A diffuser largement.
http://www.paperjam.lu/c/articles/14039.html
Articles
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*Open Source Open Computers - Linux Days: An Exploitation of Collaboration*
Linux Days 2006 took place in Luxembourg at the end of January to
promote the Open Source and Free Software Philosophy to the Luxembourg
Public.
*Publié le 24.02.2006*
In order to promote the open source and free software philosophy,
students from the Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor and the
University of Luxembourg in conjunction with the Linux User Group
Luxembourg and a number of corporate sponsors organised the 3rd Linux
Days. This year's event included tutorials, presentations, exhibitions,
and apparently, the first open and free source beer.
One of the event's speakers, Brent Frere, is the technical Director for
Plan-Net, a Luxembourg privately owned company since 1999 and the oldest
company in Luxembourg that supports free and open source solutions and
business models.
Can you explain free and open source software to the uninitiated?
"Many solutions are available from the free software/open source
community. Free software solutions are often already used and tested, so
we build upon something proven, supported and documented, that we are
allowed to adapt and that will last longer because it is based on
standard languages, protocols and APIs. Open and free doesn't mean
'gratis'. If a client has an open and free source solution developed
especially for his needs, he has to pay for the development effort.
Free software is licensed under the GPL license. A software is open
source or free depending on the terms of its licence. The proprietary
way to develop software is less efficient and is harmful for the
software user. You pay for the software development, but as you don't
have access to the source code, you cannot correct, adapt or build on
your software. The free and open source way is to get a community
together to develop a common solution. Cost savings can be passed along
in terms of development and adaptation. You get a tool that exactly fits
your needs instead of `one-size fits all´ software.
So does free mean there are no rules with open source software?
"There are rules and regulations to free licences. Free/open source
software development and vending respects legal principles of IP,
anti-dumping laws and copyrights. You are not allowed to steal the
common wealth by putting any part of the free or open source code inside
a proprietary solution. If you benefit from a free or open source code
for your project, you must only respect the licence terms that cover the
community. The extensions of a solution stay free.
What is the main goal of Linux Days?
"The goal is to have a platform in Europe for learning computer skills.
It is important for universities and research centres to keep access to
all levels of the information technology stack, including the source
code, and it is dangerous for Europe not to have such capability at a
strategic level. Imagine for example that you are trying to teach
students engineering on cars, but you can only teach them how to drive
and they are not allowed to look inside the engine.
Can you offer an example of the disadvantages of proprietary
software?
"A tennis club in Luxembourg needed software and a hardware solution for
the automatic opening and closing of their court doors, turning on and
off their lights, etc. They paid for a proprietary solution in 1991, but
the company they purchased the solution from failed. The tennis club
then changed their opening hours, but the system they paid for was no
longer tuneable because they haven't received the source code. Everybody
loses in such a case.
The danger is a legal issue that has existed since the beginning of
computers. In the early 70s, AT&T licensed its Unix to American
universities in source-code format, but students had to sign a non-
disclosure agreement not to use any of those codes or methods. So when
they graduated they could not work anywhere but for AT&T. It is
dangerous to allow too few hands to control information and
telecommunications.
What are the advantages of an open source solution?
"Using the tennis club example, we could build them a tailor-made
solution that they would then own and could develop further to suit
their needs. Taking existing free/open source solutions as a starting
point, we can dramatically reduce the adaptation costs. If multiple
tennis clubs get together, the price of the development is divided,
leading to a less expensive solution, and the user is not locked in to
anyone, including Plan-Net, for its future developments.
We are not interested in selling expensive hardware or software. We
refuse to have any agreements with any hardware or software vendors.
Since we integrate free and open source software, the imagination of the
customer is the only limit."
Mary Carey <http://www.paperjam.lu/c/author/95.html>
--
Brent Frère
Directeur Technique
Plan-Net s.à r.l.
8, rue des Martyrs
L-3739 Rumelange
Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Tél: +352-26.56.02.22
Fax: +352-26.56.02.55
http://plan-net.lu
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