Open source software. Open SoftwareOpen Source

To understand what it means for our organization to use software open/closed source, you need to understand how they differ from each other. This article points out the main differences, but remember that this is a very simplified explanation. Additional information can be obtained from Wikipedia or by reading concrete examples using both types of software.

First of all, open source software means that we can change and develop our program as long as we have the knowledge and skills to do so. In contrast, it is not possible to modify a closed source program yourself since the source code of the program/application is not available. While not all of us are programmers, we can still benefit from working with open source software.

Such software is provided to users free of charge, not only programs, but also operating systems. It is created and developed by users themselves, who post their creations on the Internet. The most popular programs are updated regularly because many people use them. Examples include Mozilla Firefox or Thunderbird. If the program is not updated regularly, it may be that there are not enough necessary technical resources for this - the whole question is how many users the program has. The high frequency of updates is a definite guarantee of the safety of using the program. However, if after installing the update it turns out that the program does not work (for example, in new version operating system is not supported by Skype), there are two ways to solve the problem: try to find help on forums on the Internet or fix the problem yourself, which is relatively difficult.

Closed source software is much more popular than open source software. First of all, due to ease of use, and also because we are simply accustomed to it - as a rule, we use Windows OS at school, at work and at home. In the case of programs and operating systems based on closed source code, we are dealing with a finished product that does not require any intervention on our part. It is much more convenient for the average user to work with them. Users of closed source software often emphasize how easy it is to install and use, how convenient it is to have clear help for the program at hand, and the ability to contact technical support if problems arise. Such systems and products are released by companies, and only after several stages of testing. The user simply purchases an entire software package, ready to be installed on the computer. Such software is paid: we purchase a license, and often program updates.

Some software developers support community organizations and offer them software for free or at a discount through their respective non-profit organizations, such as affiliate network TechSoup, whose members are located in different countries. In Russia, the program is implemented by the Greenhouse of Social Technologies (Spiro LLC). By contacting the infoDonor program, you can find out whether your organization can participate in the program. We should also remember that when we choose an operating system, we are also choosing the way we work in our organization. For example, if we choose Linux, we will not be able to use Adobe solutions, and if we choose Windows, we will have to purchase licenses based on the number of computers. Each case has its pros and cons. We need to carefully consider what exactly our organization needs, what are the criteria for the effective use of equipment, and make a decision after a thorough analysis.

Of course, open or closed source software doesn't just mean Microsoft, Mac, or Linux. The issue of licensing comes up in connection with any type of software used in an organization. The main rule is to carefully read all licenses and service agreements. There are many examples where organizations have encountered serious problems with software that was rendered virtually useless due to licensing conditions, or where even the smallest changes to a site were very costly.

In the 1990s, free software was considered exotic in the corporate environment, and the only significant competitor to the proprietary giants led by Microsoft for a long time there was a company called Red Hat, but from the second half of the 2000s the situation began to change rapidly. Open source software has become mainstream for many large companies, and dozens of reliable open source software vendors have emerged that have achieved proper high level expertise and experience to serve large and demanding corporate clients.

As of 2014, there are many players who are successfully competing with commercial software providers in a number of areas. In addition to Red Hat, these are open software-oriented organizations such as Google, Apache Software, Novell, SUSE, Acquia, etc. More and more OpenSource analogues of existing proprietary solutions are appearing on the market. Open source communities are becoming stronger and improving the quality and functionality of products.

As a rule, the development itself is offered free of charge, and it is commercialized through support and customization. This creates additional competition and, as a result, promotes the development of open software products.

In almost all industries and areas of activity, it is possible to use software based on open source code. Almost every proprietary software has a working open source counterpart:

• Cisco VPN – OpenVPN,
• Oracle Database – PostgreSQL,
• Microsoft Hyper-V – OpenVZ,
• MS Active Directory - Samba,
• Avaya IP Office – Asterisk, etc.)

Based on specific business objectives, you can compare the cost and time frame for implementing a solution based on proprietary software and OpenSource.

Open source software in countries around the world

USA

In March 2016, the US Presidential Administration presented a preliminary version of the bill on use by government departments. Market participants supported the initiative.

According to a document released by the White House, American government agencies can share the source code for certain projects with each other in order to increase their efficiency and eliminate the need to develop the product from scratch. Read more about this.

India

In October 2011, it was reported that the Punjab government had decided to purchase software from Microsoft, reversing a 2008 decision to install free software on 46,000 computers in 4,956 schools. "We have decided to reconsider the previous decision," said Baldeo Purushartha, the state's school education minister.

The Punjab government launched an IT program for students of classes 6 to 12 in 2004-2005. Punjab State Department of ICT Education is implementing a project under which all primary schools Computer classes with the necessary equipment, software and broadband Internet connection are organized. At the same time, the Bharat Operating System Solutions (BOSS), tested and certified by the Linux Foundation for use in schools, received wide support at the government level due to its affordability.

According to the Punjab State President, as of 2008, the minimum cost for upgrading Microsoft-licensed software - covering 16,578 computers at Rs 1,375 per computer - was Rs 23 million over five years. For this reason, in September 2008, the Government of Punjab decided to purchase and install BOSS in all government primary schools and stated that from 2011, all primary school students will be trained in the use of BOSS. Work was completed in April 2011, including the training of 6,600 teachers.

But on August 8, 2011, after a comprehensive review of the results of the project, the head of the Punjab state school education department announced that `the school education department will return to using Microsoft software... for teaching children in the primary classes of government schools.' The cost of updating the licenses will be around Rs 7 million, of which Rs 3.77 million has already been allocated by the government.

Moreover, around 90,000 computers will be installed in government schools connected to the EDUASAT network through which students will be able to watch live broadcasts of various lectures. According to preliminary calculations, the initial price of the Microsoft software and license will be 30 million rupees. This amount does not include the price of equipment, etc.

Earlier, in February 2011, it was decided to use BOSS to work in the EDUASAT network. But now, according to Purushart: `In order to make full use of the installed computers on which students will learn Microsoft software, we want to use Microsoft in EDUASAT too.'

