Brief introduction to Open source and openOffice and Linux

1. HOW TO SAVE UP A
LOT OF MONEY
O. Teytaud
I've been informed yesterday afternoon,
that I have 3 hours teaching around open source today.
After all it is good news:
there are not so many things in my slides,
so we have time.
Please interrupt me each time something is
unclear.

2. HOW TO SAVE UP A
LOT OF MONEY
O. Teytaud
1. Introduction
2. The economical model of open source
3. Open source software
4. Open source is not only for software
5. Open source & management
6. Open source & money
7. Open source & me

3. HOW TO SAVE UP A
LOT OF MONEY
O. Teytaud
I. INTRODUCTION:
GNU/Linux &
openOffice

4. HOW TO SAVE UP A
LOT OF MONEY
O. Teytaud
Stop using Microsoft Word.
Stop using Microsof Excel.
Stop using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Download OpenOffice or LibreOffice.
It is free.
It works very well.
Remark: it works under Windows or under Linux.

5. HOW TO SAVE UP A
LOT OF MONEY
O. Teytaud
You like OpenOffice ?
One step forward:
install Linux!
E.g. Ubuntu Gnu/Linux

6. Why installing Gnu/Linux ?
Installation is easy.
You save up plenty of money.
You want new softwares ?
1) Launch to the packet Manager
2) Look for the software you want
3) Ask for installation ==> everything automatic!
Modern Linux distributions are stable.

7. Can we trust Gnu/Linux ?
Well done license
==> you will never have any license trouble.
Used by many administrations in the world
==> only the first time is difficult (and not very)
Most supercomputers, most web servers, many
mobile phones use Linux kernels and GNU tools.
Your internet gateway at home is
probably under Linux.
A problem ? Just “google” your problem: many user
forums, the solution is usually there.

8. II. The economical models
of open source

9. “Open source” does not mean “free”;
yet open source code is often free.
Source code needs efforts and money.
But duplicating it as very low cost.
Marginal cost is (almost) zero.
This makes source code special (as well
as books, musics, videos...).
==> New economical models ?

10. “Open source” means that the user
can modify, understand the product.
How can you earn money if you make
the source available ?
- But you can sell the product anyway
(compiled, with packaging and
documentation and/or maintenance)
- Or you can sell the documentation.
- Or you can sell the specialization.

11. What is the advantage of making your
code free and/or open source?
- feedback from many users
- free help for debugging
- free new features
- free documentation by forums
- no copyright enforcement cost (lawyers
or engineers for security are expensive)
- developers are happy, because their
work helps many people

12. III. Open Source
software

13. Some important open-source software:
Plenty of things under Gnu/Linux.
- GCC (Gnu C/C++ Compiler)
- YACC
- Firefox
- Linux Kernel (used everywhere)
- GIMP (free equivalent of Photoshop)
- Android (derived from Linux)
- FreeBSD <== highly stable Unix
- Eclipse (development environment)
- Apache: HTTP Web Server
- MediaWiki (code for Wikipedia)
==> also: open-source hardware

14. IV. Open Source
is not only for software

15. OPEN SOURCE IS NOT ONLY FOR COMPUTER SOURCES:
LifeTrac is a low-cost, multipurpose
open source tractor.
It serves as a workhorse backbone for many
of GVCS technologies.
Prototype III stage has been completed,
and field testing determined the need
for Prototype IV prior to product release.
Featuring a modular design and
detachable PowerCube units, it has the ability to
rapidly switch between a variety of GVCS
machines via the QA Plate. The machine
is overbuilt with a focus on lifetime design and ease of repair.
Four hydraulic motors provide skid steer
power to the wheels, and a chain tread
system enables navigation of extreme terrain.

16. OPEN SOURCE IS NOT ONLY FOR COMPUTER SOURCES:
LifeTrac is a low-cost, multipurpose
open source tractor.
It serves as a workhorse backbone for many
of GVCS technologies.
Main advantage
Prototype III stage has been completed,
over traditional products (accordingneed
and field testing determined the to authors):
for Prototype IV prior to product release.
this tractor is made for being design and possible.
Featuring a modular as good as
detachable PowerCube units, it has the ability to
It is not designed for dyingaafter the warranties.
rapidly switch between variety of GVCS
machines via the QA Plate. The machine
is overbuilt with a focus on lifetime design and ease dying
Many industrial products are designed for of repair.
Four hydraulic motors provide skid steer
so that to themust buy a a chain tread
power you wheels, and new one; not
open source products.
system enables navigation of extreme terrain.

