The 'real' freedom of 'free' software

Recently, Gene over at ERACC WEblog Makes an effort to define the 'free' in "Free & Open Source Software".

His main points boil down to :

This is a fact in that one is not required to fork over hard earned money for any FOSS. But there is some cost associated with FOSS and that is the cost of learning to use it. While this is not a monetary cost, it is a cost if one considers one’s time to be of value. We will call this a time cost.

So, other than FOSS being gratis where is the freedom for that person? The freedom for the end-user is freedom from restrictions.

Here is what I mean by freedom from restrictions for the end-user. One may share one’s copy of FOSS with one’s neighbors, friends, family, enemies and pets without ever breaking a law.

While these points do represent a portion of the 'free' in FOSS, this don't go quite far enough to spell it out for more than just individual users.

The freedom from restriction also applies to how many instances of software can be installed from one original copy. For example, in Windows EULA and many others, if you purchase one cd with software on it, their license allows you to install that to only one machine. that is all that is 'legal'

This is HUGE when it comes to schools, non-profits and small businesses who can't afford to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to have more than one copy of software running.

Whereas with FOSS, you can take that one CD and install it to one or ten or one hundred separate machines. Or, install it to a server that runs distributed desktops ( LTSP, thin clients) and have more than one user have access to the software simultaneously.

Also, there is the freedom which also mentioned earlier that is specific to being free to modify the software to meet one's unique needs, without incurring extra cost or violating EULA terms.

While many small businesses, schools and non-profits cannot afford the fee of thousands of dollars that Microsoft or Apple charges to have modifications made to the system, They might be able to find a volunteer who is willing to modify Linux or some other OpenSource software on their behalf. And because the source code is open and the freedom exists to modify as they see fit without cost or legal restriction, they have an opportunity to customize FOSS software they will not find anywhere else.

The Linux community is in the midst of the big home user desktop push and a lot of developers and proponents are working to see that happen, yet Linux and Open Source software is able to make huge gains and make a huge difference in non home use settings.

BEL Project is one of those volunteer groups that is willing to work with schools and non profits as well as small business to get access to customized installations of Linux and other Open Source software to meet their unique working environments. There are others out there, in local communities, doing the same thing.

The 'Free' in FOSS not only provides the freedom discussed above, but also it provides individuals the freedom to learn and expand their experience, education and opportunity to help others to be successful using Free and Open Source Software.

Linux love for Students & Teachers, what about the Principal?

I am really liking what I see in the "Linux for schools" category.

There are several school oriented desktops and LTSP type servers to allow schools to take full advantage of existing hardware. OpenSuse Education and Edubuntu being a couple of the stand out products available as well as K-12LTSP, based on fedora.

I can't argue against the usefulness of LTSP and distributed desktop capabilities in a school. Not much can maximize TCO and is handled on a school budget better,

The interfaces, like Sugar and some of the compelling homegrown themes and designs of these are top notch, with many of the designers working with school professionals to make something that really works for students.





And this is Sugar...


I am curious though, what about the other people in the school that may not be teachers or students?

There are office personnel who handle student records and data entry. Visiting teachers who come infrequently who just need access to online resources. Maintenance staff who might need to access work logs and task scheduling. What of these users in a school?

They surely don't need the student oriented desktops and themes, nor the programs for teaching math and science. At the same time, they need access to school oriented software, Like library management software (Think Evergreen or OpenBiblio) and Student/school management software (OpenSis for example) and of course the more common desktop tools like Wikis and blog sites , email, shared calendaring, groupware, etc...

Are we telling schools when it comes to staff needs, they are on their own when it comes to Linux? "Build a regular server like everyone else."

I agree, when it comes to LAN servers, like routers and DNS/DHCP. etc... there are already some fine projects that meet those needs succinctly. Ubuntu server, ClarkConnect and so many others can be fashioned into LAN servers with little to no trouble.

There are so many school specific and useful for school web apps that I have no doubt any school would love to consider a non-teaching oriented web server built just for schools.

Having a pre-built server system like this would be another great way for schools to save time and money in providing resources for support staff.

We will do some more research on this end to point out any more of these support oriented ISO's that can be found. I am sure some do exist, but they aren't obviously placed on the web as of now.