Note that Punjab was the first state to actively implement Linux in schools. Currently, BOSS is still used in the Indian states of Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

Germany

According to a recent study by the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), Germany ranks fourth in the world in terms of open source software penetration in the public sector. In 2001, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and with it all embassies and consulates) switched to Linux. The consulting company McKinsey has confirmed several times that the foreign policy department saves significantly by using Linux, OpenOffice and Thunderbird instead of the Microsoft suite of Windows, Office and Outlook. It was even said that diplomats spend less on IT than employees of any other government agency.

But the trick is that shareware software is sometimes more expensive to operate than unconditionally paid software. Dinosaurs like Microsoft can provide better and cheaper support than small Linux support companies. And sometimes it is more profitable to buy a license. Therefore, for example, the same German foreign policy department is returning to Microsoft software this year. Officials valued the permanent problems with technical support in terms of money, as well as the difficulty in mastering open software (many employees complained about this) and spoke in the spirit that the stingy pays twice.

Russia

Decisions of the government and the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, domestic open source software was introduced in all schools in 2008 Russian Federation and will be installed in all government and budget organizations to ensure national security in the IT field.

Project "Penguin" - implementation of Open Source Software

Project "Penguin" is a project for the introduction of Linux Technologies and Open Source Software into schools and universities in Russia in 2009-2010. funded by FAO - Federal Education Agency of the Russian Federation. According to the contract for Project Penguin, three stages must be completed:

1. Finalization of textbooks and methodological support
2. Development of technical support and Internet portals
3. Training 60 thousand teachers in Linux technologies and Open Source

1. The development of basic Textbooks in computer science for universities and schools based on Open Software in accordance with state standards and the requirements of the Unified State Exam in computer science and ICT was completed in 2008-09. 2. Development of Internet support with basic computer science textbooks and basic Open Source software packages for Windows and Linux was carried out in 2005-2009. 3. Trial courses for computer science teachers and school teachers on Linux Technologies and Open Source Software were conducted and tested in 2005-2007. together with the Moscow pedagogical universities Moscow State Pedagogical University and Moscow State Pedagogical University with the support of UNESCO, IBM Corporation and Linux Center.

• • Higher Attestation Commission, prof., doctor of computer sciences 16:32, October 15, 2009 (UTC)

Open source software - opinion of the President of the Russian Federation

At this meeting D.A.Medvedev said:

"...If we sit down now completely on the needle of foreign software and “mortgage” for many years, then we will not get off it. And we will develop contrary to global trends. At the same time, it is also impossible to announce that tomorrow we will transfer all computers in schools (and potentially a much more serious network of computers) to open source programs with a free license, because there are connection problems, there are technological problems. That is, there is no complete readiness here either. What to do?

We offer take a compromise path, and this path has now begun to be realized. For three years, purchase a license package of basic programs (this refers primarily to operating systems, archivers, offices, editors, photoshops - in general, everything that is usually used by users, including in schools), but at the same time it’s time not to stop, but to work on a domestic software package with open access (and now we’ll talk about this in more detail), so that later, ultimately in three years (if it happens earlier, even better),

Create such an optimal model, in which schools and potentially all government agencies will be able to choose what they want: or continue to use commercial products at their own expense, and not at the expense of federal funds, or switch to an already absolutely adapted system acceptable to them, based on open access, open source..."

December 2010: Putin ordered the transfer of power to Linux

The history of the document on the transition of government authorities to free software has been going on since 2007, when the Ministry of Information and Communications began to develop the “Concept for the development of the development and use of free software in the Russian Federation,” which was published in the spring of 2008. However, the resignation of Minister Leonid Reiman and the appointment of Igor Shchegolev's appointment to his position entailed a revision of the concept.

Despite this, in the spring of 2008, a few days before the transfer of power to Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, while still President of Russia, mentioned the plan for migration to open source software for federal institutions in the list of his instructions to the government, thus setting this task to himself.

Open Source Packages for Schools

Open Source Packages for schools are designed for installation of programs in schools and home computers with operating Windows systems and Linux. The Linux Live-CD is designed to work with Open Source software on home computers with Windows without installing Linux on the computer.

Decisions of the Government of the Russian Federation domestic open source software in 2008 and 2009 was sent to all schools in the Russian Federation and will be installed in all government and budget organizations to ensure national security in the IT field.

Open Linux operating system

Open office software package

Open office suite can be freely installed and used not only on personal computers with Linux OS, but also on computers with Windows OS. At the same time, documents and files prepared in the MS Office office suite can be read and processed in the Open Office suite.

Composition of the Open office suite Open Office:

1. OpenOffice.org Writer- Text editor Writer with rich capabilities for creating letters, books, reports, newsletters, brochures and other documents, compatible with MS Office.
2. OpenOffice.org Calc- Calc spreadsheets have the advanced analysis, charting and decision-making capabilities expected of a high-quality spreadsheet, compatible with MS Office.
3. OpenOffice.org Impress- Impress presentation editor provides all common media presentation tools such as special effects, animation and drawing tools. Compatible with the Microsoft PowerPoint file format, and can also save your work in numerous graphic formats, including Macromedia Flash (SWF).
4. OpenOffice.org Base- Base database provides tools for working with databases within a simple interface. It can create and edit forms, reports, queries, tables, views and relationships so that managing the associated database is almost the same as other popular database applications. Base includes HSQLDB as its default relational database engine. It can also use dBASE, Microsoft Access, MySQL or Oracle, or any ODBC or JDBC compatible database.
5. Open Office Draw Draw is a vector graphics editor that lets you create everything from simple diagrams or flowcharts to 3D artwork. Draw can import graphics from many common formats and save them in more than 20 formats, including PNG, HTML, PDF and Flash.
6. Gimp- raster graphics editor Gimp, a program for creating and processing raster graphics. Vector graphics are partially supported.

Open text editor Writer

OpenOffice.org Writer - word processor And visual editor hypertexts, is part of OpenOffice.org and is free software (released under the LGPL license).

