Open Source Software

by Luis Banuelos

 

Open Source Software  Historical Background  Relevance to education Glossary of Terms Start-up Costs Key-players, gurus, experts Sample Lesson Plans Tutorial Sources

 

Introduction

 

What is open-source software?

 

Open source refers to a system of software development where a program is distributed along with its source code so that others may modify it (Carr, 2006).

 

Historical Background

 

Since its origins in the 1970s, the open source movement has become a driving force in today’s software scene.  Successful applications such as Richard Stallman’s GNU and Linus Torvalds’ Linux have encouraged programmers and corporations to examine the benefits of open source and free software.

 

Most open source software began in one of two ways.  In the first way, programmers unite to create a new piece of software or improve an old program.  The motivation is need.  The second method of source code creation is by a company with specific software need that are not met by available commerical software (The Open Source Movement, 2007).  In this scenerio, a company employs programmers to tailor a program that meets the company's requested specifications.  Software was shared and programmers worked together to improve it (The Open Source Movement, 2007).  Starting in the 1970's, as computers became smaller and less expensive, competition among computer manufacturers grew.  This forced many of them to restructure their business model around software.  They began to pulling people from the programming community to create proprietary software (Stallman, 2007).  Where before sharing among programmers was allowed and expected, the new business model forbid it.  In response to the growth of proprietary software, a group of programmers headed by Richard Stallman initiated the GNU project.

 

The Free Software Foundation and the GNU Project

 

It was 1984 when Richard Stallman, a former programmer for MIT, and a group of his colleagues set forth to create a complete computer system based on the Unix platform.  In order to raise money, Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation (FSF), a charity orgainization.  Although the FSF accepts donations, the bulk of the their income comes from sale of CDs with free software (Stallman, 2007).  By the early 1990's, most of the new operating system had been coded.  Linus Torvalds, of Helsinki, Finland provided the final piece - the Linux kernel and with it, GNU Linux was born (The Open Source Movement, 2007).  After several initial revisions, Linux 1.0 was release in March of 1994 (Wirzenius, 2003).  Three years later Netscape open sourced the Navigator browser. The term "open source" was used to avoid the negative connotations associated with "free software" (Wikipedia,2007).

 

Although the open source movement has not completely replaced commercial software, it has made an imprint on our digital world. 

Today over 50% of the world's web servers run on an open source application called Apache (Wyllys, 2005).  The Open source web browser Firefox is used by at least 75 million people (Wikipedia, 2007).  According to IDC research, Linux, the most popular open source operating system, has captured  6 percent of the desktop market and 25% of the server market (Wikipedia, 2007).

  

Relevance to education

 

There are several issues affecting our schools today.  Funding is just one of them. Educational institutions will benefit by implementing open source systems in their organization. Open souce software is inexpensive or free. These applications can be modified to meet the needs of the institution. There is no need to spend time or money keeping track of software licenses since true open source applications can be installed without such restrictions.   Using open software, like the Linux operating system, and OpenOffice frees money for other endevours such as more technology, staff development, and teacher pay.  Open software gives schools access to technology that could not be obtained through other methods.   This helps bridge the digital divide between poor and wealthy schools.

 

The greatest  benefit open source has to education is in concept.  At its heart, open source is about the free exchange of ideas and group collaboration.  Websites such as Curriki.org and MIT's OpenCouseware are prime examples of collaborative efforts of the instructional community (How the Open Source Movement Has Changed Education, 2007). 

 

Open Source is Everywhere

 

In our digital society open source is everywhere.  Businesses, Universities, Governments, and other organizations use applications such as OpenOffice, Linux, Firefox, Thunderbird, and Gaim.  Recently, it has become possible to take these applications with you on portable flash drive through Portableapps.

 

Here are a few examples of open source

 

Desktop Applications:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9fqlI9B6QU

 

Business Collaboration:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp2DnKyaYnk

 

IBM Open Souce Ad:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwL0G9wK8j4

 

Open Source Beer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXTj3f6DC04

 

Glossary of terms

 

Digital Divide - Describes the gap between those with regular access to technology and those without it.

 

GNU - Acronym for GNU Not Unix.

