Abhijit A.M. [email_address] Free (dom) Software Lokayat Free Knowledge Initiative http://www.lokayat.org.in

I bet you know this… How many times have you banged your head at this screen? The Windows Blue Screen of Death

VISTA !

Have you ever read the license agreement?

It’s business!

Software Piracy is Illegal Software Piracy Certain software are not allowed to be copied You can be put behind the bars for the same

Software Piracy

Certain software are not allowed to be copied

You can be put behind the bars for the same

Can you “own” a copy of Windows Vista ? No! You just “license” it Once the license expires, you can not use it So what to do? Pay Microsoft to renew the license Even when you have already paid once!

No!

You just “license” it

Once the license expires, you can not use it

So what to do?

Pay Microsoft to renew the license

Even when you have already paid once!

Software is Costly Well, writing a CD/DVD costs Windows Vista Rs. 7000 Microsoft Office Rs. 25000+ (variable) Adobe Photoshop – CS, CS3 Rs. 15000+ Tally.erp9 Rs. 13500 Corel Draw 12 Rs. 20000 + only Rs. 15

Did you know? There is an alternative to Windows OS Which is available FREE of cost Which can be copied without anybody's permission You can see, study and modify the source code of that Operating System It's called Linux Or rather GNU / Linux

There is an alternative to Windows OS

Which is available FREE of cost

Which can be copied without anybody's permission

You can see, study and modify the source code of that Operating System

Welcome to the World of GNU / Linux The World of “ Free” Software

“ Free” (!!)? Free as in “Freedom”, and not Free as in “Free food” We are talking of Users being Free to use the software Well, most of “free software” is actually available “free of cost” But that's another interesting story!

Free as in “Freedom”, and not Free as in “Free food”

We are talking of Users being Free to use the software

Well, most of “free software” is actually available “free of cost”

But that's another interesting story!

So what's “Free Software” ? Software that respects the User's Freedom Freedom What is it? 0 Run the program for any purpose 1 Study and Modify the program 2 Copy the program so you can help your neighbor 3 Improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits

Software that respects the User's Freedom

Hmmm, Free Software really gives us freedom But that's not enough! There is a deep thought behind the 4 rules of free software…

The 4 Freedoms Explained 0: Run the Program Having control of your own computer Use your bike for anything that you want 1: Study and Modify Knowledge is free How else you can have control of your computer, and run it for “any” purpose If the software does not run for some purpose, you should be able to make it run Modify your bike to look like a sport bike !

0: Run the Program

Having control of your own computer

Use your bike for anything that you want

Knowledge is free

How else you can have control of your computer, and run it for “any” purpose

If the software does not run for some purpose, you should be able to make it run

Modify your bike to look like a sport bike !

The 4 Freedoms Explained 2: Copy for friends Who is more important: friend, or software agreement? Breaking the social solidarity Don’t you share a bike with your friend? Why make software an exception? Law does not mean “good” always The lesser evil: Do wrong to the one who did wrong 3: Redistribute improvements to all Being a party of community, give back Helping each other, community and co-operation

2: Copy for friends

Who is more important: friend, or software agreement?

Breaking the social solidarity

Don’t you share a bike with your friend? Why make software an exception?

Law does not mean “good” always

The lesser evil: Do wrong to the one who did wrong

Being a party of community, give back

Helping each other, community and co-operation

Why academic institutes should use Free Software Schools have a mission Teach society to be capable Teach students “Freedom” and not “Dependence” Moral education The spirit of helping other people around them in society

Schools have a mission

Teach society to be capable

Teach students “Freedom” and not “Dependence”

Moral education

The spirit of helping other people around them in society

Why Colleges should use Free Software Moral education The spirit of helping other people around them in society This means that the academic institutions must promote free software !

Moral education

The spirit of helping other people around them in society

This means that the academic institutions must promote free software !

Hmmm, so “who” wrote Linux? Any guess? People! Initiated by Linus Torwalds Later improved by software developers all over the world Linux runs using GNU utilities Linux is “Free Software”

Any guess?

People!

Initiated by Linus Torwalds

Later improved by software developers all over the world

Linux runs using GNU utilities

Linux is “Free Software”

What is GNU? G NU is N ot U nix A recursive acronym Why should I know GNU? That's where the Free Software Movement Started Wanna know more about the history of GNU and Free Software Movement ? Let's meet RMS

G NU is N ot U nix

A recursive acronym

Why should I know GNU?

That's where the Free Software Movement Started

Wanna know more about the history of GNU and Free Software Movement ?