Writer is similar to Microsoft Word and the functionality of these editors is approximately equal. Provides the user with modern tools for typing, editing and formatting documents.

Along with the familiar interface and functionality:

* create and design text paragraphs and pages, * add sections and footers, * insert images and multimedia objects, * preview and document printing, * recording changes and reviewing texts, * automatic design of tables of contents, indexes and footnotes, * adding macros and controls, * working with tables, * spell checking and much more,

The concept of applying styles is a great solution that makes it easier to create and format documents. Working with styles is supported in all components of the office suite, but it is in OpenOffice.org Writer that it is most fully implemented.

Five groups of styles: paragraphs, characters, pages, frames and lists provide the user with many options for easily formatting documents. A special “Styles and Formatting” panel allows you to manage styles, changing existing ones and creating new ones. And the more complex the document, the more often it has to be changed, the more obvious the advantage of styling becomes.

Another tool, Navigator, provides the ability to quickly navigate through a document by selecting headings, footnotes, sidebars, or other objects as reference points.

As with other components, Writer has a large number of add-ons (extensions) that improve the basic functionality of the component or provide additional features, such as checking grammar or publishing on MediaWiki.

Writer supports a large number of formats for importing and exporting files, including saving to PDF and importing docx. And sending a file via email carried out at the touch of a button.

Open Calc Spreadsheets

start: OpenOffice.org Calc is an application for working with spreadsheets. With its help, you can analyze the input data, do calculations, make forecasts, summarize data from different sheets and tables, build charts and graphs.

Calc is a current and popular OpenOffice.org component for working with spreadsheets in the business environment. A favorite tool for accountants and managers for creating reports.

Step-by-step input of formulas into spreadsheet cells using the Wizard facilitates the formation of complex and nested formulas, demonstrates descriptions of each parameter and the final result at any input stage.

Conditional formatting and cell styles help you organize your data, while pivot tables and graphs show you the results of your work.

More than two dozen file import and export formats, including text import functions, allow you to operate with almost any data. You can also use a special tool to import data from other sources, such as databases, and you can create an updated range so that the imported data is always up to date.

Links between different spreadsheets and joint editing of data are supported (starting with OpenOffice.org version 3.0).

Various settings are available for printing finished sheets on a printer: scale, margins, footers. And the built-in spell check, like in a text editor, will improve the quality of the finished report.

Open vector graphics editor Draw

OpenOffice.org Draw- a vector graphics editor, comparable in functionality to CorelDRAW, part of OpenOffice.org.

Vector graphic editor Draw is a drawing tool that uses vector graphics. It contains a number of services that allow you to quickly create all types of drawings. Vector graphics allow you to save and display images as vectors (two dots and a line) rather than as a series of pixels (dots on the screen). Vector graphics make it easy to save and resize images.

graphic editor Draw ideally integrated into the OpenOffice.org system, which makes it very easy to exchange drawings between any modules of the system. For example, if you create a drawing in Draw, you can easily use it in a Writer document by copying and pasting. You can also work with graphics directly in the Writer and Impress modules, using a subset of the functions and tools from Draw.

The package includes fully functional "connectors" between shapes that can use a variety of line styles and allow you to draw drawings such as flowcharts.

The need for a vector editor as part of an office suite is beyond doubt. The scope of application of such an editor is quite wide: from the simplest drawings and advertisements to diagrams, diagrams and drawings.

In addition to your own objects, you can insert diagrams, formulas, and other elements created in other OpenOffice.org components into your drawings. Draw also supports exporting raster images in most formats, both common and specialized.

Draw has it all necessary tools, inherent vector editors:

* Connecting lines, dimension lines, tables. * Working with text and text effects; * Change color fill, shadow, transparency; * Placing, linking and managing objects using slides, layers and guides; * Various operations on objects are supported: addition, subtraction, grouping and transformation of shapes; * Drawing three-dimensional objects; * Drawing using graphic primitives, Bezier curves; * Effects: lighting, morphing and duplication;

In addition to your own objects, you can insert diagrams, formulas, and other elements created in other OpenOffice.org components into your drawings. Draw also supports exporting raster images in most formats, both common and specialized.

Using the Gallery (object storage) allows you to organize existing images, and support for text styles saves time when creating objects of the same type.

The finished drawing or drawing can be printed on a printer or exported to raster image or, for example, in PDF.

The maximum size of a drawing in Draw is 300x300 cm.

Starting with version 3.0 of OpenOffice.org, Draw supports not only export, but also PDF import (installation of a special OpenOffice.org extension is required).

Open relational database Base

Base - open relational base data, allowing you to create, edit and process tabular data.

Users are provided with a fairly large set of tools for processing data and tables: editors of forms, queries, reports, database tables. With their help, you can analyze input data, do calculations, make forecasts, summarize data from different sheets and tables, build charts and graphs.

The query editor allows you to create almost the entire range of SQL queries to databases for selecting, changing, and adding data. Nested queries and queries with parameters are supported. The visual part of the editor will simplify the process of constructing queries for a novice user.

The form editor allows you to use almost any standard database content management tool. It provides controls for text, numeric, binary fields, lists, drop-down lists, tables, buttons, calendar and other elements.

a tool for working with external data sources plus a built-in HSQLDB DBMS. Using Base, you can add, delete, edit database records: MySQL, HSQLDB (usually bundled with OpenOffice.org), PostgreSQL, DB2, Oracle.

It is also possible to work with DBF tables, MS Access, address books, text files, as well as spreadsheets created in OpenOffice.org Calc or MS Excel.

External data sources are accessed using ODBC, JDBC, SDBC and other technologies. The full list of supported technologies and data sources depends on the operating system used.

More complex management and data processing is performed using macros and the OOBasic programming language.

The table editor will help you create and manage tables in the embedded HSQLDB database, as well as with some possible limitations for other databases.

