Open Source The free-maker of software

[michaelper22 0]

If you ever noticed that some scripts are released under the GPL or some similar license, that indicates that it is open source. Open source means that A) the program is free B ) you can modify it C) you can redistribute it (only under the same terms, without modifying any copyright statements), even if you modified it (as far as I remember). One of the reasons behind this is because people hate companies like Micro$oft that charge high prices and impose almost no freedom on your rights to their (money-making) software. I personally wish that many decent programs would be free, although I can't name any at the moment. I have a number of open source programs in use: Mambo, WordPress, Apache, XAMPP and 7-Zip. I didn't pay a cent, and in fact, they work better than their paid counterparts (at least they are faster and smaller). So if you decide to write a program, but don't want money from it, consider making it open source, and expect many smiles .

Edited February 28, 2006 by michaelper22 (see edit history)

[spy_charly 0]

ho yeah man i'm totally according with you, though i use Windows it doesnt mean i'm pleased or happy with it but i just haven't change to another OS beacause the great games i like are most of them available to pc so i have no choice, btw i hadn't noticed but yep most of free opensource code is lighter than some copyright programs.

[saga 0]

here in Philippines copyright is not a problem since virtually copyright on softwares does not exist in my country you could buy WinXP SP 2 for 2 dollars here on 1 cd which is 2 dollars only you could have as many softwares which are all cracks or have a keygen pretty neat

[Spectre 0]

Copyright and intellectual property law is applicable almost everywhere. It may not be enforced, but that doesn't mean it's legal. Here is a reasonably good resource on copyright law in your particular part of the world - I think you should probably read it.

 

Anyway, this is getting a little off topic. There is indeed a lot of very good open source software floating around, although it obviously doesn't meet the same standard as the commercial market in all areas, in terms of functionality and reliability. Not all open source software is published under the same license - although the Free Software Foundation recommends the GNU GPL for free, open-source software, there are other licenses available for authors to license their work under whilst keeping it open source and free, so it's worth getting familiar with the particular license a package is distributed under before going ahead and making modifications or redistributing it.

[pbrugge 0]

Mhh if you open a topic about opensource thats cool but please do get the facts right :PFirst of all opensource does not mean free like in free beer if you want to get payed for your opensource project you have the freedom of doing so. For exampe see linux suse and cedega (winex).Opensource is about the freedom and choices you have without any reall restrictions if you like to make a program for windows, *nix or mac its up to you. Did you find a opensource program wich has no multyplatform support well port it to the OS you want it to run on.You have the freedom (again a word with free in it ) to gain money from a project you have started/maked because hey we all need to eat but you have to nake the source vieuwable and modification of the file has to be possible.And beside that it has nothing to do with people hating Microsoft (thats the way it is spelled and not micro$oft) but with people that like to control what is happening in there computer or simply like to write programs others can improve.I am a linux user for 7years now and sure I dont like to use windows but thats not because I hate microsoft but because I like to control my computer the way I want and not the way microsoft thinks is good for me. But thats my free-choice

[michaelper22 0]

A) I spelled Microsoft wrong on purpose (the company is a huge money machine, 90% of anything they make ain't free), since I'm talking about open source which 97% of all Microsoft software isn't. I have found many Windows open source apps out there (take a trip over to Sourceforge.net and see for yourself).

I've used Windows for years and also have gripes about it, but won't switch because my support department (actually Daddy) won't cover it (although I plan to install SuSE 9.1 Pro on an old machine of mine)

C)

First of all opensource does not mean free like in free beer if you want to get payed for your opensource project you have the freedom of doing so.

What exactly do you mean? Most project creators do accept donations, and (I would expect) have a real job.

I am a linux user for 7years now and sure I dont like to use windows but thats not because I hate microsoft but because I like to control my computer the way I want and not the way microsoft thinks is good for me.

That's why many people use *nix. See http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/# Edited February 5, 2006 by michaelper22 (see edit history)

[pbrugge 0]

What I mean is that 95% of the people think (and you aply it to) that opensource is always free of charge and thats not the thing. Some opensource projects cost money look for instance at the distro you want to install suse is one of the linux distro's that need to be payed for (or you could try a ftp installation).I dont know if you used a linux distro before but if you are new into it I would reccomend you to try ubuntu a distro based on debian and really easy to use. Rpm based systems like fedora, mandriva and suse are oke but if you want to installsoftware from source or just drivers for your videocard you could come into trouble as a first-time user. Imo ubuntu makes it all easier and even your dad could use it easely :)I am not using ubuntu btw but debian and I use to use gentoo which is also a good distro but I hated the time it needed to compile software (X-server for instance took 8 hours on gentoo and a few minuts on debian).

[pawitp 0]

Most opensources are free anyway, like joomla and phpbb running on most websites. SuSe is now OpenSuSe and now allows to do downloads ISO if you don't want to go for pro. The best resource for opensource is sourceforge.net

[pbrugge 0]

what you say is true MOST!! not ALL!! and thats the point I wanted to make in the first place

 

OpenSuSe oke that is a project I did not know of but hey I aint into rpm distro's anyway

[Spectre 0]

Ok then. Now that we've got the pointless arguing about nothing aside, can we return to discussion of the original topic?