It's not just the teachers and students who need a little Linux love in the schools, and there is no doubt that Linux has plenty love to go round, if we point it in the right direction.

On Novell

What seems to be a very long time ago, I was a young, handsome college student working towards a degree in computer science in network technology.

OK, I was a young college student, let's leave it at that.

The de facto network Operating System that was all the craze way back in 1995 and 1996 was Novell NetWare.

Yes, it was technically referred to as a NOS, Network Operating System.

Microsoft was still in diapers just getting Windows 3 to 3.1 and 3.11 out. Before Windows, it was Microsoft DOS or Disk Operating System. Windows was just a program you installed over DOS back then. The point is, DOS and Windows, later known as Windows alone, were PC operating systems, meant to stand alone.

It was common, way back then, that you installed NetWare on your servers and DOS/Windows on the PC's. As a matter of fact, in the Novell NetWare books (monolithic suckers that weighed more than my car) it referred to working with DOS/Windows PC's specifically.

There was no GUI for Netware back then, it was all console/command line interaction. You installed it on machines the way people now install Linux as a server. Printer servers, file servers, dbase servers, authentication servers, etc...

Not on the PC desktop though. No point in it, that wasn't what it was made for.

Novell specialized in the networking/server side of the equation and excelled at it.

So, what happened? How did NetWare fall and Microsoft take it's place?

There are lots of pages of data and financial charts out there, enough to make your head explode.

My thinking, as a student and, over time, a person working in the field, what I saw is that people became absolutely fascinated with the world of GUI.

Novell was late to the game in terms of providing GUI tools. Novell did not get into the OEM game and unscrupulous contract deals that MS did either.

It is also of historic relevance that Novell was always known as a solid product. It worked.

They were never known for their marketing skills. Not way back then and not now. In terms of marketing, they are their own worst enemy.

I saw the expansion of Windows into the workplace as MS piggybacked on Novell Netware to get a foothold. Then, as per the typical MS way, once they were in, they said "screw you, Novell" and started working on their own server system.

One thing is true of MS back then as it is now, it was a server system, not a network system.

Networking had to be hacked into Windows. remember, it was originally designed to be a PC standalone system.

Ever since, no matter how much they hack it, it's still not as good as a true network OS.

You say "Look at MS server sales, it must be good" Actually, one thing is true about numbers, they will tell you anything you want them to.

Yes, MS server has outsold just about most any other server OS out there, but how did they do it? Like a cocaine dealer, that's how.

MS Windows Server is popular, but it is not the same as being good, now is it? Have Windows servers made any progress into being better? Absolutely, it has bought network tech companies and technologies to throw into the mix for that exact reason. They want to make it better, more secure, more stable.

Notice I said they want to, let's not get into how successful they are or aren't at accomplishing that.

Novell since then has found it's way to Linux, which is Unix based and, yes, by golly, also a 'true' network' Operating System. Amazing how Novell is pulled that way, you'd think they really know servers and networking or something.

Novell bought Suse Linux and offers a paid for version and a free community version.

Novell takes full advantage of the GUI tools that the Linux community has created and has even thrown their own programmers and coders into the fray, contributing software in their own right.

A veritable hero and champion of Open Source software, that was how Novell was seen for awhile.

Then,DUN DUN DUN!!!, came the Microsoft deal.

It was as if the Linux community had experienced ultimate betrayal. Novell, well, Novell wanted to make some money, once again, using Microsoft as a tag-a-long.

This time, Novell was hitchhiking with MS though.Lots of people are rightfully impressed with Linux capabilities and stability. Combine that with Novells reputation for network know how and you have something pretty interesting.

Novell wants in, they want to make money. They have shown they will make deals with the devil in order to do it. ( so to speak, at least, that's how MS is viewed in the Linux community.)

So much speculation has gone on around the water cooler though. Is Novell trying to pull a "Microsoft" and piggy back in like a good collaborator then BAM, stick it to the guy who got them in the door?

Questions abound, "Does Novell really think that Linux violates MS patents?" "Is Novell essentially admitting that Linux violates MS patents in the deal to sell To MS so MS can sell to customers?"