Base has a built-in report wizard with basic functions for creating reports or tables or queries. But there is a better reporting tool - Sun Report Builder. This tool allows you to create reports of almost any complexity. It supports grouping, built-in custom functions, conditional formatting. The result of SRB's work is a Writer or Calc document, which can later be printed or edited.

With Base you can create data sources. For example, by organizing a connection to an external database in Base and filtering the necessary data using an SQL query, you can work with this data in OOo Calc.

Open programming systems

1. FreePascal 2.0.4 - Free Pascal and Object Pascal Compiler - Lazarus or KDevelop is recommended as an IDE.
2. Eclipse- Open complex open systems programming for developing modular cross-platform applications.
3. Gambas- free programming system 2)VISUAL BASIC IDE for creating programs based on Qt, GTK, OpenGL, SDL and CGI WEB

Minimum Open Source Package for Schools

Includes Open Source programs

1. graphical environment XFCE;
2. fast text editor Abiword;
3. Gnumeric spreadsheet editor.

Minimum Open Source software package:

1. Office package: OpenOffice.org 2.3;
2. Web browser: Firefox 2.0;
3. Image Editor: Gimp 2.4;

Additional disk Contains programs for schools and other educational institutions:

1. Web page editor Bluefish;
2. Programming languages pascal (Free Pascal and Lazarus), basic (gambas), logo (KTurtle);
3. Mathematical calculation systems (Maxima and Scilab);
4. Antivirus ClamAV and Squid caching server, PostgreSQL DBMS

Optimized for installation and operation on computers from 128 to 256 MB of memory and a processor from PI 233 MHz.

Linux LiveCD

Linux CD Live-CD is designed to work with Open Source software on home computers with Windows without Linux installations on a computer.

CD L Inux Live CD optimized to work with a CD for installing Linux on a computer with 128 to 256 MB of memory and a PI 233 MHz processor. Sessions are supported, allowing you to save settings and documents in your home folder between reboots.

The option with the lowest hardware requirements provides acceptable performance even on systems with 128 MB of memory.

Includes the XFCE graphical environment; This distribution includes the lightweight and fast text editor Abiword and the spreadsheet editing program Gnumeric.

In addition, the first disc contains:

1. Office package: OpenOffice.org 2.3;
2. Web browser: Firefox 2.0;
3. Email: Claws Mail;
4. Working with images: Gimp 2.4;
5. and more than 1000 programs that allow you to solve a wide range of problems.

School server

School Server- server room operating system with wide functionality, fully customizable via a web interface through which components are managed.

Compound:

1. web applications to help organize the educational process:
2. Moodle - a system of distance and interactive learning, contains examples of courses;
3. Mediawiki - a system for organizing a “knowledge base” using Wiki technology;

for organizing a local network:

1. DHCP and DNS servers;
2. Squid proxy server (with support for displaying access statistics);
3. firewall;
4. network interface management;
5. exact time server;
6. file servers:
7. Samba server (for organizing access to directories accessible via the Samba protocol);
8. FTP server;
9. interface for creating local mirrors of repositories;
10. CUPS print server;
11. MySQL (for Moodle and Mediawiki);
12. Apache2 web server;
13. interface for system updates (including setting up updates);
14. backup;
15. account management (the ability to import accounts from the 1C:Chronograph system);
16. mail server with support for anti-virus and anti-spam tools.

• • Higher Attestation Commission, prof., doctor of computer sciences 04:29, July 19, 2009 (UTC)

Open source software in Russia

Currently, open source software is beginning to become widespread in the Russian education system, one of the reasons for which is the widespread illegal distribution of commercial closed import software.

By government decisions, domestic open source software was introduced in all schools of the Russian Federation in 2008 and will be installed in all government and budget organizations to ensure national security in the IT field.

Open source software can be freely installed and used in all schools, offices, universities and on all personal computers and in all government, budgetary and commercial organizations and institutions in Russia and the CIS countries in accordance with the General Public License (GPL).

• • Higher Attestation Commission, prof., doctor of computer sciences 09:50, July 16, 2009 (UTC)

Open source software in schools and universities

Using Open Source Software and Linux Technologies in Moscow schools and universities began in 2005-2006. after holding school-seminars “Linux Technologies and Open Source Software” together with IBM Corporation and UNESCO on the basis of Moscow State Pedagogical University.

In 2007 By decisions of the Government of the Russian Federation, basic open source software packages were recommended for implementation in all schools in Russia and use for teaching computer science and information technology in all computer science classrooms in all schools in the Russian Federation.

Background of the basic packages computer science programs, their development, implementation and distribution to schools in Russia and the CIS countries began in the late 90s, when basic software packages were developed for domestic personal computers BC, Corvette and UKNC and were distributed as Open and Free Software for schools.

All secondary schools in Russia in 2008-2009 received basic packages of licensed commercial and free open source software for training computer literacy, basics of computer science and new information technologies with Windows and Linux operating systems.

In four regions of Russia in 2008-2009 Work has been launched to introduce and use basic software packages for computer science and computer science classrooms in secondary schools, and training has begun for teachers and computer science instructors in the technology of working with open source software in Windows and Linux environments.

According to Doctrine of Information Security of the Russian Federation, training in computer literacy and informatics should be accompanied by legal education in training in the protection of information in computers, protection from computer viruses, porn sites and ensuring information security in local and global computer networks based on free open source software.

In 2007, the first computer science textbooks were released for universities and schools to teach computer science in accordance with state education standards with free open commercial proprietary software in Windows and Linux.

• • Higher Attestation Commission, prof., doctor of computer sciences 09:51, July 16, 2009 (UTC)

Definition of Open Source

Definition of Open Source) is used by the Open Source Initiative to determine the extent to which a software license complies with Open Software (Open Source) standards. Based on the Debian Free Software Directives, mostly written by Bruce Perens.

