Fsf-friends March 2005

fsf-friends@gnu.org.in

51 participants
107 discussions

Europe loses the software patent battle
by Raj Mathur 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

Council Presidency Adopts Software Patent Agreement Against Council's Rules 7 March 2005 -- The Council Presidency today declared the software agreement of 18 May 2004 to have been adopted, in violation of the procedural rules and in spite of the evident lack of a qualified majority of member states and the requests of several states to reopen negotiations. Full story at: http://wiki.ffii.org/Cons050307En -- Raj Mathur raju(a)kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/ GPG: 78D4 FC67 367F 40E2 0DD5 0FEF C968 D0EF CC68 D17F It is the mind that moves

4 3

India wins neem patent case
by Praveen A 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

NEW DELHI, MARCH 8. The European Patent Office in Munich today dismissed an appeal against revoking a patent granted by it for the preparation of a fungicide derived from the seeds of the neem tree. This will go a long way in giving confidence to traditional users, according to Vandana Shiva, Director, Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. Speaking from Germany, Dr. Shiva — one of the three parties to oppose the patent — said: "It was pure and simple piracy. The oil from neem has been used traditionally by farmers to prevent fungus. It was neither a novel idea nor was it invented. It is a major victory that the appeal has been finally dismissed." The patent was granted by the European Patent Office to the United States Department of Agriculture and the chemical multinational, W.R. Grace, in 1995. Since then, Dr. Shiva, along with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement and the Green Party in European Parliament, had been opposing it. Evidence presented In 2000, the European Patent Office revoked the patent but the victory was short-lived as the revocation was followed by an appeal. At the hearing today, this appeal was dismissed, Dr. Shiva said. "We gave them evidence of farmers using this knowledge for a long time and also gave them information about the two scientists who had conducted research on neem before the patent had been granted. During the hearing today, they dismissed the appeal and upheld the earlier revocation of the patent." Calling it a historic moment, she added: "Patenting is one of the ways through which traditional users can be threatened. But now, such patents will no longer be a threat for traditional users." The story is in todays edition of The Hindu http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/09/stories/2005030902381300.htm References: NEEM PATENT REVOKED BY EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/revoked.htm India wins patent war over neem http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2000/05/12/stories/02120007.htm -- "There is no system but GNU, and Linux is one of its kernels." A proud GNU user http://www.gnu.org http://www.edathanattukara.com My Weblog at http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi Visit me at http://www.pravi.tk Rediscover the web ! Get firefox at http://www.getfirefox.com Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments See http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

2 1

[Fsf-friends] Fwd: [GloInterAct] Re: OpenSource solutions provider Red Hat signs 15 more ISVs in India, SL - Thursday, 03 March , 2005, 17:18
by Ankit Malik 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: namismail(a)softhome.net <namismail(a)softhome.net> Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:42:54 -0700 Subject: [GloInterAct] Re: OpenSource solutions provider Red Hat signs 15 more ISVs in India, SL - Thursday, 03 March , 2005, 17:18 To: GloInterAct(a)yahoogroups.com Read this News ismail Indian Tech Hub Chooses Microsoft Wired News Report Page 1 of 1 08:54 AM Dec. 20, 2004 PT Microsoft won a battle against open-source software supporters in India's technology hub of Bangalore, with local authorities choosing its software for networking the state's utilities and services. An e-governance project for the 55 million people of Karnataka state, of which Bangalore is the capital, will begin April 2005 and will be powered by Microsoft's (MSFT) proprietary software. Wireless Hot Spot Directory Venkatappa Kumaraswamy writes: > Red Hat signs 15 more ISVs in India, SL - Thursday, 03 March , 2005, 17:18 > http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=13685328 > > New Delhi: OpenSource solutions provider Red Hat has added 15 new Independent Software Vendor (ISV) partners in India and Sri Lanka. > > Red Hat will work closely with these ISVs to ensure that their applications are certified on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux platform, the company said in a statement here. > Red Hat India has already partnered with over 50 ISVs, who are working on certifying their applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. > ''We are witnessing tremendous demand from Indian ISVs for certifying their applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, indicating the rapid acceptance and momentum of Linux in India. Red Hat is committed to providing support to Indian ISVs who wish to certify applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux,'' Red Hat India Director Javed Tapia said. > The Red Hat Partner Community is designed to encourage the combination of OpenSource and traditional technologies into enterprise computing. It is a network of technology companies, including OEMs, ISVs, System Integratos, training organizations, distributors and resellers. > Over 400 types of hardware and 1,000 applications are already certified on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. > The Red Hat Partner Programme was established in 1999 with computing leaders Dell, IBM, Intel, HP, and Oracle. > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/Rcy2bD/UOnJAA/cosFAA/OwowlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GloInterAct/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: GloInterAct-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ -- _______________________ Ankit Malik http://scribbler.tk [my blog]

4 4

Re: [Ilugc] Tamil Nadu, +1 Syllabus, GNU/Linux
by Ramanraj K 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