[michaelper22 0]

What I mean is that 95% of the people think (and you aply it to) that opensource is always free of charge and thats not the thing. Some opensource projects cost money look for instance at the distro you want to install suse is one of the linux distro's that need to be payed for (or you could try a ftp installation).

 

I dont know if you used a linux distro before but if you are new into it I would reccomend you to try ubuntu a distro based on debian and really easy to use. Rpm based systems like fedora, mandriva and suse are oke but if you want to installsoftware from source or just drivers for your videocard you could come into trouble as a first-time user. Imo ubuntu makes it all easier and even your dad could use it easely

 

I am not using ubuntu btw but debian and I use to use gentoo which is also a good distro but I hated the time it needed to compile software (X-server for instance took 8 hours on gentoo and a few minuts on debian).

210168[/snapback]

It's been a long time since I started this thread, but whatever. SuSE Linux costs money because they provide you with 5 CDs, 2 double sided DVDs, and 2 manuals, for heaven's sake. They also give tech support, and lots of tools within the OS (like YaST, susewatcher, suseplugger and others). Man, if you paid $90 you would expect more than Ubuntu provides (I'm not saying that Ubuntu is bad; in fact, I find it somewhat easier to use than SuSE, and it's live CD, which I didn't get with SuSE, runs faster than SuSE on my aged computer). Overall, I feel satisfied with my purchase.

As far as my dad supporting Linux, he only supports Windows. I can imagine why. He supports SQL Server rnning on Windows at work, so I think the reason is obvious.

Compiling sources? I never have done that, and don't plan to. If I need something, I find an RPM, or forget about it.

Back to the real discussion, open source software is free in rights as well as price (SuSE Linux doesn't count, because they do charge for effort put into distrubuting and supporting their products). I haven't found any open source apps on SourceForge that had a price tag on hem, so let's end the discussion here.

[Turn Off The Light 0]

If you ever noticed that some scripts are released under the GPL or some similar license, that indicates that it is open source. Open source means that A) the program is free you can modify it C) you can redistribute it (only under the same terms, without modifying any copyright statements), even if you modified it (as far as I remember). One of the reasons behind this is because people hate companies like Micro$oft that charge high prices and impose almost no freedom on your rights to their (money-making) software. I personally wish that many decent programs would be free, although I can't name any at the moment. I have a number of open source programs in use: Mambo, WordPress, Apache, XAMPP and 7-Zip. I didn't pay a cent, and in fact, they work better than their paid counterparts (at least they are faster and smaller). So if you decide to write aprogram, but don't want money from it, consider making it open source, and expect many smiles .

I totally agree that Microsoft isn't the greatest company in the world, but because they have the brains that started them, they were able to take over the industry, almost completely. See when Bill Gates started Microsoft, he didn't start it with a blank screen on his computer. He started it by purchasing an operating system from someone, which was called DOS. He then took that and then changed it and developed onto it to make it what it is today! They are only doing what they have felt was necessary to bring them out of their garage and become a company. So therefore Microsoft being bound within the legal limits of that Disk Operating System that they purchased, it wasn't theirs to change. But yet they did it anyway! You can go on the internet and find something called a de-compiler, adn then de-compile the programs you have and see the source code. Many people take the time to do things like that. I mean, if you really aren't happy with being confined withing the restrictions that Microsoft sets for you, then make a difference, and don't complain. I have some software that I have written or found online, that I have changed. My entire computer runs on open source software except for the version of Windows XP operating system.

For example. If you don't like the way Microsoft Office works or limits you, then you can go to http://www.openoffice.org/ and download that! You can get the source code for it and then make the different changes that you want.

I don't mean to be complaining. But when people complain about Microsoft or open source, I am usually right there with them, because a group of my friends are trying to attemp to bring our world to an Open Source world. We are not doing it for money! We are doing it to bring the freedom of controling your computer to the world. Not being limited to the restraints that someone sets for you! It is your computer! You should be able to control your computer, so therefore, an open source society will make life alot easier!

If you then want to join a team of Open Source Programmers, you should make a post that will make it known that you are trying to make a difference. Or even produce a website for your projects so that you can bring the world, or community into knowing that Open Source is here! Trust me, it is here!

Thanks for listening to my ranting and raving, but Windows and Microsoft are not that bad of a company. Linux is amazing, I use it at school for my movie productions. Along with Mac OSX, which is also a great OS, things like this are bringing the world together.

~Turn Off The Light~

[michaelper22 0]

I am sort of with the open source movement - I have a site with the open source Mambo CMS, I use the open source Mozilla Firefox upon occasioon, and other programs that I mentioned earlier. One of the things I like about open source software - you usually (not 100% of the time) don't have to be an administrator on Win 2000/XP based machines to install these programs. They may have a couple of bug the first time, and a slightly different approach to doing things from the conventional commercial software, but I feel that these differences are worth it.

[Borghunter 0]

Open Source is my favorite thing in the world, I can name hundreds of open source linuxes alone.I use myself, many open source programs and scripts like phpbb, POST-nuke, PhpBB-Plus, etc.Open Source is SWEEET!