The definition consists of ten license requirements to Open Software:

1. Free distribution. This means that the license should not impose restrictions on the sale and distribution of the software.
2. Available source texts. Even if the software does not come with source code, the source code should be easily accessible.
3. Possibility of modification. The mere ability to read the source code does not allow experimenting with them and releasing modifications
4. Even if the author's source code is inviolable, derivative programs and their source codes should be freely distributed.
5. No discrimination against people or groups of people. Some countries, such as the USA, have some restrictions on software exports.
6. No discrimination based on purpose of use. A free license should allow all types of activities, including genetic and nuclear research, commercial applications, etc.
7. License distribution. The rights associated with Open Source Software should apply to all users of the program without entering into additional agreements, such as non-disclosure agreements.
8. The license must not restrict other software products. With the exception of banal incompatibility, the user has the right to choose what to use.
9. The license must be technology neutral. That is, the license must not require anything from the interface or technology used in the derivative program.
10. The license should not be tied to a specific product. Rights to software code should not depend on whether the program is part of a product. A person who distributes a program separately from the collection or transfers part of the code to another product has the same rights as the collection gave.

Most likely, you have Windows installed on your computer. This operating system may seem free, but it is not. Manufacturers must pay Microsoft a license to supply Windows computers, and you need to buy a copy if you want to install Windows yourself.

There are many operating systems that are actually free. Most of them are quite famous. The most popular is Linux, and if you regularly read news about computer technologies, this name is unlikely to be unfamiliar to you. Keep reading this article and by the time you get to the end of this list, Linux will seem completely ordinary. Here are ten other free operating systems that most of us have never heard of.

1. FreeBSD

If you are using a free operating system that is not Linux, then it is probably based on BSD. FreeBSD is just one of several UNIX-like operating systems. Others include NetBSD, OpenBSD and PC-BSD. Whichever you use, most of the experience is similar to what you'll find on Linux. Free and open source software that is available to one person can usually run on another.

Even if you're not a free software person, you may be using parts of FreeBSD without realizing it. Due to the project's permissive license, some of the code made its way into Apple macOS. Sony PlayStation 4 and Juniper routers.

2. ReactOS

Most free operating systems are alternatives to Windows. ReactOS, in a sense, strives to be Windows. The goal is to provide users with the means to run Windows software without having to purchase the operating system from Microsoft.

ReactOS is a free and open source operating system, so it cannot use any real Windows code. The project has partially implemented many of the Windows APIs, and it collaborates with the Wine project to run programs, applications, and software.

3.FreeDOS

Have you used computers when DOS was the only option? Do you have good memories of MS-DOS?

FreeDOS allows you to relive this bygone era. OS barebones gives you a means to run older DOS programs on more modern hardware or inside a virtual machine. Or you can just use it to run older games.

4. Haiku (Haiku or Hokku)

Haiku takes inspiration from BeOS. BeOS was a graphical operating system developed by Be Inc to run on the BeBox back in 1995. The operating system was stuck for five years before the last update came out in 2000.

BeOS may not have been a household name, but it attracted some users, and some wanted the operating system to live long enough to create their own open source version. The goal is for software written for BeOS to run on Haiku, similar to what ReactOS wants to do on Windows. All things considered, the haiku team may have an easier time of it.

5. Illumos

Oracle is used to support an operating system called Solaris. It was initially closed, but the project was opened in 2008. Oracle discontinued OpenSolaris in 2010 and returned to its own model with Solaris 11 in 2011.

6. Syllable

Syllable is based on AtheOS, an AmigaOS clone that was abandoned at the turn of the century. As for AmigaOS, it is still alive despite being born in the 80s for a line of computers long considered ancient.

Syllable is intended for home office users with user-friendly interface and native applications, including a Webkit-based web browser and mail client. The thing is, it can only do this on a computer with 32MB of RAM (although at least 64MB is recommended for viewing). The complete installation should take approximately 250 MB of hard drive space.

7. Research operating system AROS

Although Syllable is based on an AmigaOS clone, AROS takes a different approach. It actually puts its binary compatibility with AmigaOS at the API level. This is similar to how ReactOS targets Windows and Haiku targets BeOS.

You might be wondering if AmigaOS is worth all the attention. Did I mention that AmigaOS is still here? It's not free either. Someone out there is still willing to pay for an operating system that most people have never heard of. AROS offers a way to use some AmigaOS programs without having to pay money. Plus, it's open source, which can leave you feeling secure.

8.MenuetOS

That's what MenuetOS is - it's small enough to fit on a single floppy disk. These were flash drives from the 90s and only offered up to 1.44MB of storage. Considering that many Linux distributions struggle with the 700MB CD, booting from a floppy is difficult these days.

MenuetOS is written entirely in 32-bit assembly language and is designed to run with minimal overhead, although it supports up to 32GB of RAM.

9. DexOS

Do all desktop operating systems feel the same? Here's one that takes a different approach. Bringing DexOS to life will feel less like using a computer in keyboard class and more like playing on a mainstream gaming console.

Launching apps in DexOS feels vaguely like inserting a disc into an old Dreamcast. The experience feels more authentic if you actually play the game. And another cool thing? This free OS is also small enough to fit on a floppy disk.

10. Visopsys

Like DexOS, Visopsys is a hobby project of one developer. Install it if you want to see what just one person can create.

The Visual Operating System (admittedly, this name can be applied to any OS with a desktop environment) has been in development since 1997. It is not based on any pre-existing OS. This does not mean that the project does not already use existing code. Here you will find common GNU tools and icons that may be familiar to KDE Plasma users.

Will you use any of these free operating systems?

Most of them are not. Haiku developers do not work full time. Developer Visopsys is clearly saying that their OS is not as capable as Linux or, perhaps a fairer comparison, Syllable. DexOS is more of an experiment than anything else.

However, there are many people who prefer FreeBSD over Linux. illumos may not be well known, even among FOSS enthusiasts, but it has its uses. And didn't I mention using FreeDOS to play all the old DOS games?

Are there systems on this list that you would like to use? Do you know of another unknown free operating system that is not on this list? Let us know about it in the comments!

Open Source is an open source program. Such programs are notable for the fact that any user can view the source code of the program, study it and, in the future, change it, thereby finalizing the program. And when the license allows, then create a new program using this code.

