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Introduction To Free Software

The document provides an introduction to free software, discussing topics like what free software is, the history of key free software projects and organizations like GNU and the Free Software Foundation, the importance of software freedom, and recommendations for learning about and using free software.

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tomsds5310
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© © All Rights Reserved
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87 views

Introduction To Free Software

The document provides an introduction to free software, discussing topics like what free software is, the history of key free software projects and organizations like GNU and the Free Software Foundation, the importance of software freedom, and recommendations for learning about and using free software.

Uploaded by

tomsds5310
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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An Introduction to Free Software

Anoop Jacob Thomas


http://anoop.caremedia.org
[email protected]

A note on Software

C - Hello World program


int main(){
printf(Hello World!);
return 0;
}

Java - Hello World program


public class hello {
public static void main(String args[]) {
System.out.println(Hello World!);
}
}

Binary Code
However, in machine language,
a small section of it may look similar to this:
1100011110111010100101001001001010101110
0110101010011000001111001011010101111101
0100111111111110010110110000000010100100
0100100001100101011011000110110001101111
0010000001010111011011110111001001101100
0110010000100001010000100110111101101111

Difficult to understand & debug

Source Code

Source Code is readable and easy to understand


Source code is easy to modify

'Free' in Free Software

Free of Cost
Free from any barriers

It's all about freedom


FREE SOFTWARE

Freedom is not inherently secure

Defend
Value
Understand

Free Software Foundation

www.fsf.org

Free Software Foundation

www.fsf.org

Free Software Foundation

www.fsf.org

Free Software Foundation

www.fsf.org

Richard Matthew Stallman (RMS)

www.stallman.org

Life as a Hacker at MIT AI Lab

Started working in 1971


Used PDP-10 Computers with ITS OS (Incompatible
Time Sharing system)
Their culture was based on Code sharing
Things changed from early 1980's

Life as a Hacker at MIT AI Lab(cont)


Upgraded to PDP-11
New laser printer was donated by Xerox with
proprietary driver
Problem with Printer Driver
Hackers decide to modify driver to fix the problem
but.........

GNU 'GNU is Not Unix'

GNU project started in 1983


FSF started in 1985

An operating system compatible with UNIX


Operating System = Kernel + Application Programs

Linux Kernel

Linux is the Kernel


GNU/Linux is the Operating System

* Freedom to use the program for any purpose


* Freedom to

study how the program works & adapt it to your needs

* Freedom to

redistribute copies so that you can help your neighbours.

Freedom to improve the program & release the improvements to


public, so that the whole community benefits.

Copyleft vs Copyright

Applications

GNU/Linux Distributions
Application Programs
GUI
GNU Tools
Kernel

Free Software business model

Free Software is not about non-commercial stuff


Based on Service
Anyone can be a developer

Software Patents
Software Patents restrict developing new
technologies or restrict using existing technologies.

Using Non-Free Softwares in Free


Software Systems

Gain popularity of GNU/Linux system or other free


software systems.
Users are unaware of the Freedoms and the need for
Free Software.

GNU Free Document License

Learning without restrictions


GNU FDL
Creative Commons to secure author's rights

Green Computing

Old PC + GNU/Linux = Green Computing


Reduces e-waste

badvista.org

Why use Free Software in Schools?

Zero Cost of ownership


Education is possible
Gratis copies are Traps
Learning actual standards

What you can do?

As a Computer Student
* Take existing projects as Main Projects & modify
* Create new projects and release as Free Softwares
so that the whole community benefits
As Non-Computer Science students
* Contribute to localization of projects

Recommendations for you!

* Join a Free Software User Group


www.ilug-tvm.org (FSUG-Tvm)
* Create a Free Software Cell
Free Software Cell SHM College
* Create a Local FSUG/GLUG
FSUG Kadakkal

Projects I work for

journoleaf.org uses mediawiki engine


freedom.caremedia.org resources for free softwares
(uses mambo & gallery2)
hackurl.com URL shortening service

Questions?

Thank you!

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the
terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version
published by the Free Software Foundation.

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html
Created using OpenOffice.org Impress
&
GIMP

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