July 2002 - Fsf-friends - lists.fsci.in

PERUVIAN EFFORT COULD BAN MICROSOFT ON GOV. COMPUTERS (fwd)
by Frederick Noronha 16 Sep '04

16 Sep '04

Thanks to George Lessard for posting this across. FN ---------- Forwarded message ---------- PERUVIAN EFFORT COULD BAN MICROSOFT ON GOV. COMPUTERS Peruvian Congressman Edgar Villanueva is pushing legislation to obligate all public institutions to convert exclusively to open-source software. Open-source programs, embodied by the Linux operating system, have underlying code available to anyone who wants to modify or customize it. Such software, in unadorned form, can be downloaded from the Internet for free. Villanueva hopes his measure triggers activity in Peru's software industry by freeing programmers from the constraints of working with coding controlled by a few large companies. Open-source could take the expense out of software upgrades; which is important for a country like Peru that owes about $30 million in overdue software license fees. [SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Associated Press] (http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/3531007.htm)

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CALLFORPAPERS: Linux-Kongress, NORDU2003
by Frederick Noronha 31 Jul '02

31 Jul '02

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jochen Topf <jochen(a)remote.org> Subject: Linux-Kongress 2002 registration opens! Date: 16 Jul 2002 16:53:56 GMT Registration is now open for the Linux-Kongress 2002. If you register before August 9 you will receive a 33% discount on the conference fees! The Linux-Kongress is one of the worlds leading Linux developer conferences aimed at the experienced developer community. One day of tutorials is followed by a two-day, two-track conference program, with a Linux exhibition to browse in between the talks. The conference language is English. Organized by the German Unix User Group (GUUG) the Linux-Kongress will bring together for the 9th time Linux enthusiasts from around the world for talks about security, multimedia, clustering, new kernel developments and much more. You can also join your fellow developers in birds-of-a-feather sessions, sample the local beer at our Social Event and compete against your peers in the Linux-Kongress Komplete Konfusion Kuiz. The conference takes place at the University of Cologne, Germany. On Wednesday, September 4 there are five tutorial to chose from. The conference itself will open on Thursday, September 5 with a keynote by Marcelo Tosatti, the maintainer of the 2.4 kernel tree. Thanks to the German Ministry of Education and Research there is a special deal this year: Students pay only 50 EUR for the conference, tutorials and the Social Event! For all the details and online registration have a look at our web page: http://www.linux-kongress.org/ Don't forget to register in time for the 33% discount. I hope to see you in Cologne! Jochen Topf ########################################################################## # Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: cola(a)stump.algebra.com # # PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. # # This group is archived at http://stump.algebra.com/~cola/ # ########################################################################## ------------------------------ From: Lars Tunkrans <ltu(a)icl.se> Subject: NORDU2003 - Call For Papers Date: 16 Jul 2002 16:54:00 GMT Reply-To: ltu(a)icl.se Subject: Call For Papers NordU2003 5th NordU/USENIX Conference, General Technical (NordU2003) February 10 - 14, 2003 Aros Congress Center Vaesteraas, Sweden Important Dates Paper submissions due: September 2, 2002 Notification of acceptance: October 2, 2002 Camera-ready final papers due: December 2, 2002 Conference Organizers Program Chairs Martin Wahlen, Sound Foundation Poul-Henning Kamp, FreeBSD developer & consultant Program Committee Seppo Kauppinen, Lars Tunkrans, Fujitsu Services Kristen Nielsen, TDC TeleDanmark Network Division. Review Committee Jonas Skeppstedt, Lund University Marshall Kirk McKusick, Unix developer & consultant - formerly CSRG UCB. Julia Lawall, DIKU Brian A. LaMacchia, Microsoft Tutorial Coordinator Ulla Sandberg Organization Committee Anita Nilsson, UniForum Marknadskonsult Jan Saell, Irial Overview The NordU program committee solicits papers on topics related to UNIX and UNIX like systems and UNIX system administration. We especially encourage papers on novel techniques, architectures and methodologies. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: Security Security Audits Common Problems Mandatory Access Controls Operating Systems Virtual Memory File Systems Device Drivers Open Source/ Free UNIX Open Source projects Open Source methodologies Open Source case studies Economic Impacts High Performance Computing Clustering the GRID High Availability Clustering Storage Technologies Checkpoint Techniques. Mobile Computing IPv6 802.11b BlueTooth Software Development Languages Development Environments Change Management Interoperability Windows Standards Storage Area Network Interconnects UNIX drivers software Paper Submissions Submissions should be full papers of about 4000-6000 words. The maximum submission length is 14 single-spaced A4 pages, including figures, tables, and references, using an 11pt font. Submitted papers should be in PDF format. The committee will not review papers that exceed the length limit, or papers in other formats such as Word or HTML. Extended Abstracts are acceptable, if they provide sufficient detail. Submissions are due on September 2, 2002. The program committee and external readers will judge papers on technical merit, significance, relevance, and presentation. A good paper will demonstrate that the authors: Are attacking a significant problem, have devised an interesting, compelling solution, have demonstrated the practicality and benefits of the solution, have drawn appropriate conclusions, have clearly described what they have done, and have clearly articulated the advances beyond previous work. Please read the detailed USENIX author guidelines for more information. Accepted papers may be shepherded through an editorial review process by a member of the program committee. The NordU conference, like most conferences and journals, does not allow submissions that are substantially similar to works that are previously published or are under review for publication elsewhere. Papers accompanied by non-disclosure agreement forms will not be read or reviewed. Best Paper Awards Awards will be given for the best paper. Work-in-Progress Reports Would you like to share a provocative opinion, interesting preliminary work, or a cool idea that will provoke discussion? The NordU technical sessions will include slots for work-in-progress reports and "outrageous" opinion statements. We are particularly interested in presentations of student work. To submit, please send a proposal (one page or less) to the program committee at pgm03(a)nordu.org. Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions Birds-of-a-Feather sessions (BoFs) are informal gatherings organized by attendees interested in a particular topic. BoFs will be held in the evening. BoFs may be scheduled in advance by emailing the Program Committee at pgm03(a)nordu.org. BoFs may also be scheduled at the conference. Registration Materials Complete program and registration information will be available in December 2002 on the conference Web site. The information will be in both HTML and a printable PDF file. If you would like to receive the program booklet in print, please email your request, including your postal address, to: congrex(a)congrex.se ########################################################################## # Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: cola(a)stump.algebra.com # # PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. # # This group is archived at http://stump.algebra.com/~cola/ # ########################################################################## ------------------------------

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TC-Emu
by r_sreekumar 31 Jul '02

31 Jul '02

On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 Ajith Kumar wrote : > >ajith > > > >Hello all, > >here is a small program that will help those who want to do >Turbo-C >style graphics under X-window . >----------- >There are some people who require some minimal amount of graphics >and >managing it using >Turbo-C under DOS platform. Here is a program that can help you >compiling and running >those programs with minor modifications. Turbo-C graphics >functions are >emulated in a crude >manner using X-lib calls. >A program draw.c to draw a rectangle is shown below > >#include "xwin.c" > >void mycode() >{ >rectangle(100,100,200,200); >} > >int main() >{ >makeWindow (600, 500); / creates a window to draw >return 0; >} > >You just needs to include the file xwin.c, that is provided. >Write all >your code inside a function >named 'mycode' . Compile it using the command > >gcc -o draw -I/usr/include/X11 -L/usr/X11R6/lib -lXaw3d -lXt >-lX11 >draw.c > >Attaching draw.c, demo.c and a Makefile. >Your feedback would be nice. > >ajith > > >

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GLUE CD revised
by Arun M 30 Jul '02

30 Jul '02

FWD message from Mr Ajith, ---- From: Ajith Kumar <ajith(a)nsc.ernet.in> To: fsf-friends(a)gnu.org.in, ajith(a)nsc.ernet.in Subject: GLUE CD revised Date: 30 Jul 2002 11:03:10 +0530 Hello, I would like to announce the availability of GNU Linux Utilities for Education , GLUE, CDROM. You can browse the CD and install packages from it. Compilers for logo, basic, pascal etc are include. Lot of tutorials on various topics. Graphics Programming on GNU/Linux for the "Turbo C" fellows. The new version includes an installation script and does the following 1. Converts the GNU/Linux installed machine to a Terminal Server. Installation and configuration of LTS is done by the script. If the terminal video cards are autodetected by XFree86-4 , they just boot from the ether-boot floppy created. (tested on redhat 7.1 & 7.3 ) 2. Installs and configures IceWM ( a fast , flexible window manager ideal for terminal servers) and puts a menu tailored for school use. 3. Installs other RPM & TGZ packages from CD Anybody interested in getting a copy may contact Free Software User Group Calicut ( fsug(a)rediffmail.com) or me Other contacts: Rajeesh P., Calicut, (Ph. 355415) ajith

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IT Expo in Trivandrum
by Arun M 30 Jul '02

30 Jul '02

Hi All, FSF India will be participating in IT Expo to be conducted in Technopark, Trivandrum. The program will be from 1-4th next month. Regards Arun.

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Now its time for Forbes to take notice
by CK Raju 29 Jul '02

29 Jul '02

The capitalist tool 'Forbes Magazine' has produced quality "Linux special" report. Details are at http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/16/linuxintro.html That's an astounding piece of journalism as it would help quell the fear of the 'market' with such fair and positive remarks about Linux. CK Raju Kerala Institute of Local Administration

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Happy Birthday FSF India
by Rajkumar S 29 Jul '02

29 Jul '02

Hi all, Yesterday (20 July 2002) was the first anniversary of the Inauguration of FSF India in Trivandrum. kind of funny that no one remembered it. Is FSF India a legal entity by now? raj __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com

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Re: [Fsf-friends] IT Expo in Trivandrum
by baiju m 29 Jul '02

29 Jul '02

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More from Peru
by Raju Mathur 29 Jul '02

29 Jul '02

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,54141,00.html Microsoft's Big Stick in Peru By Agustin d'Empaire 2:00 a.m. July 27, 2002 PDT BUENOS AIRES -- Afraid that Peru may adopt a bill decreeing the use of open-source software in all government systems, Microsoft apparently enlisted the American ambassador in Lima to help try and convince the Peruvians to kill the legislation. Wired News has obtained a copy of a letter sent by U.S. Ambassador John Hamilton to the president of the Peruvian Congress, expressing his dismay at the proposed legislation. Congressman Edgar Villanueva, the bill's chief sponsor, said he considers Hamilton's letter to be "overt pressure" on Peru by the United States and Microsoft. If so, the letter would continue the long-standing U.S. tradition of meddling in Latin American affairs, political analysts say. In his June letter, Hamilton said that while the United States doesn't oppose the development of open-source software, it prefers to support a free market where the quality of the product can determine the issue. He added that by excluding proprietary software companies like Microsoft, Peru would be hurting an industry that "has the potential to create 15,000" jobs in the local economy. </excerpt> Is he the US ambassador or the MS ambassador? -- Raju -- Raju Mathur raju(a)kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ It is the mind that moves

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GNOWSYS Development version released
by Nagarjuna G. 28 Jul '02