For example, Linux operating systems are released as open source. An analogue of the familiar Microsoft Office in an open format is OpenOffice. The well-known Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are also such open software.

The history of open source programs.

The concept of Open Source was introduced into terminology by Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens in 1998. They became the founders of an organization called the Open Source Initiative, whose activities were dedicated to promoting open source software. And although this term is by no means a trademark of the company, there is a rule: for those who want to have the organization’s logo and the term itself on their software, OSI approval is required.

What software can be open source?

In order for software to have the right to be called open, only open code is not enough. In addition, such software should be provided completely free of charge, and even when trying to change the code, the user should not pay extra for anything. In addition, there is the right of free and unregulated distribution of such a program.

Such software is not limited in terms of use and can be used in any field (business, science, education, etc.). The Open Source license is also free and in no way restricts the use of the program with compatible licensed software.

Operating systems based on Open Source.

Open source operating systems can be divided into two groups:

• Unix-like OS is an OS formed under the influence of Unix.
• And non-Unix-like ones.

The most popular and widespread OS that falls under the first criterion is Linux. Its core is developed and created in accordance with the free and open source software development model. Due to this, common name Linux does not imply that there is one "official" build.

Virtual website hosting for popular CMS:

Linux OS is distributed freely in the form of a variety of ready-to-use distributions that have a set of application programs, which are customized to the specific needs of the user. This is an excellent free alternative to licensed Windows.

ReactOS is an international project to develop a free and open source operating system. ReactOS is fully compatible with Windows drivers and applications, although it is not a clone. The project started in 1996, but was suspended until 1998 due to a number of discussions. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funding, the project has not yet been completed.

Here is a partial list of free and open source operating systems according to Wikipedia:

Open Source based software.

The most common and popular Open Source software is an analogue of MS Office - the OpenOffice software package. The software is supported on Microsoft Windows and Linux platforms. A program was developed using the Star Office code.

This package can be installed and used both on home PCs and in organizations: schools, offices, universities, government, budget and commercial, according to the license.

OpenOffice Calc interface - Excel replacement.

Open source content management system for a website, blog, community.

A content management system (CMS) is an information system (software) that is used to create the entire process of organizing and providing, as well as editing and subsequent management of resource content.

CMS performs the following functions:

• provides the necessary tools for working with content;
• manages its content;
• publishes content;
• presents information in a user-friendly form.

The most common and well-known open source website management systems, forums, and communities:

• WordPress;
• Joomla!;
• Drupal;
• PhpBB;
• Opencart;
• Prestashop.

List of content management systems written in PHP:

Advantages of the decision to use the OS and Open Source programs.

The main advantage of using such software is undoubtedly the free distribution and use of such programs.

The second advantage of using it is the ability to modernize these programs.

Another undoubted advantage of Open Source software is the protection of this product from malware. Most virus programs are written specifically for Windows applications, and not for free OS applications. This means that the chance of getting a virus when using a free operating system is low.

Therefore, switching to free software allows you to protect your PC from viruses, as well as reduce the cost of licensed software. This is especially true for enterprises and social facilities.

But these programs also have disadvantages.

Lack of prompt technical support in case of problems. At first glance, this problem is insignificant, but not every user can independently find a solution to a problem on the Internet or communicate on thematic resources in search of a solution.

Differences in the views of programmers finalizing the code can lead to the collapse of even a multi-year project.

Pros and cons of using Open Source CMS.

The question of which CMS is better - open source or closed source - has been asked by both website developers and their clients for many years now. It is not possible to find a definite answer to this question, you just need to identify some leading factors that you need to pay attention to if you decide to choose free CMS open source.

Pros of using Open Source CMS:

• for free;
• contain a huge number of ready-made templates and extensions;
• It’s enough to simply find an answer to any question on the forums;
• It’s easier to find an assistant for a complex project;
• high quality code.

Disadvantages of Open Source engines:

• When using open engines, security problems are more likely to arise. After all, despite the fact that they are developed, and the code is checked a huge number of times, they are still hacked much more often;
• they are slower than proprietary or custom engines;
• when using them, it is likely that the load on the hosting will increase.

In conclusion, I would like to note that despite the existing shortcomings of open source programs, they are increasingly becoming popular among users and should not be neglected when choosing software and a CMS web resource.

Back to basics

Open source software is fundamentally different from all forms of commercial software, although it is often confused with shareware. free programs. When distributed, except executable files, it includes the original instructions written by the programmer. In most cases, both are provided free of charge over the Internet. Moreover, anyone can modify and even distribute these programs themselves.

What kind of programs are these? First of all, the Internet itself runs largely on open source software. DNS (Domain Name System), a system that maps domain names like www.pcmag.com to IP addresses, is an open source project, as is the Internet mail service sendmail. The world's most popular website, Yahoo! relies on an open source OS (FreeBSD) and a similar web server (Apache), using an open source scripting language (Perl) to deliver dynamic content to readers.

The compact, open-source operating system Linux (pronounced linn-ix) has taken over much of the Unix market and is now threatening Windows NT—or at least starting to annoy Microsoft. Last year, several major software companies, including Corel, Oracle and Sybase, announced plans to port their products to Linux. Others, such as Netscape Communications and Sun Microsystems, have gone even further and applied the open source model to their own software (and even hardware) products.

To better understand and appreciate this phenomenon, we decided to take a closer look at it and look at some programs for servers and desktop systems. It turns out that before open source software is ready to take its rightful place on the desktop, there will be some hard work to do. On the other hand, this software (especially Linux) is becoming a serious competitor in the server market, where preference is given not to ease of use, but to power.

Apache rules the web

Since Apache is an open source program that can be freely used in accordance with license agreement BSD (Berkley Software Distribution), programmers get the opportunity to do whatever they want with it. This freedom, along with several other developments, has made Apache ideal for ISPs, who typically have the expertise to take advantage of this flexibility.