This just goes to show how bad at marketing Novell is. They went from OpenSource wonder to Proprietary villain overnight, by association.

I go on record, I like Novell. I know that Novell 'knows' networking and servers. The tools they provide are usually some of the best around.

I believe Novell needs to fire their entire marketing and sales staff and hire folks who know how to do it right.

There are bucktloads of money to be made using OpenSource by offering personalized, customized services and support surrounding a Linux based product.

I think Novell was trying to 'open doors' to get a foot back in the door to many server shops that went the MS way, when they inked that deal with MS.

I think they severely underestimated the Linux community backlash from associating with a proprietary company like Microsoft.

By and large, Novell is a 'geek' company. These are folks who know computers and networking inside and out, they eat servers for breakfast, but haven't got a clue in how to sustain sales and produce long term marketing plans.

I think long term revenues and financial growth shows just that. They do "O.K" but are always at the 'average' level, unless they get a boost from a huge money partner/customer, like Microsoft.

I think Novell has boatloads of potential.

If I could make one suggestion to Novell though.

Pull an Ubuntu. Make OpenSuse the one and only distro. Make it the best you can make it. Then build your support and services around that. If people want to use it on their own, let them. if they want official 'backup' they can come to you.

You have middleware products that have been made for making this kind of work easier to do. There is no law against selling an app. Sell it separate as a download. or, offer customized installs with the middleware pre-installed, again, you are only charging for the customizing and the middleware, not the OS itself.

Don't force people to pay for support unless they feel they need it or want it.

OK, that's more than one suggestion, but I think they could all be beneficial to Novell and to Linux in general.

BEL Project: The Small Business and Schools "One Stop Shop" to adopting Linux

I am proud to announce, on behalf of the BEL Project team, that BEL Project (Business Edition Linux) is here to help.

BEL Project is targeted to the Small Business as well as School communities.

So often small business users and school users are looking for options to their computer needs that don't break the bank or lock them down like a prisoner with licenses.

Unlike big businesses who have much deeper pockets and IT budgets (even they still seek out cost saving tools like Linux) or 'home users, who are individuals who have more time to devote to learning via a Do It Yourself kind of approach, these small business and school users are often on timetables and budgets that are very restrictive and there seems to be no large supply of 'easy access' resources at times.

This is where BEL Project steps in. While we aren't here to do it for you, we are here to help you get it done.

There is no need to comb the Internet for answers you don't know the questions to, no need to fear the dreaded "RTFM", for small businesses and school users, we are the "FM". (That would be the "frickin manual" for those in the know.)

What exactly is it that BEL Project intends to offer to these small business and school users? Good question...

A help forum where you can ask a direct question and get a straight answer. No attitudes or demands that you 'prove yourself' before being deemed worthy to share information with.

An irc channel monitored regularly to get more in depth contact and just to associate with others in the same situations you are in.

An online "Wiki" that strives to provide useful step by step articles and information to help make your experience of Linux be an informed one.

Remastered ISO's of established and well known Linux distros that have been customized to specifically meet the needs of small business users and schools.

Throughout all these areas, you will see friendly, helpful faces of experienced as well as 'in training' people who are here to help make Linux adoption a more productive and educating experience.

At the same time, we are always welcoming new team members to the BEL Project. If you are the type who likes to share and help others. If you enjoy volunteering and helping others get where they are going, we are looking for you.

We try to make being a team member of BEL Project fun and educational. there is no 'competition' unless it''s for fun. We can use team members at all levels of experience in all kinds of area. Graphics, packaging, remastering, scripting, configuration files, servers, networking, desktops and so much more.

It's a learning community in BEL Project where team members bring the skills they have and learn others while interacting with team members and users alike.

As I said earlier on, we are not here to do it for you, but we will do everything we can to help you get it done.

If you are in a small business or school and want to learn more about what Linux can do for you, or if you want to learn how to join the BEL Project team, you can find us at :


BEL Project

You can view our gallery of screenshots, come to the forums or see the Wiki.

When you do join the BEL Project forum, don't forget to shoot an email to the activation link so you can get straight to business using Linux in your small business or school.

