Monday, June 25, 2007

Is Microsoft turning open source friendly?

We already now that Microsoft has it's own open source software blog. We know that the Redmond Mogul is dipping it's toes in sharing open source software. And after the deals with Novell, Linspire and Xandros we also know that something is brewing at Microsoft headquarters.

But a Microsoft that is actively promoting the use of competitive open source software, I guess that is kind of new. Groklaw reports that the Microsoft Marketplace offered a download of Ubuntu Linux for a short while and that at least 10.000 users actually did that.

So, thanks to Microsoft we might have about 10.000 extra converts to Linux. If the majority are actually Dutch speaking our book could be a bestseller.

And the internet has more good news. Microsoft is a Gold Sponsor for the FOSS-ed for Windows convention in Sri Lanka. You can see the familiar logo at the bottom of the page. A quote:

While there is a trend in the industry moving towards GNU/Linux and Free and Open Source Software - FOSS - Microsoft Windows is still a dominating force. Many applications have been developed around it and many continue to do so. Most of this software is also proprietary and includes heavy license fees. Proprietary software may cost anything from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars for licensing fees alone. As a developing country, most individuals and even companies cannot afford such prices and resort to using illegal copies of software. Pirated software may cost only a fraction of the actual price but the implications can be far greater.

So are there viable alternatives to be used in the Windows environment? The answer is YES! Alternatives that don't have exorbitant licensing fees and will not result in intellectual property violation lawsuits being slapped against you! Alternatives that do not involve high maintenance costs either, are customisable, regularly and quickly provide security fixes in response to feedback and also have community driven support. What are these wonderful viable alternatives? It's Free and Open Source Software that run on Windows too! A large and wonderful catalog of FOSS applications exist for Windows users today. From Web browsers and mail clients to graphics software and content management systems, it's all out there ready to download and use! If you want to know more come check out FOSS-ed for Windows: THE event for all you decision makers to find out how YOU can benefit from FOSS while still continuing to use Windows.

Yes, you read correctly. Microsoft is supporting a convention that wants to fight the piracy of (Microsoft) software by promoting the use of open source alternatives. Maybe my argument that Microsoft is no longer the evil company it once was has some validitiy after all. Next: Microsoft open sources Office 2007.

Monday, June 18, 2007

BSD revisited

It's been a few years since I dabbled in BSD. I was enthused enough about it to help out with a new project that aims at creating a BSD certification. Due to some health problems I had to let that go. But why is BSD appealing?

I am playing with Linux for somewhat more than five years. Soon after I ran into BSD as it was mentioned in newsgroups by some who didn't like Linux anymore, as it became too userfriendly and GUI-based. Led more by curiosity than by knowledge I dove into the world of BSD.

Linux has it's roots in Unix, but BSD is Unix (though it would be better to say Unix-like) and proudly carries it's torch. The hard work of a team of developers removed all proprietary code from the original Unix in the early 1990s. The BSD license differs somewhat from the GPL, which allowed for instance Microsoft to use parts in it's Windows operating system. Binary, closed source redistribution is allowed under the BSD license.

I also found the BSD playing field refreshingly simple. At that time you had three big names. OpenBSD with a very very high focus on security, NetBSD aiming at maximum portability and FreeBSD as the accessible BSD. OpenBSD is hardly a fringe OS as it is the backbone of a serious part of the internet infrastructure. In terms of security it is unparallelled.

At that time FreeBSD was the only one I could really do something with. I was still working mostly under Windows and was glad the then current Linux distributions had a graphical installer. FreeBSD had some features that made it "easy" to install, like the autopartition option and the exemplary FreeBSD Handbook, which is something Linux distributions might take a look at. Once installed it looked similar to your average Linux desktop, which should not be surprising since the KDE and GNOME desktops are available for yours truly.

A few years ago Distrowatch decided to incude BSD in it's listings. As I recall that didn't happen without some criticism as some were determined to focus more on the differences between BSD and Linux than on seeing two major open source movements with widely shared goals and methods. If you like to know more about the differences and similarities of BSD and Linux this article might interest you. A quick look at the Distrowatch website will also reveal that there has been some change in the BSD world. Currently it lists twelve active BSD versions of which FreeBSD as the highest ranking, followed by PC-BSD and DesktopBSD.

You won't find many articles or references in mainstream IT magazines and most of the Linux crowd wouldn't know where to start either. Two interesting starting points would be the BSD section of Slashdot or the BSD dev center pages with O'Reilly. Dru Lavigne, front woman for the BSD Certification Group, established author for books on BSD and BSD advocate keeps a blog at ittoolbox. Once you start digging you will find that BSD has very active and involved communities, an example of which can be found at BSDForums.

