I was very happy to note that now Linux has some CAD software which is comparable to the best in the world or eventually going to be there. I was doubly happy to know our public sector was making a contribution in this regard. But my hopes were dashed when i wanted to access the documentation/download page. Looks to be more hype than real. Commercial motivation seems to have gripped the govt babus.
This seems to be a software made from open source or GPL softwares in the area of CAD/ERP where linux is weak (with respect to FREE* by cost*softwares) . Yet it is not open source or even its documentation is not available to the lay public. It promises to work with various closed source CAD formats most of which are notoriously un-interchangeable.
Can the NIC- national Informatics Centre which is* publicly funded* develop such a software from Free softwares that may be GPLed? and then deny the software or even its documentation to the people of India?
Can India ever attain leadership in technology if the govt agencies themselves deny ACCESS to documentation on usage of such CAD/CAM/CAE technologies which have themselves been developed from Free softwares. Unless such cutting edge software is tested/used by an evergrowing number of people, it will remain buggy and enough human resources will not be able to adequately train themselves to use such technologies in an increasingly competitive and superspecialised world.
On one hand NIC says it is trying to promote FOSS and on the other hand nicsi etc showcase more of propreitary softwares or run of the mill softwares instead of cutting edge softwares. Nicsi is supposed to be a distributor of this collabcad.com software.
Let us not forget that technologies like GRASS etc in terms of GIS technology was open sourced by the US govt's deptt of defense's Corps of Engineers.
Regards, Kussh PS: I am seriously trying to get the documentation/trial download of such software or know the SIZE of such software to evaluate it.