28 Jul '02

A development version of GNOWSYS-0.1-1 is released at http://www.zope.org/Members/nagarjuna/GNOWSYS. http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnosys GNOWSYS, Gnowledge Networking and Organizing System, is a web application for developing and maintaining semantic web content developed in Python and works as an installed product in ZOPE. The application provides generic classes, viz. object, object type, association, association type, facet, facet type, occurance, occurance type, theme, scope, etc., for developing semantic web content. For those who are aware, the application follows the structure of TopicMaps (http://www.topicmaps.org). It is intended to develop as a powerful prototype application demonstrating the potential of an expert system within the paradigm+of object oriented database technology. Presently it cannot import/export the content in the form of XTM (XML Topic Maps) standard, but this feature is being developed. The application can be used for web based knowledge representation and management projects, for developing structured knowledge bases, as a collaborative authoring tool, suitable for making electronic glossaries, dictionaries and encyclopedias, for managing large web sites or links, developing an online catalogue for a library of any thing including books, to make ontologies, classifying and networking any objects etc. This tool is intended to be used also for an on-line tutoring system with dependency management system between various concepts. It also contains a facility to add rules into its rule base, and execute the rules. Once completely implemented this feature will make the product really powerful, for it can infer and make new relations. Though a prototype of rule base already exists in the developing version, more elegant implementation is being worked out. GNOSYS is a free software, released under GPL. Project website will be managed from http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnosys Sample applications that are developed using GNOWSYS will be available at http://www.gnowledge.org/, which is a site under development. You can download from the Zope site: http://www.zope.org/Members/nagarjuna/GNOWSYS You can also download soon from the savannah site using the cvs after the files are setup. This product depends on another Zope Product, Transparent Folders. Nagarjuna

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Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 `woody' available
by Raghavendra Bhat 28 Jul '02

28 Jul '02

Hello: I have downloaded the seven ISO images of Debian GNU/Linux v3.0 aka woody. Listers wanting a copy of the same can mail me offlist. I am willing to copy it and mail it to Listers who have a need for it. Please note that Debian GNU/Linux `Woody' (Official) comes in 7 CDs and is one wonderful job by the community. :) Have a nice day... -- .-"".__."``". ragOO, Amateur Radio VU2RGU .-.--. _...' (/) (/) ``' Free Software for a Brave GNU World (O/ O) \-' ` -="""=. ', Computing as a Community Resource! ~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Elx Linux... on desktoplinux.com (some time back)
by Frederick Noronha 25 Jul '02

25 Jul '02

http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT6850645834.html An interview with ELX Linux founder and chief architect, Abhi Datt Rick Lehrbaum (Feb. 4, 2002) DesktopLinux.com founder and executive editor Rick Lehrbaum interviews Abhi Datt, Chief Software Architect and founder of Project ELX, a new project to create a uniquely easy-to-use Linux distribution. Abhi Datt describes his vision for Project ELX, lists the main features of the ELX Linux distribition, provides an update on the status of ELX, and shares his thoughts on how Linux can succeed on the desktop and elsewhere. -------------------------------------------------------------------- DesktopLinux.com: What is ELX? What are its main objectives? Abhi Datt: ELX, as its name suggests, is "everyone's Linux". It is the most comprehensive work ever done to bring Linux to desktop. Very soon, ELX will bring to users a complete suite of various Linux based operating systems so that it caters to the complete needs of a wide range of users -- from home, to corporate, to power users, to hardcore developers. Our vision and mission are to take Linux to everyone. DesktopLinux.com: What are the key features and software that ELX will provide? Abhi Datt: The expression "ease of use" has become such a misnomer that I would rather refrain from using it. ELX's true brilliance can only be appreciated by actually using it. ELX does not believe in "dumbing down" the system to achieve so called simplicity. It's the most comprehensive work ever done to bring Linux on the desktops of all -- and by that I mean normal users, power users, and developers. People who think ease and power cannot walk hand-in-hand should try ELX to change their opinion. It's easy to make a Windows-lookalike desktop, but its difficult to make it actually work like one -- of course I'm not talking about Windows' inimitable ability to crash! Small things do matter. For example: How do you share files in Windows? Right click on any folder and pick share, a couple of buttons, and off it goes in the network. ... How do you copy your files to your floppy? Right click and send to floppy. ... How do you add a printer? Go to Control panel say add printer and follow the wizard. ... How do you change Network settings? ... How do you zip a file and email it? ... Try doing all this in ELX, and you will know why ELX is ELX. ELX comes with 3 fullfledged office suites (including OpenOffice), 5 browsers, 2 state-of-the-art email clients with outlook express compatibilty, a complete multimedia suite to run virtually all file formats, and more. "Application Launch Pad System" (ALPS) manages all this in the most intelligent way. Though the default desktop environment is based on KDE, it installs base libraries of Gnome so all Gnome applications work perfectly well. For system adminstrators and network administrators, ELX offers the latest Linux kernel with a lot of security patches. It also provides the latest configuration tools, the ability to control a network securely from any remote place via a browser, a firewall utility, plus an auto backup utility which is advanced enough to handle backup of complete partitions automatically on a periodic basis over the network itself. If someone is looking for an extraordinary development environment, ELX is the answer. It provides twin compilers (gcc 2.96 and 3.0.3) switchable on a flick of a button, twin QT libraries, latest development components, four preconfigured IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) incuding a Java IDE, two databases and preconfigured database drivers in IDEs, Sun's latest JRE, and a graphical versioning system. What else could a developer ask for? There is so much in ELX that if I tell you about any one of its areas, it will overshadow all the others. ELX has so much to offer that it can best be judged by actually using it. We are, in fact, releasing multiple versions of ELX along with the main release so that users can pick the most appropriate package. But ELX will never do a version which is inadequate in any means. So its fundamental character of Power and Ease will alway be preserved even in its basest of versions. DesktopLinux.com: Is ELX a totally free and open source distribution? Abhi Datt: The base version of ELX will remain free and under GPL, though there will also be several commercial versions available. DesktopLinux.com: What is the current status of ELX? Can people download and run ELX now? When can we expect a first "finished", stable version? Abhi Datt: Right from day one ELX has come out with an ultra stable version. We have a record that out of more than 40 thousand ELX users worldwide, there is not even a single after-install crash problem reported so far. And in many places (even in some renowned universities) it's used as a server because of its stabilty, ease of use, and ease of configuration. The current release of ELX (the new ISO set of preI/rc2E currently available) has no known bugs and is highly stable. It has been thoroughly tested. It is very much available for download. Users can visit our download page. The main release of ELX can be expected very shortly. In fact, it is currently under testing by several universities and developers worldwide. It will have several firsts to its credit -- a part of which we are keeping as a surprise. DesktopLinux.com: What is your vision of the opportunity for Linux on the desktop? What are the main barriers to the growing use of Linux on the desktop? (what are the key things that must be done in order for Linux to succeed? etc...) Abhi Datt: I think as a result of the entry of ELX there will be very little, if any, reason left with potential migrators to not switch over to Linux. But to actually keep maintaining a fair balance with the mammoth resources and market clout of Microsoft, all the Linux supporters should focus themselves on the real issues, which according to my understanding are as follows . . . Linux support from hardware vendors -- All hardware vendors have to be pressed to release Linux drivers out of factory, and in fact to ensure fair play in the market the US Government should pass a statutory regulation directing these vendors to do the same or at least write a clear and conspicous warning on their devices such as: "WARNING: ALL CUSTOMERS ARE HEREBY WARNED THAT THIS PRODUCT CURRENTLY SUPPORTS ONLY WINDOWS BASED SYTEMS". Hiding or not prominently displaying this fact from the innocent buyers is one of the prime reasons why people who want to excercise their freedom of choice also sometimes get badly locked into one technology only. How often does it happen that you purchase a laptop / modem / webcam only to later discover that your hardware is either not supported or partially supported in Linux? This attitude of most hardware/system vendors has made it almost impossible for Linux developers to keep up, since the onus is left to Linux developers to create compatible drivers to support the hardware/system vendors when it should really be the reverse. Linux support from software vendors -- Software application vendors should come forward and make their applications available to Linux users as well. In any case, more and more business applications are now becoming web based and therefore operating system independent. But applications used for specific purposes like CAD / CAM, graphic designing, etc. need to be made available for Linux as well. It now makes more commercial sense than ever for application vendors to have their Linux versions ready. Education -- There is a pressing need to educate and inform normal desktop users and corporate users so that they can make informed decisions rather than allowing themselves to fall into vicious cycles of vendor designed technology traps. The implications of their buying decisions with respect to both hardware and software have a direct impact on them both technically and financially. In fact we are planing to start an "Educating exercise" through the ELX website, to help people make informed and proper decisions. Until and unless we involve "normal users" in this cause, some of the hardware/software vendors will keep taking advantage of their ignorance. We'll be inviting both hardware and software vendors to inform Linux users how much of their product range currently supports Linux and when (if at all) they plan to provide Linux support for the rest. We will also try to inform users as much as possible regarding alternatives, provide compatibility rankings, etc. This will allow normal users to make better decisions. Lack of action oriented focus -- To bring much needed fair balance into action, the focus of the Linux friendly organizations should be unified. Until and unless we bring Linux closer to common normal users, it will keep itself distant from people's acceptance. Though IBM has announced a mammoth support for Linux, it has kept itself largely to the enterprise/server side of it. On the other hand, Sun would contest with Microsoft for issues such as not "standardizing" its Java standards, conceding in a way that Microsoft's OS can be the only viable vehicle to do so. Why? If giants like them can spend a fraction of their resources on addressing issues like giving more support to Linux developers, business application development on Linux, Framing common standards for Linux application development, and so forth, results would be far more effective. Finding a way to make money --- There needs to be some mechanism in open source where people can make some money (if they desire to do so) so they get further motivated to the cause rather than taking these issues part time, or as university days passions, or, for that matter, kind hearted gestures. In fact, to some extent this image of the Linux / open source community was responsible for not allowing it to gain an entry into serious corporate environments for a long time. Now, however, users are demanding an equal level of services from Linux companies, and also are not hesitating to pay for it. DesktopLinux.com: Do you think there is either a geographical or cultural difference in how Microsoft is perceived in India and other parts of Asia vs. how they are perceived in the U.S. and Europe? For example, is it easier or harder to get individuals and companies to switch to Linux from Windows in India and the rest of Asia than in the U.S. and Europe? Abhi Datt: One great thing about Windows is that it has proven to be a great unifier of cultural/geographical disparities of all sorts. It behaves the same way for everyone, everywhere -- and also evokes similar responses. As far as my experience goes, U.S citizens are the first to embrace, support, and encourage newer/better technologies. People in the U.S. are more open to change and are on the lookout for newer and better alternatives. Often, they make changes due to technical, rather than economic, reasons. Here in Asia, on the other hand, Linux is growing in popularity because of the immediate economic advantages it offers. Currently, a wave of Linux is sweeping througout China and South Korea. And Linux has just recently started picking up in India. DesktopLinux.com: Please give a brief overview of the history and background of the ELX project. Who are its leaders? Is a commercial enterprise funding or supporting ELX, or is it a community project based on volunteer efforts? How many developers are working on ELX? Abhi Datt: Project ELX was begun in February 2000, to build a distribution with the ease of Windows and robustness of Linux. For a little while it was funded by a commercial organization. Thereafter, it was funded by me until we became self sufficient -- this initially included a lot of sacrifices on the part of every ELX team member, who worked for minimum salaries and rejected lucrative job offers in India and overseas. All this because of their love towards ELX. We managed to achieve self sufficiency through various assignments including work in areas of embedded systems, training, and migration solutions. Now, with orders for support versions and CD's pouring in, we expect to be posting profits. We at ELX are a team of twelve people all below the age of 27 and with highly technical background and experience. Each ELX team member is key to the project. Narsi is Chief of Operations at ELX; his role in ELX design and development has been instrumental. He and I share the same vision, and without him I could never have taken this endeavor so far. Other key team members: Padmaja leads the Installation Team, Murali leads the Programs Management Team, Sudarshan leads the Desktop Team, Venkat leads Testing Team, and Praveen heads up Web-based Development of ELX. My own role is that of Chief Software Architect and founder. I, together with my team, design technical roadmaps, frame day-to-day objectives, and ensure that the teams' objectives are met by putting everyone's efforts in the right direction. I also am responsible for taking care of business issues at ELX. DesktopLinux.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Abhi Datt: I'd like to add that the role of DesktopLinux.com in promoting the ease factor of Linux is equally instrumental -- if not more so -- than developing a product like ELX itself. For an organization like us which has an ace product like ELX, but limitations both geographically and in terms of resources, it is difficult to make our voice heard. We are extremely thankful to DesktopLinux.com for taking up the cause of actually bringing Linux nearer to people. DesktopLinux.com: And we are most grateful to you as well, for your efforts of creating "the people's Linux" -- and also for sharing some of your time and thoughts with the Desktop Linux community. Thank you and good luck with Project ELX! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Talk back! Do you have comments or questions on this story? talkback here Please note: If you have tried ELX Linux and would like to make comments about it, please post your comments here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Related stories: Elx Linux "PRE-I release candidate-II" available for download And in this corner, it's 'everyone's Linux'... A forum member's first impression of ELX Linux Elx Linux-Pre-I now available for download A review of Elx, "everyone's Linux" Elx -- Everyone's Linux