Interview with Jamie Cameron, LumberJack extraordinaire

Ya know, one day you're out, grabbing a bite for lunch after a busy morning of grizzly bear wrassling. The next thing you know, some guy dressed like a lumberjack is settin his carcass next to you at the counter and ordering the 'tree-killer' special'.

I had the 'tree-killer special' yesterday and I was gonna warn the fella that he might regret that pound and a half of maple ham later tonight, something in the maple I guess. Well, that's all it took to get a couple fellas stuck out in the middle of a Canadian forest to start chewing the fat during the lunch rush.

I introduced myself and told him I was a bear trainer and ran a place out near here where I took care of misplaced and unwanted Grizzlie bears and Kodiaks. On the side, I am a network admin, just to help pay the bills, ya know.

He told me his name was Jamie, Jamie Cameron and he was a lumberjack trainer and a programmer on the side. Just to help pay the bills, ya know.

It occurred to me out of the blue where I knew that name from. I asked him if he was ever a seafood chef, but he said “no” (“cameron' is Spanish for shrimp) but I might have seen one of his programs if I was a network admin.

DUH! Now I knew. This is 'The' Jamie Cameron, the guy who brought us Webmin. That was it, I had a bunch of questions to ask him, but we didn't have much time left, and this is all I remember from the conversation.

BB - You started Webmin based on work you were doing for another company, did they ever try to 'take over' your project or did they just leave you alone ?

JC - They left me alone, as I didn't work on it as part of a company project. In fact, I don't think they even knew at the time exactly what I was working on.
(I had a job where they gave me that much space once, but I bet JC wouldn't have thought being a human mining canary was as much fun as I did.)

BB - By reading on various sites, We see that Webmin is licensed under the BSD license and the LGPL, is that correct and if so, why?

JC - No, it is BSD only .. at least for the core of Webmin. Some other modules have been released under a GPL license though. I chose BSD as it allowed others maximum flexibility to use Webmin in other products if they so chose.
(Is it just me, or is everyone else hearing the Digital Underground song “doowhatyoulike” in the background?)


BB - Webmin is almost 12 years old now, with downloads of it literally in the millions, there's no denying it's popularity. Does it surprise you at all when you hear about admins who still don't know about Webmin?

JC - Not really – many of the really serious admins that I know eschew GUI tools, and prefer to hack on config files directly or write their own scripts. Webmin is more targeted at the less experienced admins or regular Linux users who just want to perform simple system configuration tasks.
(I know quite a few lazy admins, I mean admins who like to find 'more productive' ways to get work done, who like to use Webmin also)

BB - Security is a huge issue in the server and network admin world and they often polarize in two camps (imagine that). One group being that security is incumbent on the software developer and the other group saying security falls on the shoulders of the admin. What is your position on security and how does that relate to Webmin?

JC - I try to make Webmin itself as secure as possible, which means avoiding remotely accessible exploits and preventing browser-based attacks like XSS and dangerous incoming links. A default install of Webmin is pretty secure – you can't do anything with in unless you know the system's root password. However, to some degree I am dependent on the user .. if SSL support (in the form of the Net::SSLeay Perl module) isn't installed on the system before you add Webmin, it won't run in SSL mode, which makes it less secure against packet sniffing attacks.

BB - Tux is one of very few mascots in the world associated with a 'tech' product. Isn't it about time he lay off the computer stuff and get a date?

JC - Definitely - I hear that the bird from Twitter is single.
(I heard that too, but I also heard she talks too much.)

BB - You first started working on Webmin on a Solaris system back when Solaris definitely was not an OpenSource system, How did you go from supporting a proprietary system to including OpenSource OS's and was that planned from the beginning?

JC - I started on Solaris as back in those days Linux wasn't as mature or accepted in the corporate world as it is now, so the company I worked for used Solaris exclusively on its web servers. However, a port to Linux came out pretty quickly .. in fact, I think even the very first 0.1 version of Webmin supported Redhat Linux. The good thing is that the Webmin code runs exactly the same on any Unix variant, as Perl provides a platform independence layer for me. So the effort in moving from Solaris to Linux was much less than it would have been for a traditional Unix application written in C.

That said, all Unix variants (and even Linux distributions) do differ a lot in the locations and format of their configuration files, which is what Webmin is primarily focused on managing. So there is still quite some work involved in supporting new operating systems.

