Linux Alliance

Posts Tagged ‘Open source’

A lot of questions and concerns that arise regarding Linux and open source software center around its ability to run the things that users are familiar with. This is very true for gaming as over 200 million people worldwide play games online. Gamers have nothing to fear though as programs abound for open source gaming. For example, the WINE project and Cedega support Windows games on Linux.

But consider the Linux Gamers project that operates as a live distribution. It is comprised of 34 diverse free, open source games which run natively in Linux and put the player anywhere from behind the wheel of a race car to a billiards table. And it comes in four versions: Big ISO, Lite ISO, Big USB and Lite USB. The Big ISO burns to a live DVD that can just be inserted into your drive and get you playing. The distribution works very well with premier video cards and will set up open source drivers featuring 3D acceleration for others. Best yet, it doesn’t require any installation or reconfiguring of files.

On top of the assortment of fun games is a great selection of included tools; but keep in mind they come with the DVD format. From the makers of Firefox is the web browser Gran Paradiso. The network configuration tool Wicd is available for any need to alter your network settings. A handy sound volume tool, AlsaMixer, comes included as well. However, the most useful tool is the XChat IRC client. With many multi-player games, this tool becomes essential to arrange bouts with friends and to engage in the customary trash talk.

Lastly, the Linux Gamers project has the semblance of the desktop of an operating system with icons placed on menu bars represent the library of games. The native gaming experience in Linux can surely rival anything you’ve played before.

Approaches to saving or backing up data differ from user to user–some relying on external hard drives to safeguard everything and some just saving a file once. The issue most users opposed to storing all of their data is the relatively tedious nature of the task. Sorting data, deciding what files need to be backed up and which you can risk losing , plus what technology to do it all with, used to take time and patience. As proprietary technology has made advances to run tasks easier and more efficient, the same holds true for open source. Below is one easy way to back up your data in Linux.

A fast and basic tool to use is Backerupper; don’t let the name fool you, it’s legit. This open source software can readily be found online, downloaded and uncompressed onto your hard drive. After running the install script, which takes no time at all, enter the command sudo ./install.sh into the directory and you’ll be ready to store some data.

Start the program by using the command “backer” in your terminal window. The menu will pop up and don’t worry, navigating is straightforward. Begin by creating a profile by choosing what directories you need backed up and where you would like to place the corresponding files. All of the data will be saved as a compressed file to where you directed it. You can also designate a back up time–when you want it to be backed up–as well as the number of copies you would like to have stored. Feel free to make multiple profiles for individual directories.

Another great asset is its easy retrieval system. By selecting a profile it will quickly locate the archive. You can then direct it to restore the files wherever you would like. It may not be the most advanced, but it’s certainly that easy.

Open source software communities are more than just platforms for people to mingle online and discuss aspects of a specific project or program; they are for enhancing and creating. But that doesn’t mean they are only comprised of professional programmers and engineers. Varying tech-savvy individuals have a presence as well, and its rare to encounter those notorious computer wizards: hackers. Anyone can be an asset to an open source community by being active and engaging with thoughtful information.

Before you decide to participate in an open source community, first consider a few important details. Your first step should be to assess your abilities; decide which area you are strongest. There are many areas open for contributions besides just drafting code including: web and interface designers, translators, documentation writers, testers and technical support. Wisely allocate the time you would be willing to contribute and be certain that you are not barred from partaking due to any employer or rights restrictions.

Once you officially join, take the time to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of the community, as well as the people. Each community tends to have its own custom way of doing things. Learn how everyone interacts and what kind of structure is involved–whether it is a hierarchy or open democracy. This will dictate how you are to participate. It’s important to get to know the other participants and their respective roles. Feel out how they constructively criticize each other and what mode of communication they use–be it chat, mailing lists, etc.

As you become active in the community, provide frequent notices on what you’re working on and state explicitly what tools and resources you are using to keep everyone informed and have a detailed record of the project’s development. Lastly, remember open source communities are based on support, so exercise reciprocation. You’ll find being a part is a rewarding learning experience.

Open source software projects are not developed by a paid staff like propriery companies, but by a dedicated community. These open source communities are essential to the creation and improvement of a program. Requiring more than just an open source license, these communities necessitate many things to get off the ground and be successful.

An open source community is a group of developers and users with a general goal of building or developing a project. How active members are differ in each community, with roles ranging from testing to support to writing code. Very active members may gain the privilege of exclusive access and control of the project. All participants, however, are encouraged to contribute to advance the software and/or solve any problems.

