Open
Source Software is NOT second rate software.
Although the software may be free (or not), the importance
of Open Source Software is that the source code may
be accessed and altered. An excellent example is OpenOffice.org,
a productivity software suite, similar in function,
look and features to Microsoft Office. (A full tutorial
is available from ,
or install
the complete Windows version of OpenOffice here and
take
a quick tutorial here).
Linux is the most common Open Source Operating system,often
compared
to Windows-type operating systems and is freely available
on the web. The DireqOpenLab
solution is
based on the Mandrake distribution
of the Linux operating system, and includes OpenOffice.Org.
In addition, DireqOpenLab includes the DireqCafe software,
an open source package released by DireqLearn's
AJ Venter. DireqLearn supports the development
of an Open
Source School Administration Tool. Read more here
As
for Why we may
move to Open Source Software, check out this document. There is a tremendous move to apprehend its benefits throughout
the world. This is very evident in the educational
community, where there are many resources. The advantages of the Linux
Terminal Server Project are evidenced in many initiatives, such as the linuxLab.org.za site.
Most striking are the policy decisions being made
by governments and parastatals throughout the world. Read more here...
South
Africa:
•
SA CABINET APPROVES OSS STRATEGY
The South African cabinet this week approved the Government OSS
strategy. The announcement was made by Minister of Public Services and
Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi shortly before delivering her
budget vote speech to Parliament in which she said government is
'looking forward' the many benefits of open source software.
• South
African National
Advisory Council on Innovation has advocated
Open Source as the solution for crossing the Digital
Divide.
• Africa
should use open source, says SA Public Service and
Administration minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi. In the context
of limited financial resources, Africa should investigate how to
better use the opportunities presented by the emergence of open source
software. She said the high costs of information and communications
technology (ICT) goods and services forced such an approach."The
cost
of ICT goods and services is astronomically high, owing to these
being primarily developed in the West and therefore being sold in
volatile foreign currencies."She encouraged workshop participants
to develop innovative ways to ensure price increases did not have
a hugely adverse impact.
• The South African Government has released and updates
a site
regarding the use of OSS in South Africa and other Governments.
Check it out at
Namibia:
• SchoolNet
Namibia, an open source advocate, a significant
force in the rollout of technology in schools and recognised
throughout Africa, has declared that Microsoft is
not welcome to participate in its development projects.
Read more at
Peru:
• MS
in Peruvian open-source nightmare. There's a letter circulating,
purportedly from Peruvian Congressman David Villanueva
Nuñez to Microsoft Peru, which cuts the heart out
of Redmond's chief 'panic points' to chill
those considering open-source migration. Apparently,
the Peruvian government is considering a bill mandating open-source
software for all public bureaux. From the congressman's
letter, we gather that MS had circulated a FUD
communiqué calculated to frighten world + dog with
images of collapsing domestic software markets, spiraling
costs and systems migration nightmares. Villanueva Nuñez
slices and dices with great skill to reveal the internal
inconsistencies, unsupportable claims and irrational
conclusions which the MS flacks trade in.
Brazil:
The
last Linux Journal has an article mentioning OS projects
in Brazil:
• :
Modular University Administration package
(accounting, exams, reporting and much more)
• : Distance
learning for distributed campuses
• :
educational software to 2000 Brazilian public schools
• The largest bank in Brazil uses Linux for their atm's (you can
see a penguin on their ATM screens!)
India:
• Open
IT - Govt to rewrite source code in Linux - TIMES NEWS
NETWORK [ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2002 01:29:29
AM]
Spain:
• Vazquez
de Miguel is the minister of education, science and
technology in a western region of Spain called Extremadura,
a mostly rural expanse of olive trees and tiny
towns with 1.1 million inhabitants. In April, the government
launched an unorthodox campaign to convert all
the area's computer systems, in government offices, businesses
and homes, from the Windows operating system
to Linux, a free alternative. Already, Vazquez de Miguel
said, more than 10,000 desktop machines have been
switched, with 100,000 more scheduled for conversion
in the next year. Organizers regard the drive as a
low-cost way to bring technology to the masses in the
impoverished region. "We are the future," he said. "If
Microsoft doesn't become more open and generous with
its code, people will stop using it and it will disappear." To
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