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Call for Participation: "Open Source: A Case for e-Government" (fwd)
by Frederick Noronha 25 Jul '02

25 Jul '02

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Open Source: A Case for e-Government Washington, DC Oct. 17 - 18, 2002 infoDev, the Cyberspace Policy Institute of The George Washington University, and the UNDP are proud to present a conference on Open Source: A Case for e-Government to be held in Washington, DC, USA, Oct. 17 - 18, 2002. The conference will draw participants from local, national and international organizations from both the public and private sector. The goals of the conference include: - the presentation of best practices - raising awareness - sharing of experiences among policy makers, donors, users/consumers, universities, and industry specialists in Open Source, e-Government and related fields. To facilitate the organization of topics and events at the conference, you are invited to submit speaking and demonstration proposals. We strongly encourage speakers from both developed and developing countries to share experiences and submit proposals. More information on the conference and a Call for Speakers can be found on the conference website http://www.egovos.org --- You are currently subscribed to infodev-l as: fred(a)bytesforall.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-infodev-l-110453U(a)lists.worldbank.org

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(fwd) [LIG]NevyOS going Open??
by Raju Mathur 21 Jul '02

21 Jul '02

Interesting: initially Tisya (the authors of NevyOS) were fanatical about making a closed-source OS based on the Linux kernel. Now they need help with opening it. If you have suggestions for Tisya, please send them to the Linux-India-General mailing list (mailto:linux-india-general@lists.sourceforge.net). I'll try to ensure that relevant posts go through even if you're subscribed. Please send plain-text e-mails only -- HTML shall be terminated with extreme prejudice. Regards, -- Raju This is an RFC 1153 digest. (1 message) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Mayuresh Kathe <mayuresh(a)mac.com> Sender: linux-india-general-admin(a)lists.sourceforge.net To: linux-india-general(a)lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [LIG]NevyOS going Open?? Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 15:55:45 +0530 Hi all, Can we discuss a few issues regarding open source licensing of NevyOS? We are contemplating going Open Source with NevyOS. Reason: 1. Its time Unix took a break from X. NevyOS is best poised to do that. 2. Its time we gave MS a run for its money on the desktop too. Again, NevyOS is best poised to do that. (because, currently there are over 10 developers world wide developing killer apps for NevyOS, they would like to go open source too). But, at the same time what could be the alternatives for generating revenues if I have to atleast gain back on the investment? Could someone be charged if he is deploying NevyOS on a hardware platform of his design? If yes, what sort of a license will we have to put NevyOS under? Any brain storms on how we can enforce such licenses worldwide? ~Mayuresh End of this Digest ****************** -- Raju Mathur raju(a)kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ It is the mind that moves

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Now its time for Norway
by CK Raju 20 Jul '02

20 Jul '02

Here's the latest trend from Norway. http://www.online.ie/technology/viewer.adp?article=1784902 CK Raju

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Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 Released !!!
by Arun M 20 Jul '02

20 Jul '02

The Debian Project is pleased to announce the release of Debian GNU/Linux version 3.0. Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system, which now supports a total of eleven processor architectures, includes KDE and GNOME desktop environments, features cryptographic software, is compatible with the FHS v2.2 and supports software developed for the LSB. http://www.debian.org/News/2002/20020719

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FEATURE: The promise of an operating system...
by Frederick Noronha 19 Jul '02

19 Jul '02

************************************************************************** NEVY OS -- THE PROMISE OF AN OPERATING SYSTEM: LINUX KERNEL PLUS WIMP Or, why working on hardware is a hard job in India -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRIEfnCOUNTERS: BY FREDERICK NORONHA fred at bytesforall dot org ************************************************************************** We were leaving Bangalore by the sleeper-bus (yes, Goa has this strange mode of long-distance transport) when someone can rushing in to meet me. It was twentish-something Mayuresh Kathe <mayuresh(a)mac.com>, with a small hardware device in hand. That was the best part of a year ago. We were supposed to talk to each other via e-mail. But that never happened; mostly due to this writer's fault. Each time we exchanged mail, one ended up feeling that there were still more inputs needed before the 'story' could get done. Maybe because the story itself was a rather difficult one to comprehend. Putting Kathe in touch with a journo friend in Mumbai didn't quite work out. Fighting the odds in the hardware and software world, Kathe was obviously getting increasingly irritated with having to struggle to get a hearing from the media. Writing on software which is easy to describe or understand despite the distance is one thing. Hardware and operating systems prove to be an uphill task -- specially if you're the kind of a writer who background is journalism, rather than hard-core technology. How much of an innovation is this innovation? Is it an approach that makes sense? We're still not sure... So what better than let Kathe describe his work in his own words... We invite readers' reactions to Kathe's ideas, expressed in the form of a Q&A that he sent in recently: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Nevy OS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nevy OS is a new name of the 'Indy' operating system, the first operating system from Tisya Microsystems Pvt. Ltd., and probably the first Operating System from the Indian sub-continent. Nevy OS is being created and constantly improved to work for the upcoming computing device from Tisya, called 'Nevy'. Nevy could be a computing device which will break away from most traditional theories, and twist certain beliefs to create the real people's computer. At this point, we would prefer not to talk about Nevy, because we want to maintain an element of surprise. But, just to keep you interested, let us tell you that it's going to be a portable *not a hand-held* and will be the culmination of over four years of research and development. Nevy OS is being built on the Linux kernel with a state of the art graphical environment which is zippy yet featureful. It is based on the 'WIMP' (Windows Icons Menus Pointers) paradigm that originated at Xerox and best implemented by Apple Computers and most abused by Microsoft ;^) Nevy in its current release has a menuing system; web browser jotpad; application game of snake network configurator. This is a Preview Release 1. It is being done to let people get a feel of what is coming their way. We will be releasing updated, improvised and application rich PRs regularly. Please keep your browsers tuned in to http://www.tisya.co.in/downloads/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why is it called Nevy? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Nevy' and the 'Nevy OS' get their names as a tribute to the person who has touched my heart. That person was the prime cause for bringing me out of the dumps, for making me fight back and infuse a renewed sense of purpose in life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why is it not called 'Indy' anymore? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Because an awesome company (SGI) in Silicon Valley makes computers by the same name. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who were the people involved in the project directly/indirectly? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lots of them... But primarily, the most important people were: besides myself as the driving force and investor behind the idea, Erle Pereira, who has been one of the closest buddies and persons to support me the longest. He's also the one to be in a constant state of confusion, because of the various strategies laid out and executed by that terrible guy called Mayuresh. There's Amit Kucheria, one of the most amazing and enthusiastic brains, who have been providing constant moral support from afar (as far away as the US of A). Alan Kay, though he hasn't supported directly, but has always been the kind of person who would suddenly appear out of nowhere and tell you things which would make certain pieces of the big puzzle fit in. Mr. Jef Raskin again though not a direct supporter has been a constant guide and the force to make me think out of the box. (He also manages to give a kick on the #$%^ to wake you out of the dream world) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When did it start, where and how? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- It started sometime around the year 1997-98 when I was getting bored of all the routine development work as part of his duties at Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai. I wanted something more challenging, something which would allow me to tap into my latent potential and do something significant. I was doing quite some amount of research on easy to deploy network solutions for data exchange, also some research on handwriting recognition, add to that my inner desire to build systems which would be so easy to use that they were almost intuitive. I was also disgruntled with the fact that Windows was spreading around faster than a virus. It became obvious that the path Windows was taking would demand an upgrade to hardware almost every year. That would mean the prices of hardware almost never going down, only the power offered would be a lot more for that same cost. That was a situation not conducive to bringing computing to the general masses (that idea of bringing computing to the masses arose out of the fact that I couldn't afford a computer till I had started working) I wanted the upcoming generation to grow up with computers, be as at ease with them as my generation was with VCRs. But, I also wanted to them to be technologically sound and work in an environment which would let them focus on their job (invisibility of technology). So one fine morning, during the bus ride to my office I popped up a question to start a brain storming session with my friend Rajeev Warrier (now at PW-C). The idea was to build an information appliance which would be hooked on to vast network of data (based on the Internet, but running parallel to the WWW) allowing the user access to information at the touch of a button. The appliance would have to be small, rugged, affordable and simple to use. (Personally, I wanted to base it on the LCARS system aboard the Star Trek Enterprise in the Next Generation series.) We figured, we would need a minimalistic OS, its sole data would be to start the hardware, get on the Internet and send queries and receive and display data. To avoid problems we wanted to eliminate the concept of a floppy disk drive or a CD drive (for that we thought we would make an OS which would be non-failing). And to keep costs low, we wanted to use the television as output, and provide a keyboard with built-in pointer controller (our terminology for mouse/trackball/ peticular switch) with a long cable (wireless would be too expensive). The biggest impediment would be the network. I envisaged a network based on the standard LAN (the benefit of having worked in a corporate environment) theme, only, we would call it SN (Society Network). This network would have to be the death bell of the irritating cable television network, since I wanted to provide 'Video on Demand'. We (Rajeev and me) would discuss it in detail every morning, sometimes during lunch, in the evening bus ride. We came up with an idea of creating separate smart disks which would be plug and play to the appliance hence providing external storage space (if required). Our biggest impediment was cost, the hardware cost just would go down (especially due to the TV output interface). That problem got solved one morning when I read an article in 'PC Quest' about a new MediaGX-based motherboard, created by a company in Bangalore 'Bharati Electronics'. We were euphoric. It infused a new life to our brain-storming sessions. I went ballistic, somehow, it seemed -- the force was with us -- that things were going our way, I met up with a guy at one of my regular Linux Users meets. He was a hardware assembler. I talked about the motherboard, he said he had heard about it. I talked him into lending me one of those boards. I told him, "If this succeeds, you get a cut and you will be rolling in money. If it fails, what's there to lose? You just assemble a PC with the board and sell it off." He agreed, he contacted the BE (Bharati Electronics) office in Bombay, got hold of a board and put the whole thing in an old casing and gave it to me. I toyed around with it for a couple of weeks, showed him a demo (which was pathetic). He was not happy, and started pushing to give back the system. In the meanwhile, I had been talking with an old colleague of mine -- Deepak Sharma, who had left L&T -- about my ideas. He was working for Fore Systems which got bought out by Marconi Telecom, UK and I figured I would need his help to execute my idea of establishing SNs. He talked to me at length about my concepts, and said it was a workable idea. We had discussed it for long, and I even showed him a demo. When the assembler pressurized me too much, I had to return the machine, but that wasn't before I had taken a trip to Bangalore and shown a demo to a company, via Deepak's contacts. The company offered me a job to bring that concept to reality. I jumped as I had already got frustrated with all the ridicule at L&T. Perhaps people out there just couldn't get it, being too closed minded. I reached Bangalore, and after that things happened in a sort of fast forward. What I had imagined the company to be -- based on Deepak's information -- was not what it really was. The company was dying, and I was supposed to be their saviour. Add to that I had to do it without any support (neither people to work with, nor sufficient equipment). I worked long and hard, worked nights at end, but things were proceeding too slow, with only me working on both, the hardware specification and software development. I fell ill with Typhoid, almost scrapped death, and had to come back to Bombay for treatment. In the meanwhile, I was made into a scapegoat for the failures of that company. The company got shutdown. Luckily I escaped with the bare minimum of injuries. Back in Bombay, broken physically and emotionally, I moved around aimlessly for quite some time, till one fine day I sat and thought things out. I figured, 'I am young, haven't got much to lose and that I giving it one more shot would be the best alternative.' I started afresh, dug up old contacts, built new, spoke with a couple of developers -- Erle was one of them -- and asked around for funds. No one was investing. One of my associates had heard about my plight. He also knew that I toying around with the idea about introducing a StrongARM (processor)-based computing device. One of his business contacts had one StrongARM evaluation board which he could not use. He got us both together. The owner of the board suggested that I collaborate with his company to develop a set-top-box for his markets in the Far East. It was the turning point, though due to my inexperience I faced a lot of hardships. Though after a prolonged skirmish (and a pending case against them) the collaboration fell through, I managed to salvage around Rs 450,000 (under $10,000) from the deal as fees towards consultation and miscellaneous expenses. Using that as capital, I took a trip to Taiwan, got oriented with the workings of the place -- very amusing, those guys work with hardware like we work with software, quick.... Built a dependable base in four working days, and a prototype, came back... That was the period of the 'crash of twin towers', the market had collapsed along with them. This was the time when I figured it would be better to start improving the Operating System and develop a contact base in India. We worked on Nevy OS (then called Indy). I moved all around the place (including Bangalore, where I met a person called Fred) and showed him one of our prototypes. We did an _alpha_ release on Jan 26, 2002, and approximately 6 months from then we have now down a preview release... A Poem attributed to the people at Tisya: Here's to the crazy ones... The Misfits, The Rebels, The Troublemakers, The Round pegs in the Square Holes, The Ones who see things Differently, They're not fond of rules and have no respect for the status quo, You can quote them, Disagree with them, Glorify or Vilify them, About the only thing you can't do is ignore them, Because they change things, They push the human race forward, And while some may see them as the crazy ones, We see genius, Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, Are the ones who do

