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Lisp open_source software development
LISTOF QUESTIONS 1. What is the role of technology for the Least Developed Countries? .....................................................................................15 2. What is the digital divide? ........................................................16 3. How does access to information relate todevelopment?Anexample.........................................................20 4. What are the major challenges for organizations LDC's implementing ICT4D?...................................................................23 5. What is the role of the donor community in promoting ICT4D? ....26 6. What is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)?.....................28 7. Advantages and disadvantages of FOSS ...................................33 8. Is donated software also free software? .....................................37 9. What softwares are well-known free and open softwares – desktop? .....................................................39 10. What softwares are well-known free andopensoftwares–server?..........................................................43 11. Who are the main stakeholders in the FOSS arena? ................45 12. What licenses are used for FOSS? ..........................................48 9 List of Questions 13. What is the essence of the GPL? .............................................52 14. What is Open Content? ...........................................................53 15. What are the characteristics of Open Content licenses? ...........55 16. Is FOSS only for LDC's? ........................................................59 17. How can initiatives in FOSS be qualified? ..............................60 18. What are the key examples at a Macro level? ..........................62 19. What are the key examples at Meso level? .............................65 20. What are the key examples at Micro level? ............................67 21. What lessons can be learned from the examples? ....................70 22. What are the major hindrances for the introduction of FOSS in LDC's? ......................................................................71 23. What does it take to start with FOSS? .....................................74 24. Considering migrating to FOSS? .............................................76 25. Is there hope for FOSS in LDC's? ..........................................78 26. What are the challenges for governments in LDC's?................79 27. What are the challenges for the donor community? ................82 28. What are the challenges for education? ..................................83 29. What can the software industry do?.........................................85 30. What is the research agenda for FOSS4D? ..............................86 Literature and selected readings.....................................................91 About the authors...........................................................................97 Notes .............................................................................................99 List of Keywords.........................................................................103 10 INTRODUCTION In 1991 Linus Torvalds used a new paradigm in software development that is now maturing and has the potential to change the world. Torvalds developed an operating systems called Linux. Initially he was interested in developing a small version of the UNIX operating systems. In order to improve the software he decided to share the code with the software community outside the University of Helsinki in Finland. The software community based approach in the development of Linux gave the real boost to the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS1) philosophy, since it was proved that it was able to produce software that was able to compete with commercially produced softwares (www.linux.org). The launch of the first Linux distribution (a combination of the operating systems and supporting applications) by Torvalds in 1994 has lead to an explosion new Linux based Open Source operating systems and application software to run on the Linux platform. At the moment of writing www.linux.org lists 220 different (maintained) Linux distributions.2 The FOSS philosophy challenges the general accepted software development paradigms that are used by companies of today (Raymond, 1998). Traditional software development paradigms are based on the idea that software has to be fully 11 Introduction developed and tested before it is sold in the market. When the software is put in the market, users can not change the source code, and mistakes have to fixed by the software company. This way of working makes the development of new software a labor intensive and long process. With the development of Open Source Software, a different route is taken. The basic functionality is programmed by the initiator(s) and then made available for others to test, use and/or modify. Mistakes in the software are not considered problematic, but are accepted. Since the source code is distributed, every software engineer can change or extend the original product. So, where propriety software is developed in-house and then released, FOSS is under constant development because anyone in the world can change the code.3 An important aspect in pro-FOSS discussions is the price. Not all FOSS is distributed free of charge, and some come with a price tag, but in most cases it is cheaper to acquire than proprietary software. The real price difference emerges from the fact that there not a license fee structure. Where for proprietary software all the users need to pay a fee, in the FOSS approach someone buys the software, and becomes the owner and can start to freely redistribute it to other users. Especially in larger organizations this can make a huge difference. Although a lot has been written about the importance of FOSS, its advantages and challenges, most is published in the context of the developed countries: Europe and the North America. Growing attention is noticed for the strong developing economies in Latin America, like Brazil, the Indian Subcontinent, India, and there is a strong promotion by the Asian-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP) for the use of FOSS in the countries in South East Asia. On the contrary, surprisingly little has been published 12 Introduction on the use of FOSS on the African continent. Donors have promoted the use of FOSS since huge advantages are expected, projects have been funded, but the actual impact has not been well mapped. This book is about FOSS for Development (FOSS4D). We will focus on the Least Developed Countries (LDC's) and primarily on the African context. Most of the LDC's are in Africa. Both authors have worked in this context and initiated and managed FOSS4D projects in several parts of Africa. It is on these experiences that we will build and expand. We are both convinced that FOSS can make a huge difference for the lives of the people and can greatly expand their access to information. FOSS will take away the financial and legal barriers that limit the use of software in schools, universities, civil society and at government levels. The book will guide the reader to a better understanding of the role of FOSS for the development of the LDC's through a range of questions. The questions are related but provide answers in themselves. The reader is encouraged to read the questions in sequential order, but for readers that understand the potential of FOSS, the individual answers will help to make their position stronger. The examples that are used in the book are mostly based on the projects that are supported by the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) but they are not limited to the work of this organization. Finally, this book is mainly based on Free and Open Content that has been made available through the internet or otherwise. We have refrained as much as possible from using Paid and Closed Content as a matter of principle. We believe that free and open exchange of knowledge is necessary for the development of LDC's and opening up content to limited groups of people (i.c. those who can afford) should be discouraged.