Suresh Ramasubramanian wrote: > On Sun, Mar 06, 2005 at 03:03:01PM +0530, Joe Steeve wrote: > >> For now, it should be atleast `GNU/Linux` instead of `Linux`. I >> think, FSF-TN should be working with the governmental departments >> with this. > > Oh, so you want to get a law passed making people say GNU/Linux? Copyright Law gives the author(s) the right to due credit and honour in respect of their works, and no other special law is necessary to get it enforced. AFAIK, FSF and RMS merely *request* that the GNU/Linux Operating System be called by that name. (see: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/linux-gnu-freedom.html ) But in schools, the issue could become a yes/no question like: "Is it correct to call the Gnu/Linux Operating System as Linux ?" and getting it wrong means losing marks ;) Substantially, the inclusion of free software in the curriculum will result in significant gains for the teachers and students. Our Supreme Court recently said: "An educational institution runs smoothly when the teacher and the taught are engaged in the common ideal of pursuit of knowledge." It is needless to point out that Free Software helps to the utmost extent possible in the pursuit of knowledge. Free Software philosophy have also brought in a sea of change, the way curriculums are designed and taught, the world over, and we are no exception. The change to free software based on open standards is not by accident, but due to the efforts of RMS and several thousands of volunteers world wide, who deeply desired this change and made contributions for the better.

3 2

[Fsf-friends] posting letter to the president (avoid product patents)
by amal manuel 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

hey, we need to save india from patent disaster. for posting the letter to the president either follow the link (easy way) http://presidentofindia.nic.in/scripts/writetopresident.jsp his mail id is presidentofindia(a)rb.nic.in please note that repeated mails with same subjects will automoatically filtered. so add subject line, something unique. regards, ~amal "its always darkest, before it goes pitch black" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

3 2

Linux: Getting your digital pix using Linux
by Venkat Kumaraswamy 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

Linux: Getting your digital pix using Linux Alastair Cousins, PC World., 04/03/2005 07:48:54 It may lack an all-in-one solution like Apple's iPhoto, but there are tools that make using a digital camera with Linux easy. In this month's column, I'll be showing you some useful methods for accessing your digital camera under Linux, as well as JAlbum, a great tool for building Web-based photo albums. Downloading images from your camera There are two ways to access and download images from a digital camera under Linux. Determining which method is best for your camera will depend on the model of camera that you have. Some cameras work with the first method, others with the second. The best way to work out which method suits your hardware is simply to indulge in a little trial and error. They're both free, after all. gPhoto gPhoto >http://www.gphoto.org/ is a "one size fits all" solution to accessing photos stored on your digital camera, and includes native driver support for hundreds of cameras. A complete list is available at http://www.gphoto.org/proj/libgphoto2/support.php, and you'll find a copy of gPhoto on this month's cover disc. If your camera isn't listed in gPhoto, the chances are that it can be accessed using the USB Mass Storage method covered in the next section. gPhoto includes a simple GUI interface, named gtkam. To access your camera, connect your digital camera to the USB port on your computer and switch the camera on. Once the camera is on, start gtkam by typing at a prompt: $ gtkam If supported, the camera will be auto-detected by gtkam and thumbnails of the images stored on it will be displayed. You can now copy these images to your computer. When you're done using gPhoto, remember to turn your camera off before disconnecting it from your computer. USB Mass StorageMost other cameras can be accessed as a USB Mass Storage device. This means that the camera is seen as a portable hard disk by the computer and no special drivers are needed, much like a USB key. Memory card readers - like the Laser 7-in-1 memory card reader that I have used in this article - can also be accessed with this method. You can pick one of these handy devices up for about $30, which is a worthwhile investment if you're often transferring photos from your camera. If you're using a product like this under Windows, the reader shows up as seven individual drives! This is both confusing and irritating, as you'll often find yourself double-clicking on random drive letters to find the contents of the memory card you just inserted. Fortunately, Linux is much smarter and only adds a drive when it's got a memory card in it. After attaching your card reader or camera to your computer, type the following command in a shell. $ dmesg If the camera or card reader is supported by Linux, you should see some messages similar to the following: scsi0: SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices Vendor: Generic Model: STORAGE DEVICE Rev: 0128 Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02 SCSI device sda: 501760 512-byte hdwr sectors (257 MB) sda: sda1 >From these messages, you can see that the camera has been detected and a USB Mass Storage device driver has been loaded. The most important part of this message is the device name allocated to the camera, in this case "sda1". Using this information, I can now mount the camera like any other hard disk using the following commands as root: $ mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/camera $ ls /mnt/camera dcim misc nikon001.dsc Make sure you double check that the directory /mnt/camera exists. You can create this directory by typing as root: $ mkdir /mnt/camera You can now copy images from the camera using standard Linux commands or the file manager for your desktop. Once you are done with the camera, remember to unmount it before turning it off and disconnecting it. Use the following command: $ umount /mnt/camera Building a photo album I've included the photo album tool JAlbum on this month's cover disc. JAlbum runs on practically every operating system under the sun, including Windows, MacOS X and of course, Linux. To install it, you'll need a working installation of Java on your computer. Most distributions do not include Java, so I have included a copy on this month's cover disc, too. To install Java, type the following command in a shell while logged in as root. I like to install Java under /usr/local/ but you may prefer another location. $ sh ./jre-1_5_0-linux-i586.bin Once Java is installed, you can install JAlbum by simply typing the following two commands in a shell: $ export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/jre_1.5.0/bin $ ./JAlbum.bin When prompted, change the install location to /usr/local/jalbum and complete the installation. Once installed, you can start JAlbum by typing in a shell: $ /usr/local/jalbum/JAlbum Using JAlbum is quite straightforward. First, identify the location of the images you wish to make an album of and enter this into the Image Directory box. Second, select a location to output the gallery to and enter this into the Output Directory box. JAlbum includes a number of other options that you can adjust and large selection of themes for your photo album. Once the settings are to your liking, click Make Album and the gallery will be generated. You can now view the gallery by pointing a Web browser to the directory you entered as the output directory. Once you've designed your photo album, you can upload it to your Web site via FTP directly from JAlbum. Click on the Publish tab and enter the details of your Web host. Check with your ISP if you have Web space available - most ISPs offer a small amount to all customers. There is a Test Connection option available to test these settings before publishing your album. Using your photos XScreensaver is the standard Linux screensaver application, and is supported in both KDE and GNOME. Included with XScreensaver are many screensavers that manipulate images. You can set XScreensaver to work with your photo collection by starting the Screensaver control panel on your desktop and selecting the Advanced tab. From this menu set XScreensaver to Choose Random Image rather than the default setting of Grab Desktop Images. Now when you use a screensaver such as Distort, a random image will be loaded from your photo collection and manipulated by XScreensaver. You can also use your digital photos as a desktop background, or for icons for your favourite programs. To set a desktop background in GNOME, right click on the background and select the Change Desktop Background menu option. From the window that appears, select Add Wallpaper and load up your digital camera photos. It is possible to load multiple photos at once by holding down the key and clicking on each file name. To use a photo as an icon, right-click on an icon and select Properties. Click the Select Custom Icon button and Browse to the location of the photo you wish to use. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

