Fsf-friends April 2006

fsf-friends@gnu.org.in

46 participants
48 discussions

Fwd [phoenix-project] Traning Program for Teachers
by doxa＠sancharnet.in 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Cross posting. CK Raju ----original message------- Hello All, Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, is conducting and two weeks training program starting from 22-May-06 for physics teachers from Indian Universities and colleges. Maximum number of participants is twenty. Mailing list members are requested to convey this message to teachers interested in Physics laboratory experiments. For online registration visit http://www.nsc.res.in/~elab/phoenix/workshop/index.html Ajith Kumar B.P. IUAC To unsubscribe from this list send a mail to phoenix-project-request_AT_freelists.org with the word unsubscribe in the subject line. (Needless to say _AT_ replaced by @ )

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Free Software and Open Source
by प्रव ीण् ए (Praveen A) 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

Hi, Nagarjun replies to a long thread in ilug Mumbai about Free Software and Open Source Clarifies a lot of doubts. See the thread here http://mm.glug-bom.org/pipermail/linuxers/Week-of-Mon-20060417/025404.html Regards Praveen _____________________________ This is a reply to the entire thread so far, so not quoting any of them. I wish to clarify the difference by example, between OSS and <free> (swatantra/mukta/ajadi) software. Take 'Pine', an email client, releases source code, you can modify the sources, but can't distribute the changes you make according to pine license. Such a software is open source according to OSI. So, opening is not enough, we need the freedom to distribute the changes we make. Similarly 'scilab', a scientific application, is open source but not a <free> software. Therefore, all <free> software is open source, but not vice versa. So, free software is a proper subset of open source software. However, the number of open source applications that are not free software is very very tiny. So, it is also correct to say MOST open source applications are free software. Count the number of applications, not the number of licenses, to get the correct inclusion relation between them. If, OSI excludes those few applications that do not give the freedom to distribute the changes, then all <free> software is open source and vice versa. FSF should not change its stand is very clear, if you see how carefully the <free> software is defined. OSI's definition is left vague. May be business thrives by being vague. Let us ask OSI to modify their license listing policy. The use of the term 'open source' by the OSI may have created a nice term for the tongue, but at the cost of freedom. But, as I told you MOST open source applications do give you the freedom anyway. Still, it is surprising that OSI advocates seldom talk of the values like freedom. They continue to fetch contracts from govt and companies by arguing that oss is economical. Remember, they said they wanted to eliminate precisely this problem when they chose 'open' in place of 'free'. Did they succeed in clarifying? Certainly not. Open source adherents talk of total cost of ownership, while <free> software people say freedom is always expensive for we need to protect it constantly. That is why I always end my speach with: "Run for freedom even if it is expensive!" In order to sustain freedom we need to constantly work against the tendencies that try to take away our freedom. Metaphorically, a system must do work to maintain its stability, other wise the system will tend to a state of higher entropy. <Free> software community is an open system, like a living organism, takes feed from the environment and sustains itself by working against non-free software and those who promote them. I agree with the interpretation that <free> software is a social, cultural movement with wider implications to the future of human society. open source movement, if at all it is, emphasizes technology and a development model. I have no disagreements with their development model. If only OSI mends their licensing list policy, the differences between <free> and open source community will become thinner, if not disappear. -- "Value your freedom, or you will lose it, teaches history. `Don't bother us with politics', respond those who don't want to learn." -- Richard Stallman Me scribbles at http://www.pravi.co.nr

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Re: Fsf-friends Digest, Vol 36, Issue 14
by Mishi Choudhary 17 Apr '06

17 Apr '06

hi can someone tell me whens the august event scheduled? Warm Regards Mishi Choudhary

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Re: Fsf-friends Digest, Vol 36, Issue 15
by Mishi Choudhary 16 Apr '06

16 Apr '06

is the bandipur trek the only way to discuss about the august event. kindly lemme know in case i need to visit b'lore for the same Warm Regards Mishi Choudhary

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Re: Fsf-friends Digest, Vol 36, Issue 15
by Mishi Choudhary 16 Apr '06

16 Apr '06

is the bandipur trek the only way to discuss about the august event. kindly lemme know in case i need to visit b'lore for the same Warm Regards Mishi Choudhary

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Re: Fsf-friends Digest, Vol 36, Issue 14
by Mishi Choudhary 16 Apr '06

16 Apr '06

hi can someone tell me whens the august event scheduled? Warm Regards Mishi Choudhary