 

Kernel - The main component in most operating system. It is responsible for communication between internal computer components.

 

 

Linux - Open source operating system developed through collaboration between GNU and Linus Torvalds.

 

 

OpenOffice - Free software suite comparable to Microsoft's Office Suite.

 

 

Open Source - A method of development where the source code is included with the software.  It is freely distributed and updated by users.

 

 

Proprietary - A closed system of development where the party has exclusive control and ownership over a product.

 

 

Unix - A computer operating system developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T researchers headed by Ken Thompsom and Dennis Ritchie.

 

Start-up Costs

 

As stated before, an open source system can be fairly inexpensive.

 

Sample Open Source System

Components	Price	Notes	Links
DELL OPEN SOURCE PC w/ AMD X2 64 Duel Core 3600+ processor512MB Ram, 80GB Hard Drive, network adapter , sound card, and 19in flat panel monitor	$479	Dell Open source systems do not include any operating system.	Dell Open Source Systems
Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn Desktop Version	$0	Other variations of Linux such as Red Hat, Linspire, SUSE, or Xandros will suffice.	Pick a Linux
OpenOffice 2.2.1	$0	This includes wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database, graphic editor, calculator, and mutimedia presentation application.	OpenOffice.org
Complete Computer Package	$479	Add $50 for a basic HP inkjet printer

 

Key-players, gurus, experts

 

Mark Stallman - Free software activist and founder of the Free Software Federation (FSF)

 

Linus Torvalds - Creator of the Linux Kernel.  He certifies all modifications to the Linux Kernel.

 

Bruce Perens - Writer of the Open Source Definition and head strategist on Open Source for Hewlett Packard.

 

Eric Raymond - Co-founder of the Open Source Initiative.   Vocal advocate of the open source movement and consultant to Red Hat.

 

 

Sample Lesson Plans

 

How do install OpenOffice under Linux

This guide details the steps involved in installing OpenOffice under Linux.

 

Stellarium

Stellarium is a open source planetarium.  This lesson is for students to explore the stars.

 

Tutorial

 

How to install Ubuntu (Video)

This is a short video showing how to install Ubuntu

 

How to install Ubuntu on a computer running Windows XP

This guide gives step by step instruction on install Ubuntu on a computer that has Windows XP in order to create a dual boot system.

 

How to install Ubuntu (Graphical Guide)

This is a complete step by step graphical guide showing how to install Ubuntu.

 

YouTube Video

 

Windows Vista Vs. Ubuntu Linux

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9vKDOdGI8

 

This video includes many of the disruptive technologies discussed our Wiki.  They can all be done on Linux.

 

• Google Tools
• Wikis
• Second Life
• Podcasting
• Open Source

 

 

Sources

 

Carr, Sam.  (2006, July 7).  The Open Source Definition. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from The Open Source Initiative website:

http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd

 

How the Open Source Movement Has Changed Education: 10 Success Stories. Retrieved July 25, 2007, from Online Educational Database

site: http://oedb.org/library/features/how-the-open-source-movement-has-changed-education-10-success-stories

 

Lacy, Sara. (2005, October 3). Open Source: Now It's an Ecosystem.  Retrieved July 25, 2007, from BusinessWeek website:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2005/tc2005103_0519_tc_218.htm

 

Stallman, Richard.  The GNU Project. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from GNU website:

http://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.html

 

The Open Source Movement. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from Stanford University website:

http://cse.stanford.edu/class/cs201/projects-00-01/open-source/main.htm

 

Wikipedia. (2007, July 23). Firefox. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox

 

Wikipedia. (2007, July 23). Linux. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/linux

 

Wikipedia. (2007, July 23). Open Source Software. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from Wikipedia Web site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software

 

Wirzenius, Lars. (2003, April 28). Linux: The Big Picture.  Retrieved July 25, 2007, from Lars Wirzenius website:

http://liw.iki.fi/liw/texts/linux-the-big-picture.html

 

Wyllys R. E. (2005, October 3). Overview of the Open-Source Movement. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from University of Texas at Austin website:

http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~l38613dw/readings/OpenSourceOverview.html