Open Source Software You Can Use Michelle Murrain Nonprofit Open Source Initiative MetaCentric Technology Advising October 23, 2008

Using Open Source Software There are open source tools you can download right now and use, no matter what your platform, that are useful, mature, secure and easy to use. If your website is on a Unix or Linux based host – you've been using open source software already. Some of the software I'll talk about you might implement with help of a provider.

There are open source tools you can download right now and use, no matter what your platform, that are useful, mature, secure and easy to use.

If your website is on a Unix or Linux based host – you've been using open source software already.

Some of the software I'll talk about you might implement with help of a provider.

Types of Software Operating Systems Server software Fileserver software Web/mail server software Database systems Web application platforms Desktop applications

Operating Systems

Server software

Fileserver software

Web/mail server software

Database systems

Web application platforms

Desktop applications

About this review This is not an exhaustive list of all free and open source software that is mature and usable. But it is a good review of most of the software out there that is going to be useful to nonprofit organizations. For more tools, go to: http://socialsourcecommons.org

There are two common, mature open source operating systems... Linux RedHat/Fedora Debian Ubuntu Kubuntu Edubuntu others Mandriva SUSE and many, many others... BSD FreeBSD OpenBSD NetBSD Darwin (Basis of Mac OS X – based on FreeBSD) a few others, not much used

Linux

RedHat/Fedora

Debian

Ubuntu

Kubuntu

Edubuntu

others

Mandriva

SUSE

and many, many others...

BSD

FreeBSD

OpenBSD

NetBSD

Darwin (Basis of Mac OS X – based on FreeBSD)

a few others, not much used

Operating Systems Linux and BSD are very mature and strong on the server/appliance side Varied flavors of Linux are used in network and security appliances Linux and BSD are virtually ubiquitous in web hosting environments, from virtual host companies, to large enterprises (like Yahoo and Google.)

Linux and BSD are very mature and strong on the server/appliance side

Varied flavors of Linux are used in network and security appliances

Linux and BSD are virtually ubiquitous in web hosting environments, from virtual host companies, to large enterprises (like Yahoo and Google.)

How to get Linux There are commercial versions of Linux that include enterprise-level support (RedHat, Novell, Ubuntu) You can buy a box sometimes (relatively inexpensive) in a store (may come with installation support.) Download an ISO from the website of the distribution or a mirror, either directly or via bittorrent (won't come with any support except community support.) Buy a CD from OSDisc, or another vendor (also won't come with support – these just duplicate the CDs from the websites – so they are cheap if bandwidth is an issue.)

There are commercial versions of Linux that include enterprise-level support (RedHat, Novell, Ubuntu)

You can buy a box sometimes (relatively inexpensive) in a store (may come with installation support.)

Download an ISO from the website of the distribution or a mirror, either directly or via bittorrent (won't come with any support except community support.)

Buy a CD from OSDisc, or another vendor (also won't come with support – these just duplicate the CDs from the websites – so they are cheap if bandwidth is an issue.)

Server Applications Samba – allows Linux to act as a Windows file and print server – very mature Mailman – mailing list manager Applications for internet services and systems administration very mature, some in use for 15 years or more

Samba – allows Linux to act as a Windows file and print server – very mature

Mailman – mailing list manager

Applications for internet services and systems administration

very mature, some in use for 15 years or more

Server Applications LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python) This has become an industry standard web application development stack Included in all unix-based virtual hosting services. Each component of the stack is Mature PHP/Perl/Python are programming languages Ruby on Rails Newer web framework that is gaining steam. Uses the Ruby language.

LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python)

This has become an industry standard web application development stack

Included in all unix-based virtual hosting services.

Each component of the stack is Mature

PHP/Perl/Python are programming languages

Ruby on Rails

Newer web framework that is gaining steam. Uses the Ruby language.

Server Applications Web platforms/CMS Drupal Joomla Plone These three have become standard. They have overlapping feature sets, and they are differently customizable. But all are very solid CMS platforms Others: Typo3 Alfresco

Web platforms/CMS

Drupal

Joomla

Plone

These three have become standard. They have overlapping feature sets, and they are differently customizable. But all are very solid CMS platforms

Others:

Typo3

Alfresco

Blogging platforms Wordpress – specialized for blogging – the others can be used that way, but if all you want is a blog – Wordpress is great. Movable Type – also specialized for blogging

Wordpress – specialized for blogging – the others can be used that way, but if all you want is a blog – Wordpress is great.

Movable Type – also specialized for blogging

Drupal

Joomla

MediaWiki

Project Pier

Moodle (Courseware)

phpBB

Server Applications: Business Processes CiviCRM – server-based CRM/Fundraising package SugarCRM – server-based enterprise CRM package

CiviCRM – server-based CRM/Fundraising package

SugarCRM – server-based enterprise CRM package

SugarCRM

CiviCRM

Desktop Software Mozilla Suite (all platforms) Firefox Thunderbird Spinoffs: Flock Camino (Mac browser) Sunbird (Calendaring - not so mature) Open Office (all platforms) Adium (Mac OS X) GIMP

Mozilla Suite (all platforms)

Firefox

Thunderbird

Spinoffs:

Flock

Camino (Mac browser)

Sunbird (Calendaring - not so mature)

Open Office (all platforms)

Adium (Mac OS X)

GIMP

Firefox

Thunderbird

OpenOffice.org Has word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, drawing program, HTML and XML editors, and a database. It will read and write Microsoft Office formats (except Office Open XML). It uses open standards for native document formats It exports PDFs OO Base ≠ Access (way too immature)

Has word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, drawing program, HTML and XML editors, and a database.

It will read and write Microsoft Office formats (except Office Open XML).

It uses open standards for native document formats

It exports PDFs

OO Base ≠ Access (way too immature)

OO Writer OO Calc

GIMP

What FOSS is being used in nonprofits? A recent NOSI survey found: 60% of respondents used FOSS on webservers 80% used FOSS on Windows desktops (largely Firefox) Many fewer (~20%) used FOSS as a desktop operating system

A recent NOSI survey found:

60% of respondents used FOSS on webservers

80% used FOSS on Windows desktops (largely Firefox)

Many fewer (~20%) used FOSS as a desktop operating system

What are the barriers to FOSS adoption Familiarity with proprietary tools Lack of support Lack of staff expertise Lack of training

Familiarity with proprietary tools

Lack of support

Lack of staff expertise

Lack of training

Resources http://wiki.metacentric.org/ - list of links for software mentioned here, and other resources. http://nosi.net/projects/primer - Updated Open Source primer written in 2007. http://nosi.net - NOSI's website.

http://wiki.metacentric.org/ - list of links for software mentioned here, and other resources.

http://nosi.net/projects/primer - Updated Open Source primer written in 2007.

http://nosi.net - NOSI's website.