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Annual Free Software Event, India
by Shakthi Kannan 16 Apr '06

16 Apr '06

Greetings! I would like to know if there is an annual free software event held in India? I believe the Free Software, Free Society Conference (http://fsfs.hipatia.net/) is held in a different country, each year? Software Freedom Day, and other GLUG events are primarily local to the place or city where they belong, and they are not exclusively free software. I believe, an event in India for free software will greatly help our cause. Any thoughts? SK -- Shakthi Kannan http://www.shakthimaan.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Fsf-friends] Annual Free Software Event, India
by doxa＠sancharnet.in 16 Apr '06

16 Apr '06

Its not just the magazines that say like this, at times even "premier" newspapers like "The Hindu" too is prone to making such off-remarks. Thankfully the paper has a significant presence only in South India. Here's what G Mahadevan wrote on 28 Feb this year. "... In fact, there are many committed users of free software who argue that this `geek factor' may be one reason for inhibiting the growth of free software usage in the State. A lecturer in a teaching department of the University of Kerala and a vocal proponent of free software points out that the `free software debate' as it were has now become politicised, personalised and is today anything but `free.' Some votaries of free software have taken their case beyond all limits. The kind of philosophical arguments about the differences between free software and open-source software actually put off everyone except the most committed users. Many a time the casual user of the computer is scared off Linux by all this geek-speak...." G Mahadevan could have taken some time off to learn about the differences in the same time he took for going after someone who doesn't know it. CK Raju Thrissur

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Formation of Ubuntu-India
by Baishampayan Ghose 14 Apr '06

14 Apr '06

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 [Sorry for cross-posting] Hello Fellow Ubunteros, Greetings!!! Hope by this time you would have known that the Ubuntu Indian Local Community Team has got the Official Status from the Council. See http://wiki.ubuntu.com/IndianTeam We have a few requests as well as announcements to be made. * Firstly we would appreciate if the GLUG's have their Local Ubuntu Teams who will be responsible for creating awareness about Ubuntu and Ubuntu-In community and also distribute the Ubuntu CDs in their Monthly meets or FOSS Events organised by placing bulk orders. [http://shipit.ubuntu.com] * We request you to create a Wiki page for your Local Team on our ubuntu-in.org website and start posting/contributing. Once you have created a wiki page kindly link it from http://ubuntu-in.org/wiki/Regional_Teams For e.g.. Once you have created a wiki page for your regional team say [Ubuntu_Chennai] kindly go to the Regional_Teams wiki page mentioned above and add your team name and link it. * You can help us in Localisation/translation/Packaging for Dapper as well as future Ubuntu releases. * Contribute Articles, Documentations, Frequently Asked Questions /Answers * Keep giving suggestions to help make Ubuntu better for us and the world. You can subscribe to ubuntu-in mailing list to get the latest information: http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-in Hang around in our IRC channel #ubuntu-in @ irc.freenode.net "Live the Spirit of Ubuntu - Linux for Human Beings" Regards, BG - -- Baishampayan Ghose <b.ghose(a)gnu.org.in> Free Software Foundation of India http://www.gnu.org.in/ 1024D/86361B74 BB2C E244 15AD 05C5 523A 90E7 4249 3494 8636 1B74 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFEP6qaQkk0lIY2G3QRAv1qAJ4q5M2R27wyMEf7dotFTZVyaW7cEwCgnTXV oAvg8yFeO9+badpYuR3NvEU= =xDV+ -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Is it available in the world ?
by M.Balakrishna Pillai 14 Apr '06

14 Apr '06

hi all From "Fast Track to Linux" published by DIGIT, section 1.2.1 (page 15) <quote> A closely-related but not similar idea is that of free software. Free software means, well, that the software is available for free. It is already compiled and ready to use. Open source only means the source code is available to whoever wishes to build it and make fully-functional software. Free software need not be open source and similarly, open source software need not be free either. A free, but not open source, software can only be used, but cannot be modified-or for that matter dissected to see how it works. Open source software can also be a paid software, in which the source code is made available to the buyer. Open source and free software are closely related in the Linux world, but they are not the same. </quote> and last paragraph on page 16 <quote> No discussion on open source or free software is complete without the mention of Ricahard Stallman, the founder of GNU project </quote> Any known method of education to teach them ? With regards M.Balakrishna Pillai PS: I stopped reading it after that page.

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Fsf-friends April 2006