17. OPEN SOURCE IS NOT ONLY FOR COMPUTER SOURCES:
LifeTrac is a low-cost, multipurpose
open source tractor.
Please refer to
It serves as a workhorse backbone for many
of GVCS technologies.
Main advantage
“Systemic Obsolescence”:
Prototype III stage has been completed,
and overtesting determined the need
field traditional products:
- e.g. building a device which will not
for Prototype IV prior to product release.
survive more than its warranty;
this tractor is made for being design and possible.
Featuring a modular as good as
detachable PowerCube units, it has the ability to
- or a software which does not read
It is not designed for dyingaafter the warranties.
rapidly switch between variety of GVCS
machines via the QA Plate. The machine
files exported by newer versions
is overbuilt with a focus on lifetime design and ease dying
Many industrial products are designed for of repair.
of the software.
Four hydraulic motors provide skid steer
so that to themust buy a a chain tread
power you wheels, and new one; not
open source products.
system enables navigation of extreme terrain.

18. THESE SLIDES ARE OPEN SOURCE
I made them publicly available
for other teachers. Someone made
Interesting comments.
A few weeks ago,
I used (and acknowledged it) slides from
Marian Such who published his slides.
Wikipedia is free documentation
(seemingly weak in Chinese ?).

19. OpenMoKo: Open Source mobile phone.
Open-Cola: Open Source Cola.

20. V. Management & Open Source
In many domains:
Professional life is unjust.
You can not compete with someone who has money
enough for building an entire company.
With software it's different.
With Open Source it's very different.

21. Management & Open Source
Starting from nothing but a computer
and an internet connection, you can develop
a great open source software, or become a great
contributor of an existing open source project.
No entrance fee: just be the best and you'll
find a position in open source.
Sure, this does not provide money:
- use advertisements;
- call for donations;
- sell side services (e.g. studies).

22. Management & Open Source
Who do you trust, for
an important project ?
- the guys who developed a
successful open source project;
- the boss of a corporate which develops
a proprietary code that people only buy
because they have compatibility issues ?

23. Management & Open Source
Who do you trust, for A geek
who loves his
an important project ? lob and wants it
to be known worldwide
- the guys who developed a
successful open source project;
- the boss of a corporate which develops A guy
with plenty
a proprietary code that people only buy of meetings
with lawyers.
because they have compatibility issues ?

24. Management & Open Source:
competition
Open-source is a two-sided sword:
- you develop at low cost (free help, no security cost);
- but you give to other people the possibility
of competing (e.g.: they know your file formats).
An open source project which is not very efficient
is dead.
Someone else will develop a better version.
Whereas close-source projects can survive
just because of compatibility.

25. Management & Open Source
You want to hire a great person ?
Hire a developer of a great open source project!
You want to be hired ?
Show your knowledge by becoming the main
contributor of a domain in Wikipedia, or a key
contributor to an open source project.

26. VI. Open source & money
The key problem for open source is money.
Open Source also works by public fundings.
Because mainly Open Source developers are
academics, or students with public funding.
In my humble opinion, it's a good use of public
money.

27. Open source & money
Global licenses ?
It is sometimes proposed (for music or video)
that internet users pay a global tax which is
used for funding developments, proportionally
to the number of users.
Advertisement ?
With advertisement, you can get money quickly
just with your webpage or your source code.

28. VII. Open source & me
I still lose a lot of time in intellectual property
meetings, because so many people are afraid
of open source.
I would be more useful, if I could
spend this time writing in Wikipedia or GNU code.
I think this is the case for MANY people.
The cost of intellectual property is HUGE.

29. GIVE IT A TRY !

30. Change your life!
Try open source.
Choose a software in the list (a few
slides above), which might be helpful
for you, and give it a try.
((You're very strong ?
Find a missing feature (see the wishlist on
the web site). Implement it yourself.
You get no money, just fame, and
pleasure of helping people.))