Back to the original question: "What makes BSD appealing?". First, it is firmly rooted in decades of Unix history, even more than Linux, with a very strong focus on security and stability.  In recent years FreeBSD tried to follow a more Linux-like release pattern resulting in more buggy and unstable releases. A nuisance and accepted custom in the Linux wolrd, but a mortal sin in the BSD world but the FreeBSD team seems to be back on the original track again. Second, many BSD features have found and are finding their way into Linux distributions. One example, the methods you can use to install software. FreeBSD offers two systems, via the ports collection (installing from source) and via packages (pre-built binaries). Gentoo's Portage ows much to FeeeBSD. And don't think you are restricted in your choice of software. At the time of writing there were 17.300 ports, which is slightly less than the Debian repositories.  This means that you won't miss much when you use FreeBSD instead of your Linux distribution. Third, BSD support various hardware platforms. NetBSD has perhaps the widest support, but FreeBSD is holding it's own with support for Alpha, AMD64, i386, IA64, PC98, PowerPC and Sparc64.  Fourth, it is highly educational to get acquainted with BSD. Digging into OpenBSD will definitely enhance your security awareness. Personally I learned some hardcore skills for Linux via Unix and BSD. Fifth, we all want to be geeks right ;-) . Within our own Linux circles you can enhance your standing by casually dropping into a conversation that you use BSD on your server. Some might not agree with your choice, but at least you are the centre of attention and carry geekdom one step further.

My next question would be whether FreeBSD is a good choice for the desktop or if one of the other BSD's might be a better choice? How do they handle the problems with codecs and drivers? And software management? Those questions will be dealt with in three articles, about FreeBSD, PC-BSD and DesktopBSD, to appear in the coming weeks.

Tags: BSD, Linux

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Open Sourcing the ECDL/ICDL

One of the key elements in the Linux Proliferation Agreement is the availabilty of high quality e-learning materials. The European Computer Drivers License or International Computer Drivers License is a complete skill set that describe a good set of computer skills for end users. There is one big problem. Though the descriptions of the skill sets are vendor neutral, training materials and test centers are almost predominantly Microsoft oriented. Open sourcing the ECDL should not be complicated, but it does require some serious work. So I decided that this will be my next major project.

ECDL modules and how to open source them

The ECDL/ICDL consists of seven modules which encompass major end user skill sets:

Module 1 - Concepts of Information Technology (IT)

Module 2 - Using the Computer and Managing Files

Module 3 - Word Processing

Module 4 - Spreadsheets

Module 5 - Database

Module 6 - Presentation

Module 7 - Information and Communication

One of the first decisions to make is the selection of software that will be used to learn the skill sets. Modules 3, 4, 5 and 6 can be covered by selecting OpenOffice.org. I believe it is necessary to use software that is multiplatform and OpenOffice.org fits the bill. Module 7 deals with internet and e-mail and can be explained with Firefox and Thunderbird as foundation.

Module 1 is hardware and attitude oriented, so that shouldn't be a big problem. Module 2 will be the biggest problem. The general description is as follows:

This module requires the Candidate to demonstrate knowledge and competence in using the common functions of a personal computer and its operating system. The Candidate shall be able to adjust main settings, use the built-in help features and deal with a non-responding application.
He or she shall be able to operate effectively within the desktop environment and work with desktop icons and windows. The Candidate shall be able to manage and organise files and directories/folders, and know how to duplicate, move and delete files and directories/folders, and compress and extract files.
The Candidate shall also understand what a computer virus is and be able to use virus-scanning software. The Candidate shall demonstrate the ability to use simple editing tools and print management facilities available within the operating system.

It is not really a problem to translate the skill set as it applies to Linux, but the differences between Windows and Linux might make the transfer of knowledge somewhat more complicated. Nonetheless, module 2 can be open sourced as well.

A general roadmap

What is needed is to write and develop e-learning materials for these seven modules. That is quite an undertaking and a roadmap is needed to guide the whole project.

The first step is to translate each of the skill sets of the seven modules as they apply to Linux, OpenOffice.org, Firefox and Thunderbird. Nothing spectacular, but basic documents that describe the skill sets into end user interactions.

Then comes the work of writing e-learning materials based on these basic documents. These materials need to be based on solid didactical principles. The first set of books will be self-study materials that are made available as e-books and/or webpages. The second set of books need to be teacher's manuals for use in an educational context.

The third major phase will focus on developing rich content, multimedia e-learning materials. Instructional videos and interactive exercises. These materials will be made available on a live Linux CD/DVD thus furnacing the operating system, the software and the e-learning materials in one go.

Developing the materials is not sufficient. It should be a goal to get certified as a test center for the open source version of the ECDL/ICDL. The fourth major part is to develop an online test center with tests that objective test the skill sets and can verify the competencies of the candidates. Once the test center is complete and up to a level that can stand up to public scrutiny we will work towards the goal of becoming a certified center.

Projects and courseware site

Ambitious? Maybe. But as I pointed out in the article about the Linux Proliferation Agreement promoting the use of Linux and open source is not a short term endeavor. I am not a coder, I am a writer. I have been working in education as project manager and am adding to the Linux and open source community what I do best.

I have set up a projects and courseware site based on Moodle. This provides a fairly complete infrastructure to develop new materials in smaller teams with forums, chat rooms and wikis. Moodle is an e-learning CMS which means that it is perfectly suited for online courses and testing. This is the platform that I will use as a foundation for this project.

The development will take place in the open source way. The documents will be released quick and early awaiting the feedback from the community. They will be available for public scrutiny and public use. I will post updates regularly.

Should this remain a one man project? I hope not. Feel free to enroll in the projects and courseware site and send me a message on how you wish to participate. It is time to open source the ECDL/ICL.

Tags: Open Source, ECDL