2 1

FEATURE: In Pakistan, the government looks to the Linux users' group
by Frederick Noronha 19 Jul '02

19 Jul '02

IN PAKISTAN, THE GOVERNMENT LOOKS TO THE LINUX USERS' GROUP

1 0

Can anyone help?
by Frederick Noronha 19 Jul '02

19 Jul '02

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Dear group, We have a pilot project in the HealthCare Industry and are looking for someone suitable from the group to take the initiative to help with the Implementation. Technical Environment is Linux/MySQL/Apache Web Server. Application is currently operational in this environment on PCs. Require assistance to make this work on a Simputer. Work involves GUI design to have new screen layouts appropriate for the Simputer screen size and testing of database, webserver functionality. We will provide Developer Toolkit and support on the same. Looking forward to your response. Kind regards, Paul Soetmulder Handphone: +65 - 9733.1870 Emailid.: huiswerk345(a)yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Save on REALTOR Fees http://us.click.yahoo.com/Xw80LD/h1ZEAA/Ey.GAA/CFFolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: simputer-unsubscribe(a)egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

1 0

[OFFTOPIC] Digital Partners' Social Enterprise Laboratory Call for Applications
by Frederick Noronha 18 Jul '02

18 Jul '02

Could something in GNU/Linux take support of projects like this? FN ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Digital Partners' Social Enterprise Laboratory (SEL) Call for Applications Please forward the following opportunity to anyone that you think may be interested in applying or any appropriate listserves you may be aware of. We have attached a copy of the announcement as well. Digital Partners, a United States-based non-profit organization, invites for-profit and non-profit social entrepreneurs and organizations serving disenfranchised communities in developing countries to submit a proposal for entry into this year�s Social Enterprise Laboratory (SEL). Entries are due by midnight, September 1, 2002. SEL is a new model of collaborative social-problem solving. The entries selected as the �Most Promising Social Enterprises� will be matched with a team of Digital Partners Brain Trust members and graduate students to help the social entrepreneurs maximize the potential of the idea. The Brain Trust is composed of IT professionals, business leaders, venture capitalists, and other professionals in their fields. The students are selected from prestigious graduate schools in business, public policy, and IT. After an assessment of the project�s needs for success, the team works with the leadership to identify funding sources, make strategic introductions, effectively incorporate information and communication technologies and market mechanisms into the enterprise, develop implementation strategies, and transform proposals into sustainable business plans. The most promising projects are eligible for up to $100,000 in grants, loans, or equity investments from Digital Partners. SEL is a yearlong collaboration to support the design, development, and deployment of projects or businesses that incorporate the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to address the needs of disenfranchised communities. Supported projects can be undertaken by any combination of businesses, non-profits, governments, or individuals seeking to develop sustainable, ICT-enhanced mechanisms to serve markets at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Preference is given to projects that are grass-roots/bottom-up, market-based forsustainability, collaborative for community building, scalable, replicable, and catalytic in terms of systemic social and/or market change. If you intend to apply for SEL, please send an email message to dfeige(a)digitalpartners.org with "Applying for SEL" as the subject. You need not include anything in the body of the email. This will allow us to keep you updated on new developments. For more details please refer to http://www.digitalpartners.org/sel.html. Applications are available on the website.