4 4

jassi :)
by Ankit Malik 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

just saw my little sister trying out this javascript:window.open('http://www.webresourceindia.com/jassi/jassi.asp' ,'','toolbar=no,width=780,height=566,scrollbars=no,resizable=no'); is this possible by a FLOSS software ? -- _______________________ Ankit Malik http://scribbler.tk [my blog]

1 0

Re: [Fsf-friends] change
by Praveen A 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

> err..umm...wrong message??? cant figure out one! > i am just telling my friends to stop piracy [piracy is the only word > they understand not illegal/unauthorised copying, that wud remind them > of cheating in exams!!! ROFL! and i am suggesting them a very good > alternative i.e. GNU/Linux They are not gonna stop just like that Ankit. I've experience with my friends. They know that nobody is gonna get hanged by copying these softwares and they will continue doing it. And see we are not top stop sharing -- WE ARE FOR SHARING, we encourage sharing. We are against those who try to stop. so if you call helping your neighbour a pirate, well I dunno. RMS tells that it is even worse to use legal propreitary software than the illegal thing because in illegal software you don't agree not to co-operate/share it with your neighbour. The GNU project was started not against piracy, but against the system that prevent people from co-operating with others. So you want them to use authorised copies of Microsoft Windows ? [Then you cannot call them pirates, right ?] So what you'll tell to people who payed for Microsoft Windows ? -- "There is no system but GNU, and Linux is one of its kernels." A proud GNU user http://www.gnu.org http://www.edathanattukara.com My Weblog at http://www.livejournal.com/users/pravi Visit me at http://www.pravi.tk Rediscover the web ! Get firefox at http://www.getfirefox.com Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments See http://www.fsf.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

4 3

Re: Something About SLYNUX - Demo+key+SL Eperiodic
by vishravars Ramasubramanian 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

Hi Sarath , I just need a small clarification from you. You said you support Free Software and you have also said that you totally support free s/w in the link http://www.slynux.co.nr/ But one small doubt i have. Why is the sentence -> You can freely install demo version of the software from downloads. After installing you will get serial number from the author, SarathLakshman by a request e-mail. Which you have given in the link http://www.slcreations.g3z.com/ If i am right i think it is for SL E-Periodic. I think this is M$ way of doing things... and i have seen many freedom lovers hating such sentences Could you please explain me the reason why such method being followed ? Cheers Vishravars.R http://vishravars.blogspot.com __________________________________ Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/

4 5

change
by Ankit Malik 07 Mar '05

07 Mar '05

check out how things change when you switch to FLOSS! just an example : http://ankitmalik.freesuperhost.com/?p=154 -- _______________________ Ankit Malik http://scribbler.tk "How would it feel if i stole your car in the morning and return it after 3-4 days? STOP PIRACY! Use GNU/ Linux instead!"

3 2

← Newer
1
...
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Older →

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

Fsf-friends March 2005