Apache allows the webmaster to add their own extensions to the system and compile them directly into the web server. A good example is the Apache module called Mod_perl. Many sites use CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts written in Perl to introduce dynamic content into web pages. Mod_perl complements Apache with a Perl interpreter that speeds up such scripts and allows the webmaster to extend the functionality of the server.

Important links

This relatively young independent organization was created a year ago with the goal of developing the open source software movement. Here you can find the “official” definition of such software and links to important projects.

Described as "news for dummies," Slashdot provides a daily dose of news related to open source software and especially Linux. It is one of the top 100 sites according to PC Magazine.

O'Reilly specializes in books about open source software. The Open Source Center website contains news and links to important projects.

The Open Software Foundation is the organization that runs the GNU Project, which produces many popular open source tools. Its website contains project information, documentation, and source code.

This is where you should go for Linux information. Linux Online is a repository for a wide variety of information about Linux, from project and version information to news articles.

Official source of the Linux kernel. This archive contains a huge library of Linux-related software. Whatever code you're looking for, this is where you should start.

This is the Netscape project home page for the development of the new Communicator. The site contains source code, documentation, and preview versions of the browser.

Official website of the Apache web server project. It contains product documentation, error reporting, project-related information, and source code for download.

This is where you should start searching for any information about the Perl language. Here you will find links to newsgroups, mailing lists, and resources for using Perl.

This project aims to compensate for the lack of customer support services and offers an extensive database of online help documents, including instructions for installing and using Linux and much more.

Historical Milestones of the Open Source Software Movement

1969 Bell Labs employee Ken Thompson writes the first version of the multi-user, multi-tasking Unix operating system. In the seventies, the Unix source code was freely distributed and soon became popular in the university and scientific community.

1971 Richard Stallman, a pioneer of the open source software movement, joins a group of scientists at MIT dedicated exclusively to free software. Later, Stallman, the developer of the first text editor Emacs, became the founder of the GNU Project (from GNU's Not Unix); this leads to the creation of a free operating system based on Linux.

1973 Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) develop the TCP/IP protocol, which becomes the basis of the Internet. Ten years later, the Department of Defense officially calls this Internet network and instructs the use of TCP/IP on all computers connected to it.

1979 AT&T announces plans to commercialize Unix. As a result, the University of California at Berkeley creates its own version of Unix - BSD (Berkeley Software Distributions) Unix. It was adopted by the first commercial suppliers: DEC, Sun, etc. Later, AT&T and Sun entered into an agreement to merge their versions, after which competitors (DEC, HP and IBM) founded the Open Software Foundation.

UC Berkeley student Eric Allman is developing a computer-to-computer messaging program over the ARPANET. Allman later includes his program in sendmail. Today, this open source program is used by over 75% of email servers on the Internet.

Netscape joins the movement

At the time, Netscape's browser market share was shrinking under overwhelming pressure from Microsoft. Therefore, this move was to some extent a marketing technique aimed at recruiting the growing anti-Microsoft movement as allies. However, this was the first time that a major software company had open sourced one of the world's most popular applications for free. From the point of view end users, a new project run by semi-independent company Mozilla.org, promises to bring some significant changes to the Communicator suite.

The Communicator 4.5 looks good on the outside - like a restored old car - but its mechanics are not up to date. The next version of Communicator is built on a fundamentally new HTML engine. This major overhaul brings with it a number of benefits.

Firstly, the new browser should be much faster. In particular, Netscape claims that the new engine processes HTML tables 20 times faster than previous versions. However, having reviewed one of its earlier versions, codenamed Gecko, we did not notice a significant speedup compared to Communicator 4.5, even when loading pages from a local drive.

How to install Linux

A. Collection of information

Linux is capable of automatically recognizing many devices, but does not have sufficient foolproof protection. The installation process may require manual input of information, so you should first gather all of your hardware information (manufacturer and model numbers) and configuration. On Windows 95, 98 or NT the simplest way- print information from the tab Device Manager System Properties dialog (Control Panel | System).

B. Creating a boot diskette

The easiest way to install Linux is to boot directly from the distribution CD, but few newer PCs allow you to boot from a CD-ROM (check the BIOS settings for this). Most users will have to boot it from a floppy disk. Caldera OpenLinux 1.3 and RedHat 5.2 include such floppies, but most distributions require you to create your own boot floppy using a supplied utility like Rawwrite.

C. Hard drive segmentation

Due to the presence of many accompanying applications, the amount of space occupied by Linux on a typical workstation, varies widely: from approximately 100 MB to 500 MB or more. Linux is installed on a separate disk segment. If there is only one segment on the disk that is occupied by Windows, you will need to allocate some space to a separate segment. To do this, first of all create a backup copy existing system and run a disk defragmenter to collect all existing data in one place. To resize an existing segment, you can use a DOS FIPS utility or a program like PartitionMagic 4.0 from PowerQuest or Partition Commander from V Communications.

Major Linux distributions

All distributions are built on the same Linux kernel, which includes all the main OS functions and network protocol stack. In addition, all distributions provide standard tools, such as popular system libraries, a number of applications and utilities, some printed documentation, and limited technical support. Each distribution includes the X Window System and graphical user interface (required by Windows users), a web server, email servers, and an FTP server. The fundamental differences lie in the area of ​​installation, system configuration, support and additional applications.

For example, the installation process can be difficult, and the setup program often refuses to recognize hardware such as network cards. Apart from a few graphical tools, most system and network configuration utilities have impressive command-line interfaces and require some experience. Customer support - at least on the formal side - is limited. Finally, although each distribution includes many applications, not many of them are as advanced or easy to use as, for example, Microsoft Office. However, this system can be mastered by anyone who is willing to spend some time. For beginners, Red Hat is the best option - mainly due to the most advanced installation tools. The Caldera version is more difficult to install, but it includes many of the features that make this distribution attractive to small and medium-sized companies.

Linux distribution components

Download Manager- a utility that is located in the master boot record (MBR) and loaded system BIOS when you turn on the computer. If Linux is added to Windows or another OS, the boot manager allows you to choose which one to run. There are various boot managers, such as V Communications' System Commander, although Linux includes its own LILO boot manager (LInux LOader) which is usually installed by default.