1 0

FEATURE: The promise of an operating system...
by Frederick Noronha 17 Jul '02

17 Jul '02

************************************************************************** NEVY OS -- THE PROMISE OF AN OPERATING SYSTEM: LINUX KERNEL PLUS WIMP Or, why working on hardware is a hard job in India -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRIEfnCOUNTERS: BY FREDERICK NORONHA fred at bytesforall dot org ************************************************************************** We were leaving Bangalore by the sleeper-bus (yes, Goa has this strange mode of long-distance transport) when someone can rushing in to meet me. It was twentish-something Mayuresh Kathe <mayuresh(a)mac.com>, with a small hardware device in hand. That was the best part of a year ago. We were supposed to talk to each other via e-mail. But that never happened; mostly due to this writer's fault. Each time we exchanged mail, one ended up feeling that there were still more inputs needed before the 'story' could get done. Maybe because the story itself was a rather difficult one to comprehend. Putting Kathe in touch with a journo friend in Mumbai didn't quite work out. Fighting the odds in the hardware and software world, Kathe was obviously getting increasingly irritated with having to struggle to get a hearing from the media. Writing on software which is easy to describe or understand despite the distance is one thing. Hardware and operating systems prove to be an uphill task -- specially if you're the kind of a writer who background is journalism, rather than hard-core technology. How much of an innovation is this innovation? Is it an approach that makes sense? We're still not sure... So what better than let Kathe describe his work in his own words... We invite readers' reactions to Kathe's ideas, expressed in the form of a Q&A that he sent in recently: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Nevy OS? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nevy OS is a new name of the 'Indy' operating system, the first operating system from Tisya Microsystems Pvt. Ltd., and probably the first Operating System from the Indian sub-continent. Nevy OS is being created and constantly improved to work for the upcoming computing device from Tisya, called 'Nevy'. Nevy could be a computing device which will break away from most traditional theories, and twist certain beliefs to create the real people's computer. At this point, we would prefer not to talk about Nevy, because we want to maintain an element of surprise. But, just to keep you interested, let us tell you that it's going to be a portable *not a hand-held* and will be the culmination of over four years of research and development. Nevy OS is being built on the Linux kernel with a state of the art graphical environment which is zippy yet featureful. It is based on the 'WIMP' (Windows Icons Menus Pointers) paradigm that originated at Xerox and best implemented by Apple Computers and most abused by Microsoft ;^) Nevy in its current release has a menuing system; web browser jotpad; application game of snake network configurator. This is a Preview Release 1. It is being done to let people get a feel of what is coming their way. We will be releasing updated, improvised and application rich PRs regularly. Please keep your browsers tuned in to http://www.tisya.co.in/downloads/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why is it called Nevy? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Nevy' and the 'Nevy OS' get their names as a tribute to the person who has touched my heart. That person was the prime cause for bringing me out of the dumps, for making me fight back and infuse a renewed sense of purpose in life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why is it not called 'Indy' anymore? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Because an awesome company (SGI) in Silicon Valley makes computers by the same name. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who were the people involved in the project directly/indirectly? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lots of them... But primarily, the most important people were: besides myself as the driving force and investor behind the idea, Erle Pereira, who has been one of the closest buddies and persons to support me the longest. He's also the one to be in a constant state of confusion, because of the various strategies laid out and executed by that terrible guy called Mayuresh. There's Amit Kucheria, one of the most amazing and enthusiastic brains, who have been providing constant moral support from afar (as far away as the US of A). Alan Kay, though he hasn't supported directly, but has always been the kind of person who would suddenly appear out of nowhere and tell you things which would make certain pieces of the big puzzle fit in. Mr. Jef Raskin again though not a direct supporter has been a constant guide and the force to make me think out of the box. (He also manages to give a kick on the #$%^ to wake you out of the dream world) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When did it start, where and how? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- It started sometime around the year 1997-98 when I was getting bored of all the routine development work as part of his duties at Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai. I wanted something more challenging, something which would allow me to tap into my latent potential and do something significant. I was doing quite some amount of research on easy to deploy network solutions for data exchange, also some research on handwriting recognition, add to that my inner desire to build systems which would be so easy to use that they were almost intuitive. I was also disgruntled with the fact that Windows was spreading around faster than a virus. It became obvious that the path Windows was taking would demand an upgrade to hardware almost every year. That would mean the prices of hardware almost never going down, only the power offered would be a lot more for that same cost. That was a situation not conducive to bringing computing to the general masses (that idea of bringing computing to the masses arose out of the fact that I couldn't afford a computer till I had started working) I wanted the upcoming generation to grow up with computers, be as at ease with them as my generation was with VCRs. But, I also wanted to them to be technologically sound and work in an environment which would let them focus on their job (invisibility of technology). So one fine morning, during the bus ride to my office I popped up a question to start a brain storming session with my friend Rajeev Warrier (now at PW-C). The idea was to build an information appliance which would be hooked on to vast network of data (based on the Internet, but running parallel to the WWW) allowing the user access to information at the touch of a button. The appliance would have to be small, rugged, affordable and simple to use. (Personally, I wanted to base it on the LCARS system aboard the Star Trek Enterprise in the Next Generation series.) We figured, we would need a minimalistic OS, its sole data would be to start the hardware, get on the Internet and send queries and receive and display data. To avoid problems we wanted to eliminate the concept of a floppy disk drive or a CD drive (for that we thought we would make an OS which would be non-failing). And to keep costs low, we wanted to use the television as output, and provide a keyboard with built-in pointer controller (our terminology for mouse/trackball/ peticular switch) with a long cable (wireless would be too expensive). The biggest impediment would be the network. I envisaged a network based on the standard LAN (the benefit of having worked in a corporate environment) theme, only, we would call it SN (Society Network). This network would have to be the death bell of the irritating cable television network, since I wanted to provide 'Video on Demand'. We (Rajeev and me) would discuss it in detail every morning, sometimes during lunch, in the evening bus ride. We came up with an idea of creating separate smart disks which would be plug and play to the appliance hence providing external storage space (if required). Our biggest impediment was cost, the hardware cost just would go down (especially due to the TV output interface). That problem got solved one morning when I read an article in 'PC Quest' about a new MediaGX-based motherboard, created by a company in Bangalore 'Bharati Electronics'. We were euphoric. It infused a new life to our brain-storming sessions. I went ballistic, somehow, it seemed -- the force was with us -- that things were going our way, I met up with a guy at one of my regular Linux Users meets. He was a hardware assembler. I talked about the motherboard, he said he had heard about it. I talked him into lending me one of those boards. I told him, "If this succeeds, you get a cut and you will be rolling in money. If it fails, what's there to lose? You just assemble a PC with the board and sell it off." He agreed, he contacted the BE (Bharati Electronics) office in Bombay, got hold of a board and put the whole thing in an old casing and gave it to me. I toyed around with it for a couple of weeks, showed him a demo (which was pathetic). He was not happy, and started pushing to give back the system. In the meanwhile, I had been talking with an old colleague of mine -- Deepak Sharma, who had left L&T -- about my ideas. He was working for Fore Systems which got bought out by Marconi Telecom, UK and I figured I would need his help to execute my idea of establishing SNs. He talked to me at length about my concepts, and said it was a workable idea. We had discussed it for long, and I even showed him a demo. When the assembler pressurized me too much, I had to return the machine, but that wasn't before I had taken a trip to Bangalore and shown a demo to a company, via Deepak's contacts. The company offered me a job to bring that concept to reality. I jumped as I had already got frustrated with all the ridicule at L&T. Perhaps people out there just couldn't get it, being too closed minded. I reached Bangalore, and after that things happened in a sort of fast forward. What I had imagined the company to be -- based on Deepak's information -- was not what it really was. The company was dying, and I was supposed to be their saviour. Add to that I had to do it without any support (neither people to work with, nor sufficient equipment). I worked long and hard, worked nights at end, but things were proceeding too slow, with only me working on both, the hardware specification and software development. I fell ill with Typhoid, almost scrapped death, and had to come back to Bombay for treatment. In the meanwhile, I was made into a scapegoat for the failures of that company. The company got shutdown. Luckily I escaped with the bare minimum of injuries. Back in Bombay, broken physically and emotionally, I moved around aimlessly for quite some time, till one fine day I sat and thought things out. I figured, 'I am young, haven't got much to lose and that I giving it one more shot would be the best alternative.' I started afresh, dug up old contacts, built new, spoke with a couple of developers -- Erle was one of them -- and asked around for funds. No one was investing. One of my associates had heard about my plight. He also knew that I toying around with the idea about introducing a StrongARM (processor)-based computing device. One of his business contacts had one StrongARM evaluation board which he could not use. He got us both together. The owner of the board suggested that I collaborate with his company to develop a set-top-box for his markets in the Far East. It was the turning point, though due to my inexperience I faced a lot of hardships. Though after a prolonged skirmish (and a pending case against them) the collaboration fell through, I managed to salvage around Rs 450,000 (under $10,000) from the deal as fees towards consultation and miscellaneous expenses. Using that as capital, I took a trip to Taiwan, got oriented with the workings of the place -- very amusing, those guys work with hardware like we work with software, quick.... Built a dependable base in four working days, and a prototype, came back... That was the period of the 'crash of twin towers', the market had collapsed along with them. This was the time when I figured it would be better to start improving the Operating System and develop a contact base in India. We worked on Nevy OS (then called Indy). I moved all around the place (including Bangalore, where I met a person called Fred) and showed him one of our prototypes. We did an _alpha_ release on Jan 26, 2002, and approximately 6 months from then we have now down a preview release... A Poem attributed to the people at Tisya: Here's to the crazy ones... The Misfits, The Rebels, The Troublemakers, The Round pegs in the Square Holes, The Ones who see things Differently, They're not fond of rules and have no respect for the status quo, You can quote them, Disagree with them, Glorify or Vilify them, About the only thing you can't do is ignore them, Because they change things, They push the human race forward, And while some may see them as the crazy ones, We see genius, Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, Are the ones who do

