This presentation was made at the Guyana Technology User Group meet up on Saturday 9 February, 2013. The slidecast is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAdAqqRLqKE

1. Free and Open Source Software
Presented by Vidyaratha Kissoon
Guyana Technology User Group
9 February 2013

2. What we will talk about..

What is FOSS/FLOSS?

Types of FOSS

Why bother with FOSS in Guyana?

Making money with FOSS

Linux and us

3. When last have you stolen
something or acquired stolen
property?

4. Definition of FOSS

Free Software Movement
− The freedom to run a program, for any purpose;
− The freedom to study how a program works and adapt it to a
person’s needs. Access to the source code is a precondition for
this;
− The freedom to redistribute copies so that you can help your
neighbour; and
− The freedom to improve a program and release your
improvements to the public, so that the whole community
benefits. Access to the source code is a precondition for this
− libre vs gratuit

Richard Stallman is the founder

5. Definition of FOSS..

Free redistribution

Distribution of license

Source code

License must be
technology-neutral

Derived works

License must not be

Integrity of author's code specific to a product

No discrimination against 
License must not restrict
users other software

No discrimination against 
Managed by Open Source
fields of endeavour Initiative, focused on
technical issues

6. Types of FOSS
 Operating Systems - Linux, FreeBSD
 Databases - MySql, PostgreSQL
 Webservers - Apache, Roxen, Savant
 CMS – Drupal, Wordpress, Joomla
 Elearning – Moodle, Claronline
 Internet Apps – Pidgin, Firefox, Opera, Ekiga
 Multimedia – Mplayer, totem, xine, gtkpod, VLC
 Graphics – GIMP, Inkscape,
 Productivity – OpenOffice, Koffice, Abiword
 GIS – Quantum, GRASS,
 and many others

7. Why bother with FOSS?

Security

Reliability/Stability

Open standards and vendor independence

Reduced reliance on imports

Developing local software capacity

Piracy, IPR, and WTO

Localization

8. Why bother with FOSS..

Challenges..
− lack of business applications
− interoperability with proprietary systems
− limited documentation and 'polish'
− Limited Marketing
− ......

9. Making money with FOSS
 Develop solutions
− Applications, Customisations,
 Develop a service
− technical support

demand for Linux system Administration

Money on services, not on licences

Innovation – creating solutions
− Applications eg GIS

10. What is Linux

Linux the kernel
− Linux was originally the name of the kernel
created by Linus Torvalds and is currently
maintained by a team of developers

Linux – the distributions
− the kernel, plus the system libraries, GUI, various
databases, web servers, email utilities, desktop software
and others.
− Debian, Mint, Mandriva, Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat,
SUSE,
− Not all applications are “FOSS” (eg skype )

11. Linux is used..

Simputer, OLPC

Supercomputers

Mobile devices

By US Navy, Chinese Government

Schools in Kerala

12. Learning to use Linux

Try an installation

Learn the command line

Do a project – create FOSS/Linux based
solutions and cost them
− Web server
− Desktop
− Linux Terminal Server Project pilot

Certification?

13. Thanks for listening...
vidyak1@gmail.com