Download Open Source Software

Open Source Software
Mike Jeays
Informatics Technology Services Division
Statistics Canada
April 2003
Phone : 613-951-9929
Fax : 613-951-0395
What is it?
• Software that is made available to any user,
complete with all source code, and often with
compiled executables
• Variety of licenses
• FREE – no restrictions on its use
• World-wide community of developers and
maintainers
History
• Free Software Foundation – Richard
Stallman – 1984/85
• GNU C Compiler – Richard Stallman
• Xfree86 - 1986
• Linux – Linus Torvalds - 1991
• GNOME and KDE environments
• Growing world-wide acceptance
Benefits
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Open formats (use of XML)
Long-term stability
Excellent security
Rapid fixes for urgent problems
Modifiable
Reduced costs
Disadvantages
• More diversity and less coherence
• Lack of formal support from a vendor
• Modifiable
License Spectrum
Leased
Indefinite
Shareware
BSD
GPL
Public domain
Userfriendly
Vendorfriendly
Principal Licenses
• GPL – Allows anyone to use and modify it,
but if modified versions are distributed, the
source code for the modifications must also
be distributed. Special rules for libraries
• BSD – does not even have this restriction.
Credit must be given to the original authors;
you can't pretend you wrote it. Can be
incorporated into proprietary products.
Operating Systems
• Linux – very popular at present
• FreeBSD – less well known, better managed
• OpenBSD – exceptional security record, strong
cryptography, Canadian development group
• NetBSD - multi-platform
All have an excellent reputation for robustness, reliability and security
Programming Languages
• C/C++ (GNU Compiler) – Richard Stallman
• TCL/TK – John Ousterhout
• Perl – Larry Wall
• Python – Guido van Rossum
• Ruby – Yukihiro Matzumoto (Matz)
• PHP – Rasmus Ledorf
• Smalltalk
• Java (not fully open-source) – SUN
• Many others...
Desktop Environments
These provide a desktop environment
similar to Windows.
• KDE
• GNOME
Both are based on X-Free, an open-source
implementation of X-Windows
Layered Construction
Applications
KDE
GNOME
Scree
n
Xfree86 (X-Windows)
Kernel
Keyboard
File
System
Disk
Office Suites
• OpenOffice (Calc, Draw, Impress, Math,
Writer)
• KDE utilities (KWord, KSpread,
Kpresenter, Kmail)
• Abiword (Word processor)
• Gnumeric (Spreadsheet)
Databases
• MySQL
• Postgres
Both are capable of running large databases with
high transaction rates
SQL interface
• PGAccess – graphical front-end for Postgres
• (NB: Oracle and DB2 run on Linux)
Mail and Calendaring
• Evolution (Outlook look-alike)
• Mozilla (formerly Netscape)
• Others
Web Browsers
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Mozilla (formerly Netscape)
Konqueror (KDE Suite)
Phoenix
Galeon
Opera (not open source; charge for
version without advertisements)
Web Support Tools
• Apache ( Web server)
– Perl
– PHP
• ZOPE (Web Server and web content
management)
• PhpNuke (Web content management)
• MidGard (Web content management)
Distributions
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CD sets with integrated collection of software
Support arrangements
Possibly some proprietary components
Free download of CD images
Examples:
Red Hat
 Slackware
 Mandrake
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Caldera
 Suse
 Lindows
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Quality : Run-time attributes
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Suitability: Fitness for purpose
– Internationalisation
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Precision: Data can be trusted
Performance, Availability: Assists getting the job done
Reliability, Security: Software can be trusted
– Relatively virus-free
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Understandability, Usability: Easy to learn and use
Reusability, Robustness: Skills are applicable elsewhere
Software Quality Framework: Software Best Practices Group
Potential use at Statistics
Canada?
• Use on servers
• SAS and Oracle both run on Linux machines
• Equivalents for all current desktop tools
• Ximian Mono – future support for .NET languages and runtime
• RDesktop – GPL client for Windows Terminal Server
• Crossover Office allows Office products to run on Linux
machines
What needs to be done?
• Research project and demonstration
– Verify functionality and performance
– Conversion of legacy applications
– Investigate migration techniques
– Review directions taken by other
government departments
– Evaluate costs and future savings
– Develop a strategy for the department
Conclusion
• Open Source products now a mature
alternative
• World-wide use, with growing interest
• Emphasis on
– open formats
– security issues
– reduction in costs