Open Source Archive

"When Richard Stallman learned that a compiler architect from ATI would be speaking at MIT, he immediately started organizing a protest against ATI's damaging free software policies. It all started, like most good protests, with a trip to Kinko's printing to make a sign. The request came from Richard Stallman for a 3'x2' sign, mounted and able to be carried with one hand easily. Several frustrating minutes with Inkscape, two trips to the store and one foam-core backing later, we had our sign, and it stated our message clearly in black letters on white background."

Microsoft extended an olive branch to the open source community with the launch of Port 25, but visitors to the Web site have been treating the branch as if it were poison ivy. Port 25 is a Web site that offers a look into the Microsoft Open Source Software Lab. Launched in 2004, the lab is the software company's attempt to test interoperability between Microsoft software and open source solutions. Its other stated goal is to make IT professionals with UNIX/Linux skills more proficient in the Windows environment - and vice versa.

"This article is a one-year report on the experiments with Donationware at DonationCoder.com. Throughout the article I will focus on the specific experiences of our site in attempting to strike a kind of middle ground - keeping software free but making enough money from donations to fund the site."

Linux Format has an interview with Bruce Perens. Having founded the Open Source Initiative and Linux Standards Base, Perens is a well-known spokesperson for the Free software community, and in this interview he discusses the problems with his UserLinux project, the rise of Ubuntu, and why figureheads are still important in the open source world.

Martin Fink, Hewlett Packard's Linux vice-president, yesterday slammed the open source community's complex licensing schemes, suggesting that there are too many open source licences for developers to manage properly. Closing a presentation at the Linux World Conference and Expo in Sydney yesterday, Fink said, "If there's one thing that you take home from my speech today it is: do not make more open source licences."

"In the last several days there have been several stories in the news that highlight the increasing tension between ownership of intellectual property rights and the opportunities that become available when broader, free access to those rights is made available."

"Former Soviet Union is a term that often makes people think of a somehow original concept of freedom and democracy. You can observe some heritage looking at the facts of today's Belarus and Turkmenistan. Anyway, even there, people always have had the will to express their ideas and opinions. Think, for instance, of the samizdat, or of the dissidents. How could native geeks and computer scientists/engineers miss the opportunity to contribute to the free software movement as another expression of freedom and democracy? In this article, hopefully the first of a short series, I will try to outline the rise and growth of free software in the former USSR by interviewing some of the key individuals."

"Fans of open source software have been buzzing since Linus Torvalds, creator of the popular Linux operating system, indicated he wouldn't adopt a new version of the license under which Linux is distributed. Torvalds' opinion matters because his program is by far the most popular open source program in the world. In an interview via e-mail with Forbes, Torvalds discusses GPLv3, digital rights management and sharks with laser beams. "From where I'm standing, says that you suddenly can't use the software in certain 'evil ways' (where evil is defined by the FSF--it doesn't actually cover the James Bond kind of evil, but if you can see Richard Stallman as a less dashing James Bond, it would be that kind of evil)."

FOSDEM takes place on the 25th and 26th of February 2006 in Brussels, Belgium. You are all invited to take part in the largest Free Software and Open Source event. The previous edition encountered a huge success with more than 3000 attendees coming from all over the world to attend the talks of famous figures of the Free Software and Open Source community. Read more for more info.

Linus may have it wrong on digital rights management, but it's the vague wording and confusing concepts - like what is meant by a 'derivative work' - that is causing the real headaches over the next General Public License. A representative of the Free Software Foundation, leading the effort around GPL 3.0, said that Linux creator Linus Torvalds had 'misread' the license's provisional terms.

FOSDEM 2006 is approaching. The event will take place on the 25th and 26th of February in Brussels, Belgium. The FOSDEM is a free and non-commercial event for the community and organised by the community. FOSDEM 's goal is to provide free and open source developers and communities a place to go over the latest developments in the free and open source arena and to promote the development and the benefits of free and open source solutions. Read more for some interviews with key speakers at FOSDEM.

"The third International Forum on Free Knowledge brought together many groups and individuals interested in the development of free software worldwide to the city of Maracaibo. One reason Venezuela choose to host this event is because starting in January (2006), their new free software law, directive 3.390, comes into effect, which mandates all government agencies to migrate to free software over a two year period. I was invited to speak about Telephonia Libre: the use of free software in telecommunications."

Linus Torvalds, father of the Linux kernel, has fleshed out his unhappiness with GPLv3 in three recent posts on the Linux Kernel Mailing List. Torvalds previously stated that the kernel will remain under the licensing terms of GPLv2. Yesterday, Torvalds offered his opinion as to where the battle over DRM should take place.

So you might have heard of the new GNU Gnash Flash player from GNU.org. While still in it's infancy, it's the first non-Macromedia stand alone flash player available. Here is an article walking you through installing Gnash on Linux. It's geared toward Mandriva, but can be used by anyone to compile Gnash from source.