User interface. The Linux kernel comes from Unix, and the default interface of this OS is a command line like command line DOS. There are several graphics add-ons that make Linux look like Windows or Macintosh OS. For example: CDE (Common Desktop Environment), KDE (Kool Desktop Environment) and GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment).

X Window System. It is a graphics subsystem similar to GDI (Graphics Device Interface) from Windows that supports a graphical user interface. One of the most common X servers is Xfree86. During the installation process, you can choose whether to install the X Window System or not.

Caldera OpenLinux 1.3

Like Red Hat, Caldera offers a boot floppy disk for easy installation. Overall, Caldera's installation process isn't quite as graphical or intuitive as Red Hat's, but aside from having to segment our disk using a crude fdisk utility, the installation was a breeze and didn't require much work. user intervention. Caldera includes the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) tool, which makes installation and uninstallation easier - at least by Linux standards. To select the basic parameters of the network client and other functions, the graphical tool LISA (Linux Installation System Administration) is used. In practice, we had to tinker with editing the configuration files manually.

One of the biggest benefits of Caldera is KDE (Kool Desktop Environment), a graphical desktop environment that makes Linux much like Windows. Combined with the included Microsoft Office clone, Star Division's StarOffice 4.0, this creates a complete solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Another advantage is that Caldera Systems offers a range of technical support plans, including telephone and email support.

Caldera OpenLinux 1.3. Price: $59 (2-CD set, Linux kernel 2.0.36, boot floppy, beginner's guide, 30-day technical support). System Requirements: PC with 386 processor or better, 16 MB RAM, 350 MB hard disk space (450 MB if additional applications are used). Caldera Systems Inc., Orem, UT; 888-465-4689, 801-765-4999; fax, 801-765-1313; www.calderasystems.com; ftp.caldera.com/pub

Debian GNU/Linux 2.0

First of all, the Debian version turned out to be the most difficult to install. It does not include a boot floppy disk, but one can be made or booted from a CD-ROM if the system allows. The setup tools include a graphical version of the fdisk utility (for creating the necessary segments on the hard drive), but it is still not easy enough to install. A Wizard-like installation program is suitable only for those who are familiar with their equipment and know how to configure a network. After installation, there will be almost no applications on the system. Programs such as the emacs text editor and web server must be installed separately using the rather complex dselect utility. In Debian GNU/Linux 2.1, the authors promise to introduce a new application installation utility.

Once the installation process is complete, Debian's included X Window interface helps make things a little easier. The most important benefit of this version is the alternative Debian Package Management System module manager, which scans them before installing new applications, checking the existing system configuration for the necessary modules and ensuring that there are no conflicts with existing applications. Debian is distributed by Linux Press along with a 268-page user manual.

Debian GNU/Linux 2.0. Price: $38.95 (three-CD set; Linux kernel 2.0.35; user manual; 30-day email technical support). System Requirements: 386 processor or better, 16 MB RAM (for GUI), a minimum of 100 MB of hard disk space (200 MB recommended). Distributed by Linux Press, Penngrove, CA; 888-770-4330, 707-773-4916; fax, 707-765-1431; www.linuxpress.com; ftp.debian.org

Official Red Hat Linux 5.2

Like Caldera, Red Hat includes a bootable floppy disk. During the installation process, the equipment is checked and assumptions are made about the installation (PC card support has been introduced for laptop users). In addition, Red Hat makes it somewhat easier to select disk segments by offering standard workstation and server configurations with automatic disk partitioning and selection necessary programs. (You can use the castom installation mode to create your own segments.) For manual segmentation, Red Hat offers a graphical tool called Disk Druid, which is much more advanced than the fdisk utility included with other distributions; although you still need to have some understanding of the structure of segments and sectors.

Red Hat includes several tools to make system setup easy. Xconfigurator is a wizard-like alternative to XF86Setup for configuring the X Window system. And Linuxconf simplifies setting up network configurations: PPP, DHCP and DNS clients. (Unfortunately, Linuxconf is still a work in progress and not well documented.) Even better, if the installation uses the Red Hat boot floppy script, it saves the network information and XF86Config information, so you won't have to worry about much of the data. enter manually.

Red Hat is famous for its module manager (RPM), an open source program that is used in many other distributions. RPM allows you to securely install and uninstall applications, avoid conflicts between programs, and even update the kernel without having to reinstall system software or files.

Official Red Hat Linux 5.2. Price: $49.95 (three-CD set, Linux kernel 2.0.36, boot floppy, installation guide, 90-day technical support. System requirements: 386 processor or better, 16 MB RAM, minimum 120 MB free space on disk (450 MB for workstation, 1.6 GB for server). Red Hat Software Inc., Durham, NC; 800-454-5502, 919-547-0012; fax, 919-941-5569; www.redhat.com; ftp.redhat.com/pub

Linux Slackware 3.6

The Slackware distribution is not as easy to use as Caldera or Red Hat. But it also has a number of advantages. When, during the installation process, we forgot to save some system configuration parameters in the config script, Slackware automatically sent an email to the main user about what happened and how to fix it. Additionally, it contains a good collection of powerful configuration scripts that perform actions that would require multiple commands on other distributions.

One of the main advantages of Slackware is that this distribution contains completely installed version Linux with X Window on CD-ROM, so you can try Linux without installing anything at all hard drive. Slackware includes a convenient RPM module management tool and the FVWM95 window manager. Slackware is distributed by Walnut Creek CDROM, but at the time of finishing this article, Volkerding has opened an official Slackware website.

Linux Slackware 3.6. Price: $39.95 (four-CD set, Linux kernel 2.0.36, installation guide, technical support). System Requirements: 386 processor or better, 8 MB RAM, 200 MB free disk space (for complete installation 500 MB). Distributed by Walnut Creek CDROM Company, Concord, CA; 800-786-9907, 925-674-0783; www.slackware.com; ftp.cdrom.com/pub/linux/slackware

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