MAC281 free | open source | propriety | software

free | open source | propriety | software

Overview Free Software and Open Source software philosophies Origins of Unix Code and control Linux

Free Software and Open Source software philosophies

Origins of Unix

Code and control

Linux

Free Software philosophy Working towards making all software free of intellectual property restrictions Ethical issue

Working towards making all software free of intellectual property restrictions

Ethical issue

Open Source philosophy Similar goals; different approach Focus on economic and technical merits of making source code freely available Practical issue

Similar goals; different approach

Focus on economic and technical merits of making source code freely available

Practical issue

Propriety (closed) software Microsoft Apple? See http://havemacwillblog.com/2009/02/28/10-ways-that-microsoft-blocks-desktop-linux/

Microsoft

Apple?

See http://havemacwillblog.com/2009/02/28/10-ways-that-microsoft-blocks-desktop-linux/

The Free Software Movement Headed by the Free Software Foundation http://www.fsf.org/ “ free as in speech, not free as in beer” Freedom to: run the program for any reason study and modify the source code redistribute the source share any modifications you make http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

Headed by the Free Software Foundation

http://www.fsf.org/

“ free as in speech, not free as in beer”

Freedom to:

run the program for any reason

study and modify the source code

redistribute the source

share any modifications you make

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

The Free Software Movement GNU General Public License (GPL) Once a program is ‘opened’ all spin-offs must remain open. http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html Cause of some disagreement with Open Source advocates

GNU General Public License (GPL)

Once a program is ‘opened’ all spin-offs must remain open.

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

Cause of some disagreement with Open Source advocates

Open Source Software Movement Headed by the Open Source Initiative http://www.opensource.org/ Exists solely to gain support for open source software i.e. ready-to-run program + the source code is available Various forms of licensing

Headed by the Open Source Initiative

http://www.opensource.org/

Exists solely to gain support for open source software

i.e. ready-to-run program + the source code is available

Various forms of licensing

Same difference? “ We disagree with the open source camp on the basic goals and values, but their views and ours lead in many cases to the same practical behavior—such as developing free software. As a result, people from the free software movement and the open source camp often work together on practical projects such as software development” Richard Stallman, 2007, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html

“ We disagree with the open source camp on the basic goals and values, but their views and ours lead in many cases to the same practical behavior—such as developing free software. As a result, people from the free software movement and the open source camp often work together on practical projects such as software development”

Richard Stallman, 2007, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html

Origins ‘ In the beginning was the command line’ (Neale, 1999) 1952: IBM 701 $15,000 per month to hire

‘ In the beginning was the command line’ (Neale, 1999)

1952: IBM 701

$15,000 per month to hire

Origins Business purchases 1953: IBM 705 $1.6 million

Business purchases

1953: IBM 705

$1.6 million

Origins IBM 704 80,000 lines of code to process radar images (Weber: 2004: 21) All software had to been purposefully written

IBM 704

80,000 lines of code to process radar images (Weber: 2004: 21)

All software had to been purposefully written

Problems No compilers No Software Development Kits (SDK) Enter PACT: Project for the Advancement of Coding Techniques Created a shared set of tools

No compilers

No Software Development Kits (SDK)

Enter PACT: Project for the Advancement of Coding Techniques

Created a shared set of tools

Problems Software engineers saw themselves as craftspeople, artists; oversaw complete projects 1950s: Fordist business manag e ment techniques transformed working practices Engineers pigeonholed into specific minor roles; fragmented Software development slowed

Software engineers saw themselves as craftspeople, artists; oversaw complete projects

1950s: Fordist business manag e ment techniques transformed working practices

Engineers pigeonholed into specific minor roles; fragmented

Software development slowed

UNICS 1969: Ken Thompson spent a month working on a PDP-7 and created uniplexed information and computing services

1969: Ken Thompson spent a month working on a PDP-7 and created uniplexed information and computing services

UNIX A modular system S mall and simple Combinations Adaptable Visible source code Cheap licence No support Community grew around it

A modular system

S mall and simple

Combinations

Adaptable

Visible source code

Cheap licence

No support

Community grew around it

History For more info see: http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix/history_timeline.html http://www.computerhope.com/history/unix.htm http://www.bell-labs.com/history/unix/