At the start, an open source community is comprised of a few developers, as it takes time–years even–to get a program running. In fact, many are managed by a “benevolent dictator”: one person in charge of development and input. So, it’s key to have something that can be tested and operated by users. It’s ideal to deliver elements early and often no matter the condition. With marketing of its advantages, the project will then attract interest from users and contributions from other skilled developers. They need to be supported with credit for their work and more responsibility to keep them involved.

Even when things are up and running, there will be difficulties. For one, with the increase of users there will be a strong demand for support. It can be a tedious process to address all technical issues, thus it is imperative to have people dedicated to this role. There is also the slight possibility of a member taking the code and creating a competing project. Finally, a structure or form of governance needs to be implemented for decision making so the community can live beyond the founders and lost members.

Open source projects, which create and develop things like open source software, generally receive their submissions from their members in the form of a software patch. It can have different purposes such as repairing a bug, implementing a brand new feature or contributing to the project’s documentation. Most patches are made by employing the output of the ‘diff’ tool offered from popular systems like Linux and Unix. The patch is then submitted to a project by a contributor and reviewed by one of the project leaders. Software patches are useful to developing a project and the community following it.

By accessing files in the project’s version control system that documents the history of changes to the source code, a contributor can enact changes to the project’s output. It’s imperative that the patch to be thoroughly tested, in accordance with the project’s requirements and contain details on its use and purpose. There are many tools available for the creation of a software patch. With any program, the result is an archive of files, which essentially is the patch, that is to be provided to the project. If the leader finds the patch to be acceptable, it will be committed to the public version control system–available for the community to see and scrutinize.

It’s highly important for the contributor to create and introduce their software patch towards the most current version of the project. This eliminates the risk of duplicating previous changes, as well as the time needed for the project leader to review and insert it, plus, increases the chances of its acceptance. This makes it equally important for projects to put out their new material as soon as possible. And for the material to properly develop, it will need these software patches from contributors, which will ultimately dictate the viability of the community and the project.

While open source operating systems and software hasn’t revolutionized computing as much as some users had believed, such as unseating Mac and Windows, it significantly has and will continue to leave an impact. Its combination with various other technologies has allowed users to do things never thought of before like making these technologies work for them how they see fit. And while it may be easy to overlook its advances, it is becoming harder and harder not to use them.

A digital world where users have begun to expect free access to their desired applications is assuredly making obsolete the idea of paying for an operating system, plus the burden of licensing fees. This idea is epitomized by the business model of Microsoft. In retrospect, does it make much sense to pay for an operating system just to be able to get online and use certain software? Open source software on the other hand is free and very elastic. It can generally be used on any platform emphasizing the freedom of online applications changing users expectations.

The advantage of open source software’s flexibility is also reaching into the hardware of computing. As the demand for smart phones and tablets continue to skyrocket, the design of smaller, faster chips that use dramatically less power has flourished. These same chips are increasingly making their way inside of laptops and desktops because of their burgeoning efficiency. Some software, however, won’t run on high-performance chips like ARM. It then becomes necessary for manufacturers of these smaller computing devices to have an operating system that can operate with their components. This is what open source can do.

But to find the greatest example of open source’s impact on computing one not need go far. In fact, people researching open source software are most likely using it right now: Google. With its search engine running on Linux, as well as its Android operating system, Google has been an open source company from the very beginning. Not only does it fit its image of freedom, it accommodates their drive of opening up new frontiers. People can definitely say they use open source everyday.

Linux

Linux fans are surely familiar with the technical advantages of the Linux desktop over the mainstream proprietary systems. But if you look beyond its sheer efficiency you will find it supports a great deal of open source applications that offer interaction, fun and entertainment just like well known proprietary programs. Following are five stimulating apps that can really measure up to the usual proprietary suspects.

Ekiga
Besides email and social media apps, one of the most popular forms of interacting online is the video conferencing program Skype. While Skype’s popularity is hard to match, the Linux friendly version Ekiga is comparable in ability. Encompassing SIP calling, LAN chatting choices and the previously mentioned video conferencing, it is arguably the top open source program of its kind.

GIMP
For the design professionals and creative types, the photo editor of choice has been the proprietary application Photoshop. Understandably, it can be difficult to make a change from a program you’re comfortable with. GIMP, however, is worth a shot. Already known among most Linux users, GIMP is easy to use and very similar to Photoshop in its ability to create and manipulate images.

Scribus
Although it might take a little learning, Scribus is a desktop publishing application that has advantages over its proprietary kin like Pagemaker and InDesign. Files made in Scribus use open standards and work created in it can easily be imported and exported across different platforms. And why not put together newsletters and other publications for free?

OpenShot
Video editing software has now become a standard app for a lot of proprietary operating systems, and its no different with Linux. In fact, there are a lot of Linux video editors out there, but many are inefficient. OpenShot on the other hand is easy to use and comes with more advanced editing capabilities from audio and video effects to video transitions and clippings. A novice or expert will find a happy medium.

