Is putting archives of binaries on a CD image still the way to serve the users? In the face of the likes of Google and Amazon impacting the way users interact with software and systems, and eroding the four freedoms, how can Linux distributions keep up? Distribute QEMU images? Write a free GMail clone? Offer community-managed web email hosting? Can this work, and who is going to pay for it?

1. Linux Distribution for the Cloud
Peter Eisentraut
petere@debian.org
FOSDEM 2010

2. What is a Linux Distribution?

3. What is a Linux Distribution?
Integrating a bunch of free/open software

4. What is a Linux Distribution?
Distributing a software collection to users
Integrating a bunch of free/open software

5. What is a Linux Distribution?
Distributing a software collection to users
Integrating a bunch of free/open software
Implementing the freedoms

6. What is a Cloud?

7. What is a Cloud?

8. What is a Cloud?
Provisioning of services hosted on shared resources over the
Internet

9. First Linux distribution . . .

10. Or maybe this . . .
Cloud version 0

11. Wrapped in this . . .

12. A bunch of these . . .

13. Or just one of these . . .

14. Or usually this . . .
Cloud version 0.5

15. But what about this?

16. Or this?

17. Solutions
Random, ad hoc, or vendor specific solutions . . .

18. Solutions
Random, ad hoc, or vendor specific solutions . . .
FAI (http://www.informatik.uni-koeln.de/fai/)

19. Solutions
Random, ad hoc, or vendor specific solutions . . .
FAI (http://www.informatik.uni-koeln.de/fai/)
Distribute virtual images in addition to ISOs?

20. Solutions
Random, ad hoc, or vendor specific solutions . . .
FAI (http://www.informatik.uni-koeln.de/fai/)
Distribute virtual images in addition to ISOs?
Offer automatic deployment to cloud services?

21. Ubuntu Cloud
http://www.ubuntu.com/cloud

22. Current Problems
Lack of standards
Integration of available software
Linux distributions can drive this

23. More Information
http://socializedsoftware.com/2010/01/20/
eleven-open-source-cloud-computing-projects-to-watch/
Eucalyptus Systems — http://www.eucalyptus.com/
http://oddments.org/?p=78

24. The Linux Desktop

25. The Linux Desktop

26. The Linux Desktop
Where does this leave Linux distributors?

27. Problems
The server-side software is not “free”.
The hosting is not “free”.
Little/no control over data.
No “open-source” community.

28. Ways Forward
Need more “free” web services.
Need “free” hosting model.
Need data access/protection model.
Rethinking licensing, freedom.

29. Ways Forward
Need more “free” web services.
Identi.ca, OpenStreetMap, ownCloud, . . .
Need “free” hosting model.
Need data access/protection model.
Rethinking licensing, freedom.

30. Ways Forward
Need more “free” web services.
Identi.ca, OpenStreetMap, ownCloud, . . .
Need “free” hosting model.
Hostsharing.net
Need data access/protection model.
Rethinking licensing, freedom.

31. Ways Forward
Need more “free” web services.
Identi.ca, OpenStreetMap, ownCloud, . . .
Need “free” hosting model.
Hostsharing.net
Need data access/protection model.
auditing, data dumps (“preferred form for modification”)
Rethinking licensing, freedom.

32. Ways Forward
Need more “free” web services.
Identi.ca, OpenStreetMap, ownCloud, . . .
Need “free” hosting model.
Hostsharing.net
Need data access/protection model.
auditing, data dumps (“preferred form for modification”)
Rethinking licensing, freedom.
AGPL?

33. Ways Forward
Need more “free” web services.
Identi.ca, OpenStreetMap, ownCloud, . . .
Need “free” hosting model.
Hostsharing.net
Need data access/protection model.
auditing, data dumps (“preferred form for modification”)
Rethinking licensing, freedom.
AGPL?
Commercial opportunities

34. Freedoms
Free Software Definition
0. Freedom to run
1. Freedom to study and change
2. Freedom to redistribute
3. Freedom to distribute modified versions

35. Freedoms
0. Freedom to run
1. Freedom to study and change
2. Freedom to redistribute
3. Freedom to distribute modified versions
Freedom to access and control my data

36. More Information
https://www.joachim-breitner.de/blog/archives/
344-About-the-Freedoms-of-Web-Services.html
Eben Moglen, “Freedom in the Cloud”

37. Summary
Linux distributors can drive:
Integration of cloud software
Distribution of software in the cloud
Freedom in the cloud

38. Rights and Attributions
This presentation “Linux Distribution for the Cloud” was authored by Peter Eisentraut and is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Picture credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matsuyuki/2607912618/ (CC-BY-SA)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/secretlondon/2592690167/ (CC-BY-SA)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrepin/188800171/ (CC-BY-SA)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbigmac/2543562507/in/set-72157605291764838/ (CC-BY-SA)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattimattila/3003324844/ (CC-BY)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neospire/3594831805/ (CC-BY)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saipal/199661563/ (CC-BY)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lloyds-screenies/2809262218/ (CC-BY)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcuthrell/2101814328/ (CC-BY-SA)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndevil/4117337083/ (CC-BY)
All listed pictures under indicated Create Commons licenses.