1 0

LinuxInIndia#3 [July 16,2002] (fwd)
by Frederick Noronha 16 Jul '02

16 Jul '02

---------- Forwarded message ---------- _ _ _____ _____ http://linuxinindia.pitas.com | | (_) |_ _| |_ _| | |_ | | _ _ __ _ ___ __ | | _ __ | | _ __ __| (_) ___ | | | | '_ \| | | \ \/ / | | | '_ \ | | | '_ \ / _` | |/ _ \ | |____| | | | | |_| |> < _| |_| | | |_| |_| | | | (_| | | (_) | |______|_|_| |_|\__,_/_/\_\_____|_| |_|_____|_| |_|\__,_|_|\__,_| CopyLeft2002 GNU/GPL v2 OR LATER * ISSUE03 * JULY16, 2002 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Co-edited by Frederick Noronha and Parag Mehta <pm at linuxindia dot org> * +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In this issue o Linux... and the (Indian) languages (Yudit, Indianisation document, linguistic info) o Reports from the regions (Calicut-Kozhikode, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi) o Ingenuity from India (GNU software for libraries, qmailtheeasyway, Newbie's Guide to Linux, ElxLinux, suggesting for Indian accounting, thinclients at Goa, NevyOS, GLUE, mailinglist for PHP, MP3player, etc o Events (Lineo, Exocore training in Bangalore July 2002) o Linux goes to school (updates from Delhi, Goa...) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ****************** LINUX...AND THE (INDIAN) LANGUAGES ******************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ YUDIT... GOES MALAYALAM, KANNADA, TELUGU: Gaspar Sinai <gsinai(a)yudit.org> announced recently that Yudit 2.5.4 has been released. As Raj Mathur noted: "The current version of Yudit has complete support for Malayalam and other indic languages. It can also use Opentype layout tables of Malayalam fonts. I think Yudit is the first application that can use opentype tables for Malayalam, as MS is yet to release it's engine for Malayalam." ~ Yudit 2.5.4 can be downloaded from: http://www.yudit.org/download.html Changes: o Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu support o Software glyph-mirroring o iso-8859-15, iso-8859-16, koi8-c, koi8-u, ncr and rovas converters etc ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GNU/LINUX'S FUTURE... IN INDIANISATION: Ankur <terminus(a)vsnl.net> mentioned some weeks back about work on Indianisation of GNU/Linux This is the link to that Indianisation document: http://www.geocities.com/ratheeshvadhyar/ratheesh-thesis.pdf And, a few relevant exchanges on the Linux Kernel mailing list: http://www.uwsg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/0012.0/0297.html Says he: "One thing especially that I am not very clear about is, what should be the priority for Indianisation: Transliteration(for people who can think in English) or pure ground up IndiX type of effort so as to replace English as the language of the system." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INDIC-COMPUTING WORKSHOP, STILL AT PLANNING STAGE: This is an early announcement from Tapan Parikh <tap2k(a)yahoo.com> Please check with him for final details, dates could change due to the early nature of these plans. The Indic-Computing workshop is being planned for its core contributers of the Indic-Computing Project at sourceforge.net at the end of August, either August 24-25 or 31st - Sept. 1st. It will be held in Bangalore in association with Hewlett Packard. The main purpose of this workshop is to bring together young and energetic developers working in the space of developing local language development tools, applications, and content. It would be a small and informal workshop, with 20-25 core participants, including a lot of free discussion intended to spur creative and passionate thought about the future of local language computing technologies. The agenda would be two days in length. There would be a few presentations on each day to seed discussion, but these would still allow ample time for discussion, consensus building and group interaction. At the end of the meeting, organisers hope to have assembled a community of technically informed and motivated people to organize and lead the indic-computing development effort into the future. The leadership of this community should be individual driven, technically motivated, and entrenched with youth, vitality and a progressive vision. By building a community of practitioners, developers, linguistic experts and organizers, they hope to share ideas and experiences, facilitate broad discussion about the issues involved and discuss future directions for the field. "We also hope that this broad coalition would play in faciltatory role in helping local language groups interact more effectively with international standards processes and forums, such as the Unicode Consortium and W3C," say the organisers. "By the end of the meeting we will also talk about the future of the indic-computing project, how we can broaden it's impact and membership, and how it can be sustained, developed and expanded in the future," a concept note says. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LINGUISTIC INFO FOR INDIAN LANGUAGES: Tapan S. Parikh <tap2k(a)yahoo.com> says he is working with Koshy to pull together some linguistic info for Indian languages, document that and post it to the handbook on their web page. Says he: "Basically the idea now is to put these guidelines out there and solicit a lot of feedback on this info from the general community for each language, from which we can collate the best results and publish in the handbook. So we dont want so many questions that people will be overwhelmed, and we should accept partial responses and the collate the best answers to each area on our side, but we still want to be comprehensive." Contact Parikh for more information. Email tap2k(a)yahoo.com http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/tapan/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *********************REPORTS... FROM THE REGIONS************************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MAILING LIST FROM DOWN SOUTH: Baiju M <malayalamlinux(a)yahoo.com> tells us about the the Calicut (Kerala) mailing list, which welcomes all useful GNU/Linux related information. Self-description: "Free Software User Group - Calicut has one mailing list to discuss various topics related to free softwares and freedom of users and devlopers. We are promoting free software use." To subscribe mailto fsug-calicut-request(a)freelists.org with a subject of 'subscribe' Website http://www.freelists.org/website/fsug-calicut ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MAILING LIST FROM MUMBAI: Check the Linuxers mailing list on the ilug-bom.org.in server. Send Linuxers mailing list submissions to linuxers(a)mm.ilug-bom.org.in To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/listinfo/linuxers or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to linuxers-request(a)mm.ilug-bom.org.in You can reach the person managing the list at linuxers-admin(a)mm.ilug-bom.org.in ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INITIATIVE IN PUNE: Ignatius Nayan D'Rozario <inigo(a)vsnl.com> who has been associated with the ILUG Kolkata Chapter from the time it was formed in St Xavier's Kolkata, is currently in Pune. He's student Sys Admin of Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication. He is in the process of setting up an intranet and linking up their website www.simc.edu as a central portal where all the students and staff can log into the institution. He hopes to cash-in on his earlier experience with GNU/Linux. Says he: "I have been reading a few scattered articles on how Red Hat has partnered with Goan educational institutions in the propagation of the Open Source movement. I was hoping that association with a major like RedHat would strengthen my case when I present my proposal for setting up the intranet. Also I would need info on any Indian successes both corporate and if anything like this is up and running based on a Linux server anywhere in India, especially in the West so that the "see-and feel-factor" would be nice...." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ILUG-DELHI, KEEPING IN TOUCH: To subscribe, send email to ilugd-request(a)wpaa.org with subscribe in subject header. To unsubscribe, send email to ilugd-request(a)wpaa.org with unsubscribe in subject header Archives are available at http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd%40wpaa.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ***********************INGENUITY... FROM INDIA**************************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GNU/LINUX SOFTWARE FOR LIBRARIES: Check out the software package for library automation created by three young men when they were engineering students in Goa. Sharmad Naik <sharmad(a)goatelecom.com> says the software is available for download from http://sourceforge.net/projects/glibs ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QMAIL, THE EASY WAY... COURTESY TREVOR: Trevor Warren <trevorwarren(a)yahoo.com> of Mumbai is behind the project called www.qmailtheeasyway.com, which is "within the top 200 projects" in the Free Software world on Freshmeat.net. Says he modestly: "Of course, the major success of the project goes to DJB on whom my software is based." Warren is the Project Manager for Linux/Unix at ZCL, Zenith Computers Limited and works out of Mumbai. http://www.qmailtheeasyway.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GUIDE... FROM INDIA... ON GNU/LINUX: Check the "Newbie's Guide to Linux" http://db.ilug-bom.org.in/Documentation/NGL/ Also the SGML sources are available at the following location http://db.ilug-bom.org.in/lug-authors/sameerds/ It comes to us from Sameer D. Sahasrabuddhe <sam_buddhe(a)yahoo.com> of the Reconfigurable Computing Lab, KReSIT, IIT-Bombay. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FEEDBACK ON ELX-LINUX (HYDERABAD): Delhi-based journalist Jal Khambata <jalnews(a)spectranet.com>, an old-time friend, writes in to say that he has been using elx-linux "by a Hyderabad team" for quite some time and "find it very well configured to easily work in the network environment". As he puts it, his friends and colleagues "still refuse to migrate from Microsoft and I can now network to them through Samba on elx." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT ABOUT INDIAN ACCOUNTING? Saswata Banerjee <scrap(a)saswatabanerjee.com>, who heads a cost accounting firm, recently had this to say on ILUG-BOM: "I think if you want to do things to make Linux more popular with corporate users, we will need more of common office use software. If you wish to add an "accounting software" to your list of projects, I will be willing to put in time to coordinate it (of course, someone here will have to tell me how this coordinating is done)." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIN-CLIENTS, PALMTOPS... AT GOA: Arvind Clemente of Controlnet, Goa <arvind(a)controlnet.co.in> has announced plans for a live demo of thin clients to be given by Yunus Shaikh, who was working on this type of an environment in Norway and Goa. This will be demoed at the next Margao ILUG-Goa meeting on Saturday, July 20, at Adarsh Vidyalaya High School, Margao, South Goa at 4 pm. Arvind will himself also show a demo of how to connect your Palm OS based PDA to a standard D-Link 56K modem and configure the same for dialup to ISP and get mail/browse the Internet. To join ILUG-Goa send a blank email to ilug-goa-subscribe(a)eGroups.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEVYOS: Check out Mayuresh Kathe's site and work on the NevyOS http://www.tisya.co.in/nevyos/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GLUE, A USEFUL COMPILIATION OF LINUX IN EDUCATION: baiju m <malayalamlinux(a)yahoo.com> comments on the GLUE CD compiliation <http://ele.gec.ac.in/~msr/glue/> "I think this GLUE CD will be useful for all category of students especially Engineering. I am a Civil Engg. student. I had an experiance during my 7th semester, our B.Tech project requires on Project Management software. The commercial non-free softwares like Primavera was very costly. At last we only got a demo version of MS Project and Primavera. Later I found that there are some free softwares available for this, but those projects were in the initial stages only. "Now MrProject, a free Project Management Software is available with GNOME office. Redhat 7.3 has included this package. If this utility is not included in GLUE; include this one in the next version. link: http://mrproject.codefactory.se "Recently, one of my junior asked whether there is any Visualization toolkit available along with GNU/Linux, for his project work. Mayavi is a good choice for this. It is a Data Visualizer from an Indian hacker. Link: http://mayavi.sourceforge.net/ " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TRAINING FOR STUDENTS IN PHP, A MAILING LIST ON PHP: Dr Tarique Sani <tarique(a)sanisoft.com> the medico-turned-GNU/Linux guru from Nagpur, says his firm SANIsoft is "going thru what has happened to good companies which were left after the dotcom bust -- we are busy with our commercial projects...." But if this trend continues, he hopes to hire more programmers and put in at least "thirty per cent of total man-hours" into Open Source-related work. Says he: "Yes my *free* PHP courses are continuing -- every month for three weeks, six days a week for 90 minutes each day I teach a batch of six choosen students about PHP". Keep up the good work Dr Sani! Check out: PHP Applications for E-Biz: http://www.sanisoft.com Indian PHP User Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/in-phpug ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SIMPUTER APPS... ARE YOU INTERESTED? Simputer (www.simputer.org) prototypes are ready and this GNU/Linux project is expected to go in for commercial production shortly. One suggestion that came up recently was for the need of a volunteer team to help build Simputer-applications, that would make this 'commonman's computer' even more useful. Sandra Morgan of GraffitiWorkz, Inc. says they already have an active website under development and are partnering with both Encore and PicoPeta on the manifacture and distribution of the Simputer. Says she: "We will certainly be happy to supply space and the development of the portal under discussion." Vivek K S <ksvivek(a)picopeta.com> of Picopeta says: "I already have a Simputer project registered at Source forge; If there is a basic idea about what one wants to do; I can create a module under that name and give CVS access for the same. There should be one person who will take personal responsibility for the module; I can help in initial coordination; till the person can completely handle the module by himself. Also all developer discussions should be made on the simputer-devel mailing list; to ensure that non-technical subscribers of this mailing list are not affected." Check PicoPeta Simputers Pvt. Ltd., for interesting updates on the GNU/Linux-based Simputer http://www.picopeta.com To subscribe from the Simputer group, send an email to: simputer-subscribe(a)egroups.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT IS IMLI: IMLI is a browser created by the Simputer Trust, and it uses the IML markup language. It is designed for easy creation of Indian language content and is integrated with the text to speech Engine. It is a choice for the implementors of the Simputer, to decide whether the IMLI browser is included in a standard distribution or not.... The HTML browser on the Simputer will always support HTML browsing irrespective of the presence of IMLI. IMLI can be indepently installed on any Simputer, irrespective of any existing framework. The PicoPeta Simputer comes pre-installed with IMLI, however, IMLI can also be downloaded and installed independently on any Simputer. Transferring data to the Simputer can be achieved via serial, USB, IR or modem. More information from <ksvivek(a)picopeta.com> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SPECS OF THE (ENCORE) SIMPUTER: The Simputer uses a built-in modem to dial into an ISP and then browse the net.... For connectivity you need access to a telephone line. The modem is built-in. You also need an account with an ISP. You do not normally use GPS. But is a GPS Receiver is incorporated, your positional information can be recorded. This information could then be used in conjunction with GIS maps of the region where you might be travelling. "Considerable progress" has been made in the development of a new version of the Simputer which has several interesting features that help in product expansion and connectivity. Encore has added a CompactFlash socket, through an optional Docking-Cradle, that could be used for CF-II compliant cards such as a Flash card or a Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) interface. They also offer a choice of Colour or Monochrome LCD displays. Their new Simputer will now be available in "atleast four" different standard configurations described in the attached specification-sheet. Encore's current plan calls for launching 200 Simputer Evaluation Kits by the 1st week of August, and a subsequent launch of 1000 Simputers, before large scale production starts. "We are now accepting orders for the new Simputer Evaluation Kits, with delivery within 10 weeks of receipt of orders," says Encore. The following 4 standard models of the evaluation kit are planned: ESKIT-3216M Monochrome, 32 MB RAM, 16 MB Flash ESKIT-3216C Colour, 32 MB RAM, 16 MB Flash ESKIT-6432M Monochrome, 64 MB RAM, 32 MB Flash ESKIT-6432C Colour, 64 MB RAM, 32 MB Flash Further technical and pricing details from Shashank Garg VP - Product Development Encore Software Limited 6F Leo Complex 44 Residency Cross Road Bangalore - 560025 [India] Tel: +91-80-5593182, 5593174 Fax: +91-80-5587690 shanks(a)ncoretech.com www.ncoretech.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT IS ANJUTA? Anjuta is a nice IDE (integrated development environment) which combines the power of GLADE (a tool which creates the graphical front-ends for your GTK programmes) to create excellent iterfaces and its own code editing abilities to give the user a power-packed tool for creating apps on the fly. It has Glade integrated within it such that Glade creates the interface and Anjuta edits the code and builds the projects. Check the article in the July 2002 issue of DeveloperIQ (www.developeriq.com) by Ishan Chattopadhyaya, a Class XI student of St Joseph's College in Allahabad. For the past year, he has been engaged in Anjuta and Glade's documentation. He is also responsible for the creation of the easy-to-install wGLADE and winGTK ports of GTK and Glade to the windows environment. "Although they are in testing stage, they work quite well," comments DeveloperIQ. Anjuta is a creation of Delhi-based Naba Kumar (23), who hails from Manipur. He named this software after his girlfriend! Explains Naba Kumar: "(Anjuta) is an integrated development environment. Or, in short, an IDE. It's a platform where one gets all the tools for developing software. You could call it a factory to develop and distribute software." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PROJECT FOR A MP3 PLAYER ON LINUX: Siddharth Desai <engico83_2k(a)rediffmail.com> tells us details of a recent project: The MP3 player that we made was based on a P166/200 MMX with an addon that we made that connects to the parallel port. No keyboard, mouse or monitor needed. Hard disk could be used to speed up the system and store MP3's else CD-ROM drive for MP3s. Floppy drive (or hdd) to boot. OS + program fits on a floppy. Program reads parallel port and runs mpg123 which plays MP3s. Also modified the power supply to run of a car battery. The keypad (connects to parallel port) has 5 keys -- play/pause , next track, previous track, eject and one key which selected between songs 0-99 or 100-199 (since the LED display on the keypad could show only 2 digits). We entered the contest in the software section at the CIIILP exhibition of technical projects." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BHARAT MEDIRATTA, GALLERY PROJECT ON SOURCEFORGE: Anyone trying to track Indians contributing to GNU/Linux globally have a tough task. Are these names from India? Could they be from the subcontinent outside of India (e.g. Sri Lanka)? Are they part of the Indian diaspora that settled in countries like Malaysia or Guyana generations ago? Ravi Rao <ravi(a)bothan.net> draws our attention to Bharat Mediratta, one of the creators of the Gallery project on sourceforge -- http://gallery.sf.net/ "I'm wondering if he's Indian," said Rao. Hari Nair <Hari.Nair(a)jpl.nasa.gov> who's name is prominently mentioned on xplanets, writes in to say: "My family is from Kerala, but I was born and raised in the US." See also http://nagendra.