It is being argued around some quarters that free software takes away the motivation for people to develop software, because they will not be able to make a living from it. The error in this system of reasoning is that it is thought that money or profit is the main (or only) motivation for developing… Read More »
Open source offers more realistic opportunities for developing countries as regards developing a universally competitive and viable tech/software industry than it’s opposite (i.e. proprietary software). In this post I would highlight five reasons why. #1. Homemade modifications Open source software offer less developed countries the “freedom to adapt it to their local setting depending on… Read More »
Deciding what operating system (OS) to keep your computer running smoothly—and with the highest level of security—is a controversial yet frequent question many business owners, government officials, and ordinary Joes and Janes ask. There are many different operating systems—the software at the base of every computer, controlling the machine’s array of functions—like Mac OS10, which… Read More »
Legislators have drafted a bill that will boost Free Software on multiple levels within the Russian Federation’s public sector. The draft, approved by the Russian Federation’s Duma (lower chamber) in mid-October, requires the public sector to prioritise Free Software over proprietary alternatives, gives precedence to local IT businesses that offer Free Software for public tenders,… Read More »
Five years ago, who would have imagined Microsoft’s U-turn into the arms of Linux, especially after Microsoft referred to Linux and Open Source being synonymous with cancer? Last week it joined the Linux Foundation as a Platinum member and SQL Server on Linux is now in public preview. Well the tide turned and, after open… Read More »
It’s been a strange old year, and it’s a testament to just how strange that this headline doesn’t seem too out of place anymore. Microsoft – once the poster company for closed software – has joined The Linux Foundation as a platinum member. What was unthinkable just a few short years ago makes much more… Read More »
In the corporate proprietary world the development of software is restricted to the four walls of the the company/organization responsible. Here it is the organization that determines what is included or removed from the software. But in the Free and Open source software (FOSS) world it is tied to the community. The FOSS community… Read More »
I am writing this post to refute an argument I’ve heard some people give why they’ve decided not to use Linux. The argument is that Linux does not come with many things (most times applications) that an average computer might need. But on a closer inspection this kind of thinking is unfounded and misplaced… Read More »
There is no doubt that Linux is the best free/open source operating system (OS) out there. But we’re living in a Window-lized non-free country, and so a transition to a free operating system would not be a day job. And I’d like to share some lessons on how one can easily try (and probably move… Read More »
One important thing to know when using a computer system is that it is prone to attacks. This could be either locally (when a computer system is used by more than one person) or remotely (when used to connect to the internet). It is true for a computer with any operating system. So though… Read More »
