The document discusses open source software, including its definition, origins, reasons for adoption, advantages for schools, and examples. Open source software has relaxed or non-existent copyright restrictions, allowing anyone to modify or distribute derived works. It originated as "free software" to guarantee access. Schools benefit from open source due to affordability and ability to customize software for their needs. Popular open source examples include the Apache web server, Firefox browser, Linux OS, and Asterisk PBX software.

1. Matthew Schultz

2.  It is an explicit "feature" of open source
that it may put no restrictions on the
use or distribution by any organization
or user. It forbids this, in principle, to
guarantee continued access to derived
works even by the major original
contributors.
 Open source describes a broad general type of software license that
makes source code available to the general public with relaxed or non-
existent copyright restrictions. The principles, as stated, say absolutely
nothing about trademark or patent use and require absolutely no
cooperation to ensure that any common audit or release regime applies
to any derived works.
Definition of
‘Open Source’

3.  Software developers may
want to publish their
software with an open-
source license, so that
anybody may also
develop the same
software or understand
its internal functioning.
With open-source
software, generally
anyone is allowed to
create modifications of
it, port it to new
operating systems and
processor
architectures, share it
with others or, in some
cases, market it.
 The term free software should be
replaced by open-source software
(OSS) as an expression which is less
ambiguous and more comfortable for
the corporate world.
Origin of term
‘Open Source’

4.  Security
 Affordability
 Transparency
 Perpetuity
 Interoperability
 Localization—particularly in the context
of local governments
 Several policy-based
reasons for adoption of
open source – in
particular, the heightened
value proposition from
open source (when
compared to most
proprietary formats) in
the following categories:
Reasons for
adoption

5.  Unfortunately, not every student in Victoria has
access to a high end computer running the latest in
all software at home. As more and more schools
include computer skills in their education and
request parents to provide computers in the home
environment more and more students from lower
income families are being disadvantaged. High
school students who only have access to computers
during school time are less advantaged than their
peers who are able to spend their evenings writing
up essays and CATs.
 Many open source packages can run quite ably on older machines. Schools rarely have the money to buy
the latest hardware but frequently software upgrades require hardware upgrades in order to perform
reasonably. Many businesses regularly replace older machines with new in order to keep up with their
software's hardware requirements. These machines are usually in good working order but in the
Microsoft world they're essentially useless.
Advantages for
schools

6.  You have permission to make copies of your changed
software and install them wherever you need them. In
fact, so long as you comply to some fairly simple
requirements, you even have permission to spread your new
copies of the software far and wide.
 Open source software is much more customisable than
propriety software because ultimately, if you don't like
it, you can change it. In some cases changing the software
may not be practical, but in many cases whole systems can
be put together in ways that match the specific
requirements of your school just by gluing together existing
open source packages.
 Software is usually sold on an as-is
basis. If it doesn't quite do
everything you need it to, then either
you bought the wrong software or
you have to change what you need.
Software is not often sold on the
understanding that if you find an
error or you need it to do something
else or to do something in a different
way that you can change it, or pay
someone else to change it for you.
Typically if you're unhappy with your
software for whatever reason there's
nothing you can do to make it better.
 Open source software changes all of
this. "Open source" means you have
access to the source code of the
software. You have permission to
change the software and correct the
things that are bothering you, or add
new features, or take features away.
And if you don't have the skills to
change these things, you have
permission to get other people to fix
them for you.
Advantages for
schools

7.  Businesses are unwilling to change to
alternative products because they'll
have to face retraining costs. What
this means to schools is that there's a
greater emphasis on teaching how to
use certain products to students
rather than teaching them the basic
concepts behind the use of those
products.
 Instead of teaching students the
basics of good layout for
essays, teachers often end up
teaching students how to layout their
essays using a particular product.
Instead of teaching students basic
computer presentation skills teachers
often end up teaching students how
to use a particular product for
presentation. These lessons are
useful but they did not achieve their
original purpose. Exclusive use of an
open source software product won't
solve this problem either.
However, access to a wide variety of
open source software products
allows teachers greater choice of
packages to best illustrate their
lessons and students greater
exposure to how other packages may
perform tasks.
 Exposing students to Linux will have
a long term impact on it's growth in
other areas. The primary reason
many companies have spent millions
of dollars on Microsoft software is
that people know it. In 5 years
today's 9th grade students will be in
the workforce. If they're already
comfortable with open source
software, it will make it that much
easier for open source software to
move father into other sectors.
 Unfortunately at the moment we're
in a situation where propriety
software has become the default
standard everywhere. People are
unwilling to learn how to use
alternative products because it's not
what they'll need to know in
business.
Advantages
for schools

8.  the Apache HTTP Server
 the e-commerce platform osCommerce
 the internet browser Mozilla Firefox.
 One of the most successful open-source
products is the GNU/Linux operating
system, an open-source Unix-like
operating system, and its derivative
Android, an operating system for mobile
devices
 In some fields, open software is the
norm, like in voice over IP applications
with Asterisk (PBX).
 Open source software projects are built
and maintained by a network of
volunteer programmers. Prime
examples of open-source products are:
Examples of
‘Open Source’