Open Source Software

By 'Open Source' we mean software which is distributed and made available freely for use and development in the form of the original source code. This includes both the basic operating system and the application software. The essence of this is 'free' as in 'free speech' although the majority of the software is provided 'free' as in 'free beer'. (Free Software)

The main operating system used is Linux which was originally developed from Unix by Linus Torvalds and is now maintained by a community of developers worldwide. This, in common with most other open software, is distributed under the GNU General Public Licence which allows the use and modification of the code provided it is then made freely available back to the rest of the community. Application software is then developed to enable a multitude of uses covering all aspects of computing.

The software is distributed by a number of companies, generally as a bundle of sofware known as a 'distribution' which will include the basic operating system and a range of application software. The most well-known are such names as Mandriva, Red Hat, SuSE, Debian, etc but there are probably hundreds. These companies provide their distribution as a boxed set or for download from a web site (although this latter method can be very time consuming as the download can be many Megabites). The individual applications can also be downloaded from web sites which maintain up-to-date versions.

The distribution companies will also generally provide some support for their boxed sets although, beyond the initial installation, this will probably be at a cost. Individual applications will probably not be supported by the companies developing them, other than the provision of some documentation. However, there is a vast community of users and developers worldwide accessible va the Internet who are usually willing to provide advice and assistance. This resource can be accessed using forums, newsgroups and Linux User Groups (LUGs). There are also many courses available to learn about its use.

A typical installation will consist of the basic operating system running a window manager (similar to Windows) and application software including word processors, spreadsheets, databases, file managers, email clients, web browsers, music and video players, image manipulation, etc. For each of these functions there will be a number of packages, the essence of the system is choice, you can select the package which works best for you.

Being developed from Unix, Linux is essentially a multi-user environment, which means it is ideally suited for use in networks. It integrates well with machines running Windows within the same network. It is also fundamentally a more secure environment than Windows and is less vulnerable to attack by viruses. It is not unusual for the operating system to remain running for very long periods without crashing. In fact, at the pesent time, something of the order of 60% of web servers hosting the Internet are running Linux, many boasting up-times of almost 100%.

Development of the Linux operating system has been rapid in recent years and it is now in a position to provide a realistic and viable alternative to Microsoft. It is now possible to purchase a new computer already installed with Linux. Most of the functionality of the Microsoft programs is now available in a Linux package and these packages can readily import and export in Microsoft file formats. Migrating to Linux from Windows is relatively straightforward and should provide significant cost savings. Without the initial high cost of licencing compared with Windows , but with probably higher costs in training and support, at least in the short term, the 'total cost of ownership' would compare favourably with a Microsoft system and would offer improvements in security.