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORK FROM GAURAV VAISH: Check out some work from Gaurav Vaish: - http://home.iitk.ac.in/student/gvaish/ - http://mastergaurav.virtualave.net/ - http://home.iitk.ac.in/student/gvaish/pg.shtml ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *****************EVENTS, EVENTS, EVENTS, EVENTS, EVENTS******************* ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LINEO, EMBEDDING LINUX TRAINING IN BANGALORE: Two-day technical training workshop on Lineo Embedix SDK will be held on July 22-23 at the Leela Palace, Airport Road, Bangalore from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. This is the first Workshop on Lineo Embedix SDK in India to provide in depth complete training. This two-day intensive course promises theory as well as hands-on training. It will makr the launch of Embedix SDK. Lineo India will host the workshop by Lineo USA personnel. Embedix SDK operating system configuration tool is a powerful development environment for configuring, customizing and deploying Linux embedded software solutions. Embedix SDK 2.4 is a comprehensive solution that leads developers through the key steps of the application development and deployment process, including target configuration, user application development, automated deployment, debugging, software license review, and integration of new software and patches. Rs 6500 per head. Registration via email to lineo(a)gtcdrom.com. Or, register online www.gtcdrom.com/lineo.html ajay.kapoor(a)lineo.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EXOCORE PROGRAMME FOR LIN-ADMINS IN BANGALORE: The Exocore Professional Linux Administrator Workshop is being held on July 18-19 at Hotel Le Meridien, Bangalore It will take participants from ground-up (installation and configuration of Linux) through network services (deployment and managing of Linux based services) to management (securing and maintaining Linux), according to its promoters. It also covers the deployment of Linux based desktops. This workshop is not a "What is Linux" kind of seminar -- it is aimed at practical deployment of Linux in a corporate environment, drawing on the years of experience that Exocore Consulting has in this field, says its promoters. "The course is conducted by Exocore Consulting - the people behind the well known PCQuest Linux Initiative, which has over the past 6 years been responsible for thousands of people across India successfully deploying Linux in their organisations," says the team organising it. This course is designed by Atul Chitnis and Gopi Garge. Supported by Shankar Balan, Vaibhav Sharma, Sony Philip and Ramakrishna K. Course Fees Rs.9,500 per participant. http://www.exocore.com/events ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ***************LINUX GOES TO SCHOOL... AND COLLEGE************************ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DISCUSSING GNU/LINUX IN SCHOOLS< COLLEGES AND VARSITIES: LIFE is the Mumbai-based mailing lists that looks at GNU/Linux in education issues. It is run by Nagarjuna G <nagarjun(a)hbcse.tifr.res.in> More details about him from from his website http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/gn/ About LIFE: LIFE is a mailing list for discussing and posting information related to the use of GNU/Linux and other Free software solutions to education in schools, colleges and universities. LIFE(a)mm.hbcse.tifr.res.in http://mm.hbcse.tifr.res.in/mailman/listinfo/life ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SINGLE CD ON ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS: One of Nagarjuna's recent ideas: "I am presently planning a single CD distribution containing the applications and goodies requiered for a regular engineering college student. I would like to keep in mind the syllabus and projects students do. Can some of you tell us what kind of applications are used/needed by students? We can build the list and sit on one sunday and make the distro. Debian GNU/Linux has special scripts to make custom CDs from their original master distribution. I am planning to use this." --Nagarjuna http://mm.ilug-bom.org.in/mailman/search/college-distro/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LINUX TERMINAL SERVER SYSTEM, SOLUTION FOR SCHOOLS? Ajith in New Delhi <ajith(a)nsc.ernet.in> recent wrote in to say that he is trying to propose the GNU Linux Terminal Server System as a solution to schools and colleges. He's doing so after testing it at Nuclear Science Centre "for nearly one year on around 100 terminals". Writes Ajith: "(There are now) several GNU/Linux Terminal Server Installations. At University of Calicut, CEDT, IHRD computer training centre and some other places. The Skill Development Centre at district panchayat office, Calicut, also has one with 10 terminals and giving training on Linux based office automation packages." He argues that the cost of a good color terminal (diskless) will not exceed Rs.13,000/- . You can also configure an old P1 or 486 as a graphics terminal. (The GLUE CD he recently put together contains the software and instructions to setup a system.) This, he calculates, a 20 terminal system + server + network will cost less than Rs 350,000 (approx US$ 7000). The Free Software User Group, Calicut, has a group of volunteers trained in setting up Terminal Server System and offering help." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ REDHAT... IN ONE CD: Supreet <supreet(a)linux-delhi.org> who's working on the GNU/Linux-for-schools project in Delhi says in mid-July: "I have modified the redhat 7.3 distro and it ships in one CD. Installs kde desktop, grub, timezone by default asia/calcutta. Has mozilla 1.0, openoffice 1.0. If anybody is interested in testing the CD can contact me. There could be a 10-20 minute demo of the CD in next meet." He also needs to add basic and logo packages because he could not find stable release of bwbasic or ucblogo. "I am also looking at packages like xbasic and yabasic. If anybody has prior experience in compiling and running any of these packages should inform me with details," says he. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GNU/LINUX IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOO?: Linux in schools... what next? Linux in primary school? Lawrie <lawrie(a)goatelecom.com> has been working on a plan with a primary school to shift over to Linux. He hopes to guide the school and train the teachers too... Adds his sig-line: "The one who says it cannot be done should never interrupt the one who is doing it." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LINUX ACCESS PROJECT IN DELHI: Sarai <www.sarai.net>, in association with Linux Users Group, Delhi, recently initiated the Linux Access Project. This project attempts to generate awareness and use of Free Software in schools in Delhi. As a first step the Free Software team at Sarai is creating a Red Hat-based distribution network that will be easily available on a CD. A few schools willing to start using Linux-based systems have been identified and a series of workshops are planned through the year to introduce and familarise students to Free Software programs. The Free Software Kit prepared by Supreet Sethi and Pankaj Kaushal at Sarai will be distributed. Members of the project will also extend technical support.Details from: dak(a)sarai.net ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DELHI PARCELS OUT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SCHOOLS PROJECT: Prateek Khanna <prateek(a)linux-delhi.org> lists the responsibilites being parcelled out to various individuals to take the Linux-In-Schools project ahead in Delhi: * Proposal to be prepared for IDG for mutual dealing (Tripta) * Syllabus: what is the current class XI-XII CBSE syllabus (prateek khanna to arrange a copy); is the syllabus and texts OS-neutral; if not good enough make courseware which is relevant; analysis of questions papers. * Issues on CVS to be dealt with by Sandip, Karan, Pai and Supreet. Not a matter of much concern for the time being * Quizes on linux and talks on open source to be held in the Software competitions organised by the schools. * The talks with the schools should not just be on pragmatic points. They should talk about freedom of software; open source; the fact that you can learn more from free source... the implementation of what they study as a part of programming * No commercial organisation be brought into picture as far as possible. Red Hat will be the favoured distribution. Still, an evaluation is being done for a better alternative for schools. * Mailing list has been set up. * Key responsibilities: Project management (Sudheer Gandotra), presentation (Prateek/Tripta), Write ups and manual (Dhurv/Supreet), Distribution (Raj Mathur), Tickets (Raj Mathur), CVS (Raj Mathur), Central Support (Sarai), Machine for testing (Tripta), Software List (Leo Fernandez), Syllabus (Prateek). There's a new mailing list for the Linux for Schools project initiated by ILUG-Delhi. Please send subscribe in the Subject header to mailto:school-request@linux-delhi.org?subject=subscribe to subscribe; send mail to mailto:school@linux-delhi.org to post to it. Non-member posts are disabled by default. If you wish to post without subscribing, please send the mail to raju(a)kandalaya.org and he'll forward it. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GLUE, GETTING LOT OF UNADULTERATED ENTHUSIASM (ALREADY): Ajith Kumar <ajith(a)nsc.ernet.in> put together GLUE, what some are already callling an "excellent resource" of GNU/Linux resources for education. Says Prof Rayudu of the Goa Engineering College: "First let me congratulate all of you involved in compiling the CD. The CD is an excellent resource." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NOTHING OF MINE, SAYS KUMAR MODESTLY: When asked for permission to post it on a site, Kumar says modestly: "There is nothing much of mine in it, except a little bit in the physics, php and device driver sections. You can do anything with that internally. External hosting we cannot do with things like StarOffice 5.2 that is included in it. it is not much of an issue since we are not selling it. Try to utilize it any manner you find suitable. Try to distribute copies to anyone interested. Print the file gluecover.ps to make a paper cover for the CD if you like." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FOR DISKLESS TERMINALS: "(For diskless terminals) the CD contains most of the stuff needed, I hope. LTSP is very significant for us. NSC is using it on a large number of machines," says Kumar. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF GETTING GNU/LINUX INTO GOA SCHOOLS: Tom Fernandes, working amidst trying and difficult circumstances with others like Ashley Delaney and a few other volunteers, for the Goa Schools Computers Project, has something to report. Recently GSCP opted to install GNU/Linux in schools, with some support from Red Hat. Says Tom: "There is a project in Goa /India (www.goasudharop.org/gscp - sorry not much usefull information YET) where we distributed around 350 machines (Pentium 1) to schools all over Goa. Around 100 were sent out configured with LTSP.... We used RH 7.2. Servers are 166-200 MHZ with 96-128 MB of Edo RAM. Clients are 66-166MHZ, 16-32 MB of RAM." They're using Gnome and additionally windomaker. To make things easier, they customized the installation procedure and are writing some script to automize some things. The problems so far: * A lot of hardware probs (old buggy, hardware in a very tropical country (as Tom, who's of German-Indian origins, puts it: "At the moment my t-shirts are rotting.") * Gnome crashes sometimes (the server is just too slow, but what to do -- six slots for edo ram only and edo ram is not easily available or cheap * People mess up the settings (panel mostly) -- need some recovering scripts for the teachers to refresh some configs or create user-accounts anew * Not too much educational software (that might be your second biggest problem - support is your biggest... In addition, some other issues faced: * Many programs don't run in 640x480 proper and some teachers insist on it... on the 14" to 15" monitors * Some of the programs being used are gnumeric (sometimes buggy and limited-functionality), abiword (teachers are okay with that but now complain about missing tables), xpaint (ugly, but nothing better's available... couldn't get gpaint running yet), opera (ad-version), xwc ("llllighter than bloody Nautilus"). They still need to keep Mozilla (for helpfiles, etc) and Nautilus as it's backend for Gnome). Eager to replace it with gmc; suggestions for how to do so would be appreciated, as Nautilus is too slow for the machines being used. Mail software was still be searched for (something not heavy on resources). "The only time the (school) teachers have to use the console is to mount... will try to integrate supermount, which doesn't seem to be too easy and use the scripts we built," says Tom. In Goa, Arvind Yadav <arvind(a)opspl.com> customized RedHat 7.2, to create a CD that would allow for easy install on the school computers. There are about 15-20 volunteers to support some 20 schools. But something more is needed, suggests Tom. Much depends on the teachers and their attitude. Says he: "If you want to spread linux widely in schools (and want the teachers to really use the systems and not leave them getting dusted) you have to teach them proper (not only linux BUT WHY linux) . Here we told the schools: we can give you six slower systems where six kids can learn at the same time or we could have given you one new fast system where you can have linux (we paid 40$ for each system -- shipped and packed from the US to Goa -- all non profit organisations involved)." "Perhaps somebody should open a website www.reasons_for_linux_in_schools.org :-)," says Tom. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ **********************NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS***************************** ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CDC LINUX, CSIR SIGN PACT: This report appeared in the BusinessLine commercial daily dated April 17, 2002 - the Bangalore-based CDC Linux has been signed on by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop portable software for bio-informatics on the GNU/Linux platform and the establishment of high performance supercomputing infrastrucutre for research organisations in bio-informatics, according to the company. The company will be an industry partner, under the CSIR's New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative. As part of the project, CDC-Linux will be collaborating with the Centre for Biochemical Technology on the development of software applications in the area of comparative genomics and proteomics. The products developed by CBT and fine-tuned by CDC Linux include the Genedecoder, a gene prediction tool, the Proteome Calculator, a comparative protein sequence analyser, and the See-Path, an intelligent protein classifer, according to CDC Linux. These products would be available for the international market, according to a press release. ENDS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT'S NEW -- ASIA'S FIRST LINUX CD-ROM MAGAZINE: Linux Magazine on CD has just been announced by IQ Techmedia Pvt Ltd. The monthly CD-ROM magazine will focus on GNU/Linux, Free Software and the Open Source world. It is scheduled to be available as a five CD starter-kit on the stands "across the country" from June 16, 2002. The retail price of the kit is Rs 1500. DeveloperIQ will provide a CD-ROM of all updates and upgrades of more than 70 popular products in Open Source every month, for one year. That means 17 CDs in a year plus a bonus CD, almost 10 GB of researched content in a year. For the equivalent of US$30 (within India). Also round-the-clock six-days-a-week email support from Deep Root Linux Private Ltd. The starter-kit will contain RedHat 7.2 (2 CDs), applications (Openoffice 1.0, Galeon 1.2.1, KDE 3.0, Mozilla Internet suite 1.0rc2, Netscape 6.2.1, Acrobat reader 4.05, Gimp 1.2.3, Ximian Gnome 1.4, Kmail 1.0.29.2, gqmpeg 0.12.0, Etherape 0.8.2, Kyahoo 0.7, Image viewer 0.1.9, Qcad 1.4.7, Blender 2.12, Cross Artist 1.1, sfront 0.70 and more... a number of development tools, and an entertainment CD with over two dozen programmes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For GNU/Linux and BSD CDs check out http://www.linuxcampus.net This note came to us courtesy Prakash Adnani ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WROX... ROCKS?: Shivanand Nadkarni <shivanandn(a)wrox.com> informs that Wrox India has set up a full-fledged editorial office in Mumbai. "Wrox India will emphasize on open source technologies. Till now Wrox India has produced books on PostgreSQL, MySQL and PHP4," says he. Great news... Wrox is also very much interested in Indian talent pool. They are trying to seek as many Indian authors and reviewers. Recently, they were on a look out for technical reviewers for Apache 2.0. Contact details Shivanand Nadkarni Technical Editor, Wrox Press Ltd http://www.wrox.com or http://www.p2p.wrox.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEWS FROM THE UNDP IN KUALA LUMPUR: Shahid Akhtar <shahid(a)apdip.net> of the Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme, a programme of the United National Development Programme, says APDIP is thinking seriously about organizing some kind of a consultation on open source/linux. Says Akhtar, who's headquartered in Kuala Lumpur: "We want to see how we can further this cause in the region. What would you say are the most important questions and issues that are require discussion? Who are some of the key players (institutions and individuals)in this arena in the region? What are some of the things that can be done at a practical level to get the open source research and development moving in the region? Who can do this best? Are there any present seminal studies, reports, efforts in the region that should be taken into account before one develops a plan of action in this area? Are there any other bodies out there who might wish to partner with APDIP-UNDP in this area?" Anyone with suggestions, please contact Akhtar. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OPEN SOFTWARE: "Open Standards and Open Software in South Africa", discussion paper. In January, South Africa's National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) published a discussion document called "Open Standards and Open Software in South Africa: A Critical Issue for Addressing the Digital Divide". It "discusses the nature and impact of Open Software and recommendations for South Africa to take full advantage of this rapidly growing phenomenon in IT." The document is licensed Open Content, and there is a space on the NACI web site for public comment. http://www.naci.org.za [in English] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OPEN PUBLICATION LICENCES, A NEW LICENSE: A new public license -- the Open Publication License -- promises to bring the power of the open-source software movement to video, audio, and text while still preserving authors' rights to profit from the calluses of their creative hands. http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/20276.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GNU/LINUX... IN THE TRIBUNE OF CHANDIGARH: One recent article on GNU/Linux in the Third World, carried in Chandigarh's The Tribune: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020603/login/main1.htm ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SHROFF GETS THE BOOKS ACROSS: From Mumbai Vikas Kasalkar (91 22) 763 4290, 768 9126 - ext. 120/121 or e-mail at kasalkar(a)shroffpublishers.com announces popular GNU/Linux books that are released. Some of the books he listed recently included Bill McCarty's 'A Guide to Red Hat Linux for New Users' Rs 450; Building Linux Clusters Rs 350; Linux Device Drivers Rs 375; Linux in a Nutshell 3/e Rs 300; Linux Network Adminstrator's Guide Rs 350; Running Linux Rs 500; and Understanding the Linux Kernel Rs 450. These books are between 376 pages to 824 pages thick. Some come with CDs. Good value for money, at affordable Indian prices, it seems! Details from spdorders(a)shroffpublishers.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ HAVE YOUR SAY ON THIS FORUM FOR GNU ISSUES: Please check http://forum.gnu.org.in which is a forum to discuss GNU issues. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LINUX ON IDGNET: Journalist John Ribeiro <ribeiro(a)vsnl.com> has put out an interesting article recently, linked to GNU/Linux and India. Check http://www.idgnet.com/ic_829012_4394_1-3921.html Ribeiro is based in Ashok Nagar, Bangalore. P; 91-80-5533341 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LINUX DOC PROJECT TURNS 10 THIS YEAR: From: Sayamindu Dasgupta <unmadindu(a)Softhome.net> spares a thought to remember that the Linux Documentation Project turns 10 this year. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ YOU CAN POST YOUR GNU/LINUX ARTICLES HERE: Please visit http://opennews.indianissues.org. Our dream is to make this a modest site reporting on GNULinux issues in India. For posting GNU/Linux information in this e-zine, contact fred(a)bytesforall.org and send the details in plain-text format. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ * FOOTNOTE: Frederick Noronha <fred at bytesforall dot org> is a Goa-based freelance journalist, who writes on IT-for-development and GNU/Linux themes regularly. He is currently working on a print-media fellowship from www.sarai.net to study the Indian contribution to GNU/Linux and is cofounder of BytesForAll <www.bytesforall.org>. Parag Mehta <pm at linuxindia dot org> is webmaster for Linux India, listadmin for Ilug-bom, Country Manager of India for Linux Counters. Visit his personal site at: http://pmehta.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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seeking free software contact for database project in Gujarat, India
by Arun M 05 Jul '02