For more info see:

http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix/history_timeline.html

http://www.computerhope.com/history/unix.htm

http://www.bell-labs.com/history/unix/

Homebrew Computer Club 1970s: Amateur enthusiasts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Regular newsletters

1970s: Amateur enthusiasts

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak

Regular newsletters

Homebrew Computer Club 1975: Bill Gates angry about HCC freely sharing his BASIC OS He saw software as a lucrative and closed industry

1975: Bill Gates angry about HCC freely sharing his BASIC OS

He saw software as a lucrative and closed industry

1980s Microsoft and propriety systems dominated Code being locked down seen as the norm Microserfs?

Microsoft and propriety systems dominated

Code being locked down seen as the norm

Microserfs?

Open source software today

Code Lessig, 2006: The power to regulate our behaviour Windows 7 Starter Edition: maximum of 3 apps open at once

Lessig, 2006: The power to regulate our behaviour

Windows 7 Starter Edition: maximum of 3 apps open at once

Code Stallman, 2002: Microsoft's OOXML ‘open standard’ not actually open http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

Stallman, 2002: Microsoft's OOXML ‘open standard’ not actually open

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

Unix and Linux 1990s: Linus Torvalds built Linux Adopted the GNU GPL Multiple offshoots (eg Apache, MySQL, Perl/PHP/Python, etc) Open code = OS diversity: Ubuntu Debian Fedora Red H a t

1990s: Linus Torvalds built Linux

Adopted the GNU GPL

Multiple offshoots (eg Apache, MySQL, Perl/PHP/Python, etc)

Open code = OS diversity:

Ubuntu

Debian

Fedora

Red H a t

Different ways to license ideas

Summary A closed/propriety world is not guaranteed (cf Zittrain, 2008) There are many people developing software with the philosophy that technology can be a fantastically enabling tool for improving society. If technology can be improved, then it should. There shouldn’t be restrictive barriers to improving technology

A closed/propriety world is not guaranteed (cf Zittrain, 2008)

There are many people developing software with the philosophy that technology can be a fantastically enabling tool for improving society.

If technology can be improved, then it should.

There shouldn’t be restrictive barriers to improving technology

Selected sources Garret Birkel, 2004, ‘The Command Line in 2004’, http://garote.bdmonkeys.net/commandline/index.html Robin Bloor, 2009, ‘10 Tactics Microsfot Uses To Crush The Linux PC’, http://havemacwillblog.com/2009/02/28/10-ways-that-microsoft-blocks-desktop-linux/ Free Software Foundation, 2007, ‘ The Free Software Definition’, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html GNU, 2007, ‘GNU General Public License’, http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html Lawrence Lessig, 2006, Code version 2.0 , New York: Basic Books. Richard Stallman, 2007, ‘We Can Put an End to Word Attachments’, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html Richard Stallman, 2007, ‘Why “Free Software” is better than “Open Source”’, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html Neal Stephenson, 1999, ‘In the Beginning was the Command Line’, http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html Steven Weber, 2004, The Success of Open Source , Harvard, Harvard University Press. Jonathan Zittrain, 2008, The Future of the Internet – And How To Stop It , London: Yale University Press

Garret Birkel, 2004, ‘The Command Line in 2004’, http://garote.bdmonkeys.net/commandline/index.html

Robin Bloor, 2009, ‘10 Tactics Microsfot Uses To Crush The Linux PC’, http://havemacwillblog.com/2009/02/28/10-ways-that-microsoft-blocks-desktop-linux/

Free Software Foundation, 2007, ‘ The Free Software Definition’, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

GNU, 2007, ‘GNU General Public License’, http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

Lawrence Lessig, 2006, Code version 2.0 , New York: Basic Books.

Richard Stallman, 2007, ‘We Can Put an End to Word Attachments’, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

Richard Stallman, 2007, ‘Why “Free Software” is better than “Open Source”’, http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html

Neal Stephenson, 1999, ‘In the Beginning was the Command Line’, http://www.cryptonomicon.com/beginning.html

Steven Weber, 2004, The Success of Open Source , Harvard, Harvard University Press.

Jonathan Zittrain, 2008, The Future of the Internet – And How To Stop It , London: Yale University Press