VLC Media Player
But if you would rather watch a video rather make one, VLC Media Player would be an excellent choice. This video viewing app can smoothly play just about any video format and stream video, as well as re-encode video.

The founding principal of open source software is that the code to build it is readily available for anyone to look at and even manipulate in hopes of making it better. While this unique characteristic encourages collaboration that will ultimately lead to innovation, it also is a concern for many users, especially businesses, because of its seemingly apparent security risks. Their thinking is that the code’s accessibility leaves the door open to malicious hackers and malware. But are those fears exaggerated and unfounded? Absolutely. In fact, it is easy to argue the exact opposite.

When the code of a piece of open source software is free and obtainable for the public, it can be assured that it will be analyzed by many people all over the world. And included is this group are experienced programmers. While extensively reviewing the code, these experts are able to locate any potential faults or cracks. In turn, the same people are able to access the code and directly correct any issues, making the software that much stronger.

Meanwhile, propriety software like the major brand names is closed. It cannot be accessed by anyone outside of the company. This leaves users unsure exactly how efficient the security measures of these programs are. In addition, it leaves them in the dark while hackers could eventually crack the code and hold an advantage over others.

Plus, when a problem or bug is found it can be quickly resolved in open source software as users can promptly tackle the issue immediately. On the other hand, proprietary software has to be handled through the channels of the owning company and may not be resolved until a future edition of the program in question. With a socially and professionally supportive online community of programmers and users of open source software, the peer review process is comparable–and can argued, better–than that of major proprietary IT teams.

The same technology used to create the popular open source Web browser Firefox has also given birth to some great software. From making films to organizing your desktop, the cool desktop programs available are diverse and can be found for a lot of uses. These ten applications are built off the Mozilla platform, and like Firefox, are free and easily downloaded.

Boxee
A perfect software application for cataloging all of your media is Boxee. All of it is placed in clean-looking and user-friendly menus with remote controls.

Buzzbird
To get the most out of your Twitter account, you may consider Buzzbird. Supporting the usual tweeting features without using another Web browser, it also can cull together conversations between users and boasts its very own URL shortening.

Celtx
Celtx screenplay word processor does more than just get your future film on a page. It includes tools to construct a storyboard, manage filming schedules, as well as collaborate online.

KompoZer
As a website editor KompoZer stands out for a couple of unique reasons. For one, it is very supportive of CSS unlike other applications. And it rocks a FTP tool for uploading pages right on to your server.

Kylo
Sure Kylo is a Web browser, but what makes it so cool is that it’s built for your TV! The entire interface–from menus to fonts–was developed to be seen on the on the big screen, at least as compared to your monitor.

Miro
The Miro media player is geared towards HD video and supports all kinds of file formats. It also operates as a sharing device for your own homemade content.

Songbird
For those looking for a substitute of iTunes will find the Songbird media player appropriate. It has the look and many of the same features.

Spicebird
Combining the convenience of a calendar and instant messaging, Spicebird is an email application that also uses various widgets to work as a digital planner and communication system.

Telekast
If you have been looking for a way to make your computer video presentations easier, Telekast acts as your very own teleprompter.

XULPlayer
Another beneficial media player is XULPlayer. Coming with a customizable interface, it converts video files to other formats and to play on other devices.

Businesses constantly need to search for solutions to increase their efficiency in ways both big in small–from the equipment its employees use to the software that equipment runs. Open source software presents itself as an intriguing solution because it can potentially increase efficiency in more ways than one.

Because all businesses have different needs–needs that also differ between divisions and individual employees–the ability to customize is a substantial asset to the workplace. Open source software can conform to the user rather force the user to conform to the program. This way the program can be manipulated to better accomplish the specific goals of the company. In addition, this can limit potential technical problems and increase needed functionality.

In relation, open source can be utilized on different platforms. This allows a business to maintain a sense of Independence. It will no longer be required to purchase only certain computer models and force each employee to uniformly use only that kind of device–be it PC, Mac, etc. In turn, this can save your business money.

And there is no better way to save money than by outfitting your business for free. Buying software can be expensive, and based on the number of employees, it can be extremely expensive. This will only rise as your company expands, which can then limit growth as it affects operation costs. Opens source is free, meaning significant savings that can trickle down to customers or support new infrastructure.

As an example, take the email client. It is something every business uses and every employee uses, which also means they may have a comfortable relationship with the current system. Thus, it is imperative to find a solution that can match their preferences. Luckily, there are many different open source email clients with different features to match your staff’s personal needs. And with an open source email client you eliminate the need of per user license agreements to save money and employees will be allowed to access their accounts at any work station to increase efficiency.