An introduction to free software

FREE SOFTWARE
An Introduction
Introduction to Free Software 1

What is software?


software: n computer programs that
control the operation of computer
hardware; computer program (or
analogous) accessories (other than the
actual parts of a computer, etc); video
cassettes and discs; material recorded in
microform.


Software : Function: noun Date: 1958
Something used or associated with and
usually contrasted with hardware: as a:
the entire set of programs, procedures,
and related documentation associated
with a system, especially a computer
system; specifically: a computer
program b: materials for use with
audio‐visual equipment


What is meant by free?


Free not as in free lunch
(not cost)


Free as in free speech
(freedom)

What freedoms?


Freedom 0
(use)

The freedom to run the
program, for any purpose.


Freedom 1
(study)

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


Freedom 2
(copy and share)

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


Freedom 3
(modify and distribute)

The freedom to improve the program,
and release your improvements (and
modified versions in general) to the
public, so that the whole community
benefits .
(Access to the source code is a precondition for this.)


A program is free software
if users have all of these
freedoms.


The free software movement was
started by Richard Stallman
(born 16 March 1953) in 1983.

Cover page of a book on Stallman

The Free Software Foundation
was founded in 1985.

http://www.fsf.org/

FSF‐India was inaugurated
on 20 Jan 2001

Richard Stallman Inaugurated Free
Software Foundation‐India, First Affiliate in
Asia of the Free Software Foundation on 20
January 2001

Chief Minister V.S.
Achuthanandan with Richard M
Stallman at the inauguration of a
seminar `Free software for
Kerala's development' in
Thiruvananthapuram on Monday,
21 August 2006.


Freeware ≠ Free software


The antonym of free software is
“proprietary software"
or
"non‐free software"


Categories of Free and Non‐Free Software

The concept of copyleft is used to
protect the freedoms associated
with free software legally for
everyone.

Free Software Licenses


Free Software Licenses
A free software license is a softwrae license
which grants recipients rights to modify and
redistribute the software which would
otherwise be prohibited by copyright law. A
free software license grants, to the
recipients, freedoms in the form of
permissions to modify or distribute
copyrighted work.

GNU General Public License v.3

Eben Moglen
Founder and director of the
Software Freedom Law
Center defending Free
Software legal Interests.
GNU GPLv3 writer.
“Anything that is worth
copying is worth sharing.”

Some proprietary software
packages


Proprietary software: Microsoft Windows


Proprietary software: Adobe Flashplayer


Proprietary software: Google Earth


Some free software packages


GNU Operating System

http://www.gnu.org/

What is GNU?

GNU : “GNU is Not Unix”


GNU was proposed as a complete
operating system compatible with Unix.

The project to develop the GNU system is
called the GNU Project.

The GNU Project was launched in 1983 by
Richard Stallman.


By 1990, all major components like
compilers, editors, text formatters, mail
software, etc., except the kernel, were
finished.
In 1992, Linus Torvalds made available a
Unix‐like kernel called Linux as free
software.
Combining Linux with the almost‐complete
GNU system resulted in a complete
operating system: the GNU/Linux system.

Gnu is also the name of an animal
found in Africa with an ox‐like head,
horse‐like mane and buffalo‐like
horns.

Gnus

Linux kernel
http://www.linux.org/

The Linux kernel was initially
conceived and created by
Finnish computer science
student Linus Torvalds in (born
December 28, 1969) in 1991.


GNU/Linux distributions



http://www.debian.org/


http://www.redhat.com/


http://fedoraproject.org/


http://www.ubuntu.com/


http://www.opensuse.org/en/


http://bosslinux.in/

Free software doesn’t
imply Linux!


Some more free
software products


More free software

GNU Compiler Collection

http://gcc.gnu.org/

More free software

Relational Database Management System

http://www.mysql.com/

More free software

Apache HTTP Server

http://httpd.apache.org/

More free software

GIMP
(GNU Image Manipulation Program)

http://www.gimp.org/

More free software

A typesetting system

http://www.tug.org/

More free software

http://www.mozilla.org/

More free software

http://www.openoffice.org/

More free software


Advantages of free software



Better quality:
because the code can be
revised by many different
programmers


More security:
having many developers look into the
code as potential users is more likely to
uncover possible security holes right
away.
It is more resistant to hangs
and crashes
It doesn’t get infected by virus easily.

Collective ownership and effort



Price:
In the Free Software world,
users pay for services. 99% of
free software has zero cost.


Once free software is written, it never
disappears.

Lotus discontinued, now what?
Netscape freed, continued as Mozilla.



The biggest advantage free
software has is that it doesn’t
tie you down to anyone.


Benefits for a company
1. Future compatibility guaranteed with
other applications and systems.
2. Not tied to any enterprise and/or
country.
3. Hire your own developers
4. Lot of support over the internet
5. Save millions on licenses

Benefits for the humanity:


Benefits for the humanity:
1. Avoid monopolies.
2. Impossible to insert “backdoors” for
data gathering.
3. Share knowledge.
4. No “big brothers”.
5. Users can get an active part in the
development: One doesn’t need
programming knowledge, can send
ideas to developers.

Some Myths about
Free Software


1. FS is inferior to proprietary software.
2. FS is piracy (or at least encourages it).
3. FS has no support.
4. FS is only for developers.
5. If software costs nothing, it's no good.

6. FS is only good for small projects.
7. FS is unable to develop games.
8. FS is all about price.
9. Using FS means working from the command line.
10. FS is unable to innovate.

11. Big companies don't use FS.
12. If I give away my software to the FS community, thousands of
developers will suddenly start working for me for nothing.
13. There is no money to be made on FS.

Defend freedom.
Promote free software.

Dr. V N Krishnachandran
Department of Computer Applications
Vidya Academy of Science and Technology
Thalakkottukara, Thrissur ‐ 680501


An introduction to free software

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An introduction to free software