Let's meet RMS

Richard M Stallman American software freedom activist The Hero of Free Software Movement Hacker (programmer), Software developer (wrote emacs, and tons of other software)‏ Sept 1983: GNU Project and the free software movement

American software freedom activist

The Hero of Free Software Movement

Hacker (programmer), Software developer (wrote emacs, and tons of other software)‏

Sept 1983: GNU Project and the free software movement

GNU / Linux Linux on your box runs with A Linux Kernel Other GNU utilities (gcc, ld, …) Linux was released under a GPL developed by GNU Hence it must be called GNU / Linux

Linux on your box runs with

A Linux Kernel

Other GNU utilities (gcc, ld, …)

Linux was released under a GPL developed by GNU

Hence it must be called GNU / Linux

What is GPL? GNU General Public License License: A legal instrument Governs the usage or redistribution of copyright protected software A software published under GPL is “Free” We can copy, study, modify, redistribute All further releases by anyone must be under GPL only

GNU General Public License

License: A legal instrument

Governs the usage or redistribution of copyright protected software

A software published under GPL is “Free”

We can copy, study, modify, redistribute

All further releases by anyone must be under GPL only

Open Source Quite a popular term So what's the difference between Open Source & Free Software? Open Source = Free Software - “Talk of 4 freedoms” Giving away the source, but not talking of the 4 freedoms Benefits of having source for commercial interests, ignoring the moral aspects Talk about technical benefits only

Quite a popular term

So what's the difference between Open Source & Free Software?

Open Source = Free Software - “Talk of 4 freedoms”

Giving away the source, but not talking of the 4 freedoms

Benefits of having source for commercial interests, ignoring the moral aspects

Talk about technical benefits only

Open Source And Free Software Not enemies Not “Vs” but “And” Free & Open Source Software = FOSS

Not enemies

Not “Vs” but “And”

Free & Open Source Software = FOSS

Advantages Freedom! Fundamental control and flexibility Not being dependent on a sole-source company Better quality Higher reliability

Freedom!

Fundamental control and flexibility

Not being dependent on a sole-source company

Better quality

Higher reliability

Free Software Success GNU / Linux: Favorite OS for Servers - Survey, April 1999 Operating System Market Share Composition GNU / Linux 28.5% GNU / Linux Windows 24.4% All Windows combined (including 95, 98, NT) Sun 17.7% Sun Solaris or SunOS BSD 15.0% BSD Family (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, BSDI, …) IRIX 5.3% SGI IRIX

GNU / Linux: Favorite OS for Servers

Apache beats all… Apache is the highest used Web Server in history

Reliability, Failure Rates

Proprietary Vs Free Software What about software that are available on Windows, but not on Linux? Wrong to compare! Making Guns is easier than Houses, but do we want to? Proprietary Software is Immoral, why do immoral things Well, as a matter of fact there are alternatives on Linux for almost everything on Windows

What about software that are available on Windows, but not on Linux?

Wrong to compare!

Making Guns is easier than Houses, but do we want to?

Proprietary Software is Immoral, why do immoral things

Well, as a matter of fact there are alternatives on Linux for almost everything on Windows

How does proprietary software get established ? Proprietary Software – Only for Profit Windows, Office, Adobe, Corel, Macintosh, etc. Supported by License agreements and Copyright Laws Patent Laws Both Copyright & Patent laws talk about “Intellectual Property” and promoting innovation

Proprietary Software – Only for Profit

Windows, Office, Adobe, Corel, Macintosh, etc.

Supported by License agreements and

Copyright Laws

Patent Laws

Both Copyright & Patent laws talk about “Intellectual Property” and promoting innovation

Intellectual Property One who gets an idea first owns that idea Right to earn money on the basis of ideas that one gets Can knowledge be an individual property ? Lets discuss...

One who gets an idea first owns that idea

Right to earn money on the basis of ideas that one gets

Can knowledge be an individual property ? Lets discuss...

Why knowledge can't have owners … Who owns the idea of ’Wheel’ ? Who owns the idea of ’Writing’ ? Who owns the idea of ’Cooking’ ? Society has developed most of its knowledge through co-operation and sharing There was no individual ownership of knowledge for most of human history

Free Knowledge Any invention is always built on top of socially owned knowledge adding a drop to the ocean of knowledge “ I could see farther because I was standing on the shoulders of Giants” - Albert Einstein What is the cost of knowledge ? Patents are privatising and monopolising knowledge Claim over the whole ocean

Any invention is always built on top of socially owned knowledge

adding a drop to the ocean of knowledge

“ I could see farther because I was standing on the shoulders of Giants” - Albert Einstein

What is the cost of knowledge ?

Patents are privatising and monopolising knowledge

Claim over the whole ocean

Patents: Innovation Killers More innovation if more people have knowledge and can use it 30,000 varities of rice in India before green revolution Now less than a hundred ! Patents: Restrict the knowledge to the corporate labs Only those with money can use a patent Profit machines for the companies

More innovation if more people have knowledge and can use it

30,000 varities of rice in India before green revolution

Now less than a hundred !

