometimes considered permanent beta testing, since every program can be perpetually tested and improved.

Binary The 1's and 0's of a compiled computer program. Computers can only understand binary, but programmers can't understand binary and need source code to fix or change a program.

Bug Error in a program that cause problems.

Business model The plan a company uses to generate revenue. Companies that distribute open source software can't depend on control of the source code for their business model, so they have to thrive on service and other sources of revenue.

Capacity A school's ability to create and support solutions. Capacity depends on good tech planning to retain staff, build expertise, deploy modular solutions, maintain some reliable solutions while experimenting for the future, and otherwise take ownership of the options and impact of technology.

Careware An alternative software "licensing" program. The distributor asks the user to pay money for the software; instead, the distributor asks for a postcard, a story, or some other form of gratitude. Thus, the software transmits a philosophy as well as functionality.

Client A computer accessing a server. If you're reading this page online your computer is accessing one or more servers, so it's currently a client. In computer science lingo, computers are clients while people are users.

Closed source A program without accessible source code.

Compatibility How well a program works with a different program, especially sharing files.

Copyleft The opposite of copyright, as explained by Richard Stallman. Where copyright protects a creator's right to control copies and changes to a work, copyleft protects a user's right to copy and change a work.

Cracking Illegally accessing source code. Cracking also refers to other illegal activities, like copying video or music. Among computer programmers, hacking is skillful programming, while cracking is malicious. Open source software can't be "cracked" because it's already open. Also called "black hat hacking."

Debug Troubleshooting software, to find and fix mistakes ("bugs"). Requires access to the source code; otherwise, a programmer can only find mistakes.

Driver Special software for controlling hardware. Without the right driver, hardware (like a CD-ROM drive) won't work.

Encryption Complicated software or other methods to protect user privacy and prevent strangers from reading personal content (e.g. email). Many open source proponents also advocate for encryption, and open source software is better for encryption because it reduces the possibility of spyware.

Free software Like open source software, any computer program with accessible source code. Anyone is legally and technically able to change and/or redistribute the software. Unlike open source software, the source code can't be included in future closed source software.

Freeware Software distributed at no or neglible cost. May be free software, but not necessarily. Same as: No-fee software.

GNU Graphical Manipulation Program (GIMP) An open source image editor. Very similiar to Adobe Photoshop.

GNU An open source operating system still in development. Richard Stallman founded the GNU project, as well as the Free Software Foundation. GNU stands for "GNU's Not UNIX" and is designed to be UNIX-compatible. Linus Torvalds used the free tools from the FSF to make his own open source operating system: Linux.

GPL The GNU Public License. The GPL was created by Richard Stallman to enforce the principles of free software. Where most software licenses restrict the rights of the user (e.g. to make copies), the GPL protects the rights of the user. Stallman calls this idea copyleft.

Groupware Software to communicate and collaborate in a group. Scheduling software is groupware. Same as: workgroup productivity software

Graphical User Interface (GUI; "gooey") The visual symbols and choices to control a program. Most GUI's use windows, menus, and toolbars. Most operating systems use GUI's because most users are uncomfortable with a less user friendly interface like a command line.

Initial Public Offering (IPO) The initial sale of stock in a public corporation. The dot-com boom of the late 1990's coincided with the mainstreaming of open source software, leading to some over-rated IPO's for open source companies.

Interoperability How well a program works with another program, especially different operating systems. For, OpenOffice.org has strong interoperability because versions exist for Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Linux, and Sun Solaris.

License The official terms of use for a specific program. A software license is a legal document since it formally restricts the rights of the user. Some open source licenses (e.g. GPL) are radical reactions to restrictive licenses, under the idea of copyleft.

Linux The leading project to create an open source operating system. The most successful example of open source software.

Linux Users Group (LUG) A grassroots organization of mutual support and community, especially for Linux hobbyists. Schools may find significant help from local LUGs.

Mindshare How many people are aware of a product or idea. Mindshare is marketing term; companies want to build mindshare for their products and services. In software, proprietary software (e.g. Microsoft) enjoys far more mindshare than open source (e.g. Linux).

Open source software (OSS) Any computer program with accessible source code. Anyone is legally and technically able to change and/or redistribute the software. Unlike free software, the source code can be included in future closed source software. Open source is a controversial term that is still being defined.

Operating System (OS) The essential software to control both the hardware and other software of a computer. An operating system's most obvious features are managing files and applications. An OS also manages a computer's connection to a network, if one exists. Microsoft Windows, Macintosh OS, and Linux are operating systems.

Open Source Initiative (OSI) The nonprofit organization behind the open source movement. Key leaders are Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens. The OSI's Open Source Definition and Open Source Certification Mark were created to distinguish open source from free software. As a result, open source is considered more business-friendly than free software.

Opportunity cost The cost in dollars or stress when old choices prevent new choices. For example, by migrating to Linux a school might foreclose on using future software developed for Microsoft Windows.

Proprietary software Software without accessible source code. Most users only buy or receive the binary. Sometimes called "closed source."

Shared source A Microsoft plan to make some of its software transparent to some users. This is not open source because only some people have access to the source code and they can't make changes or copies.

Shareware Software you can use without paying for upfront. If you regularly use the software or want all the features you pay for it. Not necessarily open source. Not the same as freeware.

Source code The special language a program is written in. A programmer needs to source code to fix or change a program.

Spyware Secret code hidden in an otherwise harmless program. Spyware permits unauthorized access to a computer, allowing someone else to observe the user, read data, or even control the computer. Open source is transparent, so it's nearly impossible to hide spyware.

Third-party program Typically, a program developed for another company's operating system. (The first party is the customer. The second party is the operating system company.) Third-party programs depend on the success of the operating system for their own sales.

VIII. Open Source Software Useful Links

http://opensource.org/

http://osliving.com/

http://opensourceschools.org.uk/

http://opensourcewindows.org/

http://opensourcemac.org/

http://opensource.com/

http://sourceforge.net/

http://opensourcematters.org/

http://download.cnet.com/windows/

http://www.oswd.org/

http://opensource.apple.com/

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