05 Jul '02

Hi Mr Karl requires help of a database/web developer from Gujarat. Its for an organisation working on discrimination against the Dalits. > DBA Preferred skillset: > > _____________________________ > > > > + Is socio-politically conscientious > > + Is willing to work on the social issue > > + Familiar with local demographic concepts and challenges > > + Intuitively understands the value of collecting this database > > + Able to help turn paper-form data into digital data > > + Able to use, and committed to, Free Software > > + DBA skills include MySQL, and possibly PHP/HTML > > + Creative thinker If you can help contact karl(a)tux.org. Arun.

1 0

seeking free software contact for database project in Gujarat, India
by Arun M 05 Jul '02

05 Jul '02

Hi Mr Karl requires help of a database/web developer from Gujarat. Its for an organisation working on discrimination against the Dalits. > DBA Preferred skillset: > > _____________________________ > > > > + Is socio-politically conscientious > > + Is willing to work on the social issue > > + Familiar with local demographic concepts and challenges > > + Intuitively understands the value of collecting this database > > + Able to help turn paper-form data into digital data > > + Able to use, and committed to, Free Software > > + DBA skills include MySQL, and possibly PHP/HTML > > + Creative thinker If you can help contact karl(a)tux.org. Arun.

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CDC Linux, CSIR sign pact
by Frederick Noronha 03 Jul '02

03 Jul '02

Does anyone have more information on this report, from the BusinessLine of April 17, 2002: CDC LINUX, CSIR SIGN PACT Bangalore: The Bangalore-based CDC Linux has been signed on by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop portable software for bio-informatics on the GNU/Linux platform and the establishment of high performance supercomputing infrastrucutre for research organisations in bio-informatics, according to the company. The company will be an industry partner, under the CSIR's New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative. As part of the project, CDC-Linux will be collaborating with the Centre for Biochemical Technology on the development of software applications in the area of comparative genomics and proteomics. The products developed by CBT and fine-tuned by CDC Linux include the Genedecoder, a gene prediction tool, the Proteome Calculator, a comparative protein sequence analyser, and the See-Path, an intelligent protein classifer, according to CDC Linux. These products would be available for the international market, according to a press release. ENDS

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Fsf-friends July 2002