Patents: Restrict the knowledge to the corporate labs

Only those with money can use a patent

Profit machines for the companies

Why some people claim Ownership? False notions Copyright protects Author’s natural rights Leads to more production The Law Actual motive is – Profit making

False notions

Copyright protects Author’s natural rights

Leads to more production

The Law

Actual motive is – Profit making

What’s wrong with Patents? Monopoly We can not use an invention, until we pay money Some ideas can’t have alternatives Molecules for medicines Very hard for individuals to get a Patent Costs lot of money Only big companies can own it Cost of using a patent is very high So most of the people can’t use it Case of Haldi and Neem Patents

Monopoly

We can not use an invention, until we pay money

Some ideas can’t have alternatives

Molecules for medicines

Very hard for individuals to get a Patent

Costs lot of money

Only big companies can own it

Cost of using a patent is very high

So most of the people can’t use it

Case of Haldi and Neem Patents

Patents & Copyright You register an invention in your name, called ”Patent” Anybody who uses your idea / product can be charged for it Patents are in public domain, so anybody can see them Hence it is said that they’ll spread knowledge and the world can use it Copyright covers a work of Authorship. A Patent covers an Idea…

You register an invention in your name, called ”Patent”

Anybody who uses your idea / product can be charged for it

Patents are in public domain, so anybody can see them

Hence it is said that they’ll spread knowledge and the world can use it

Copyright covers a work of Authorship. A Patent covers an Idea…

Software Patents are even Worse… Well, patents are anyways bad! Software Patents are like Land Mines You never know when you used somebody else’s idea Large programs require many ideas Most of the ideas are mundane, trivial, common sense Some company would have already patented them

Well, patents are anyways bad!

Software Patents are like Land Mines

You never know when you used somebody else’s idea

Large programs require many ideas

Most of the ideas are mundane, trivial, common sense

Some company would have already patented them

Morally Speaking… Freedom of all the People is more important than Profits of Few The 4 freedoms of software talk of Ownership of the Community and not an individual

Freedom of all the People is more important than Profits of Few

The 4 freedoms of software talk of Ownership of the Community and not an individual

Let's Fight Against the Monopolisation of Knowledge The Patent Laws The Copyright Laws

Against the Monopolisation of Knowledge

The Patent Laws

The Copyright Laws

The World is adopting Free Software Venezuela: A free software law in January 2006 Republic of Peru: "Free Software in Public Administration” bill Kerala: Landmark decision to switch all school computers in 12,500 high schools from Windows to GNU / Linux Maharashtra: Judiciary and BSNL Nearly a hundred FSUGs (Free Software Users Group) and LUG (Linux Users Group) in India !

Venezuela: A free software law in January 2006

Republic of Peru: "Free Software in Public Administration” bill

Kerala: Landmark decision to switch all school computers in 12,500 high schools from Windows to GNU / Linux

Maharashtra: Judiciary and BSNL

Nearly a hundred FSUGs (Free Software Users Group) and LUG (Linux Users Group) in India !

Fall-out of the Free Software Movement The Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) movement demonstrates how Labour can self-organise production Even compete with some of the worlds largest firms As proved by the free Operating System GNU / Linux A different kind of activism that promotes development of technology from below

The Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) movement demonstrates how

Labour can self-organise production

Even compete with some of the worlds largest firms

As proved by the free Operating System GNU / Linux

A different kind of activism that promotes development of technology from below

What are you waiting for? Start Your Own FSUG !

Join Us! To know more about Linux To become a Free Software Activist To fight against Copyright and Patent Laws To work for a world where Knowledge is Free! We meet every Sunday from 4-7 pm at: Lokayat, Lenovo Building, Opp Syndicate Bank, Law College Road, Nal Stop, Pune Join the googlegroup: [email_address]

To know more about Linux

To become a Free Software Activist

To fight against Copyright and Patent Laws

To work for a world where Knowledge is Free!

We meet every Sunday from 4-7 pm at:

Thank You!

Jurassic Park Cisco Case Elephant's Dream Send Information Screenshot

Jurassic Park

Cisco Case

Elephant's Dream

Send Information Screenshot

References www.fsf.org www.gnu.org Hacking Capitalism Cathedral and the Bazaar Why OSS/FS? Look at the numbers ! Richard Stallman: Wikipedia Entry The internet is full of material about FS!

www.fsf.org

www.gnu.org

Hacking Capitalism

Cathedral and the Bazaar

Why OSS/FS? Look at the numbers !

Richard Stallman: Wikipedia Entry

The internet is full of material about FS!