BB - To me and a lot of users, Webmin is almost synonymous with OpenSource, It is an example of how good OpenSource software can be, high quality and still be offered for 'free'. What do you think about Webmin practically being a poster child for the idea that “OpenSource Works!”

JC - That would be cool, but there are many open source projects that have been incredibly successful and are widely used – Linux, Apache, Samba, Postfix, BIND, Perl, FreeBSD and so on. In fact, Webmin wouldn't be able to do a fraction of what it does without them, as it is effectively built on top of all those open source servers and languages.
(While this is true, ya gotta admit, Webmin makes all those more cool.)


BB - Is there a monthly secret meeting of all the well known OpenSource figures where you all play poker and smoke cigars, working out the future of OpenSource and Linux at the same time? Does Stallman cheat? Does Linus insist on always eating fish? ( this is a question for all our conspiracy theory friends)

JC - I'm sorry citizen, but that information is not available at your security clearance.
(You won't believe this, but he actually flashed a badge that had Tux dressed in Roman garb while he said that.)

BB - You have been terrific about communicating with users and working with project groups to make things work where Webmin is involved. Does staying close to the userbase make it easier to maintain quality or does it turn into a “too many cooks in the kitchen” ordeal at times?

JC - I'm always happy to get comments or suggestions from Webmin users .. in fact, that's where most of the good ideas for new features come from. Those who use it in the real world often have a better feel for what is needed that a developer (me) hacking on whatever interests him.
(I have some ideas for Webmin too, but they all involved coin slots and flashing red lights and he didn't seem as excited as I was about them.)

BB - Do you have an 'official' team of people helping you with Webmin now or do you still pretty much do the majority of the work?

JC - I do almost all of the core coding, but there is a semi-official team of translators who send in updates for the various languages Webmin supports. And there are many developers who write third-party modules that can be installed separately, rather than being part of the main package.


It's amazing how much time gets eaten up while you're eatin up. Jamie slugged me on the shoulder good-naturedly as he climbed off the stool and straightened himself out.

He had to get back to lumber jack camp before the new bunch of rookie cutters starting practicing on the bunk-houses again.

I waved goodbye as he walked out the door and realized he took my advice and didn't finish up the maple ham. The bears were gonna eat good tonight.

The Cat Who Knew Linux

I thought I would post one of my older little 'dabbles' like this just for fun.
Who knows, someone might even like it.

On a cold rainy day in March or was it April,
 I sat at my PC,  so bored ,that is , until.
I saw a strange cat walking, walking uphill.

He walked to my door and into my house.
I was taken aback, by this house entering louse.
he sat in front of my PC, grabbed hold of the mouse
and began to do things I'd only heard espoused.

This cat entered commands and clicked on all manner of buttons.
He hadn't said yet a word, not even "hi butthead"
This cat was a loon, a freak and just weird.
then he turned round and grabbed me , just from my beard.

Turning my heard toward the screen, he did say,
" you'll want to watch me, if you want to do this someday".
The screen was wild, colors so fulla, "this is beryl" he said " I mean it, no bulla".

"You can make windows wobble and desktop cubes spin,
But only if it's in linux you're in."
"No Windows can match this, not XP or Vista
very easy to do, even by your sista."

He typed a few lines in on the command line,
 and turned and scowled when he heard me whine.
"The C/L is your friend, It makes a lot easier
If you'd only try a little and try not to be lazier."

Then he entered startx and the screen was aglow,
where only  a command line was moments ago.
It's true, it IS beryl, with windows that jiggle.
Look I see raindrops, the snow makes me giggle.

"Thank you" I said, to the cat who must be a dev.
Thanks and please, please call me Kev"

He was up in a flash and back to the door,
that cat who knew Linux hardly touched the floor.

"remember," he said on his way out,
the next time you sit at your PC in gloominess and doubt"

"Linux is more than  an OS,
It can change your whole world,
only imagination limits it."

I watched that cat go
as my monitor gleamed and it glowed,
my Linux desktop with Beryl endowed.

He was gone in a flash and nowhere to be seen,
but he left a wet spot on the floor, in  front of my screen.