Open Source Software

• I ordered from Open Source a DVD disk that contains 25 programs that I am free to let others copy from the disk or download and use.
• This is high quality software that is comprable to Microsoft Office, Abobe Photoshop, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Publisher etc.
• It is called open source because the source code that controls the programs are available for everyone to see, use and modify. The community of Computer Scientists worldwide thus works together to create and update these programs, just for the satisfaction of creating great software.
• When I ordered the disks, I made a donation to the Open Source corporation, to encourage this type of effort, but it was not necessary. If you like the software, a donation helps assure this type of software will continue to be available. You can do this at http://www.theopendisc.com/
• You can download from the Internet any of these programs yourself from the Open Source website listed above.

              Anne DeFrance

Categories of software available

• Each of the following headings contains several programs. If you click on the heading, you will see the specific programs available under that category.
• To get more information about a specific program, click on the booklike "more info" icon to the right of the program graphic.
• There is also an icon to install the program on your hard drive, but downloading the program is not available from this web page, since there is really not room on our website to host these programs.
• If you have a fast connection, and wish to download some of these programs yourself, go to http://www.theopendisc.com/.
• You can also order the disk yourself from the same site. I highly recommend you order the disk if you plan to participate in the computer classes that will be offered at the club next season!!   This is the software we will be using. I will help you get it installed on your computer if you do not want to do it yourself. just bring the disk to Kino.

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  More about open source software

  • Established in 2007, the OpenDisc project provides a collection of high quality Open Source Software for Windows on a disc, and is updated at regular intervals throughout the year. There are tens of thousands of OSS programs available for free download, making it difficult to separate the quality and truly useful offerings from those in need of further development. The landscape is made even more complicated by the availability of a vast number of Shareware and Freeware programs that you can also download freely from the net. These, however are not Open Source, because the author does not share the human readable source code for others to examine and build upon.

  • Open Source Software (OSS) is provided with a license that gives the end user the right to use it freely for private or commercial use. You also have the right to inspect and even modify the underlying source code. You can give away or sell the original version you received or one with your modification, though you may be required to in turn pass on the modified source code so that others can benefit from the changes you have made. This last clause protects the developer's work from unfair exploitation by others, while allowing the source code to be released to the community. You are not required to pay royalties to previous developers, but you are still permitted to charge money for the sale of OSS.

  • This disc may have been given to you by a friend; or sold to you for a small fee, and both are permitted. Keep in mind that there are many different licenses, each of which has its own particular set of conditions. If you plan to distribute or modify one of the programs on this disc, please double check the license before you begin so you'll be clear on both your rights and obligations.

  • If you have no interest in source code, you may ask why OSS even matters. One answer is that the release of source allows external observers to inspect the internal functions of the program, which means you can be confident that the program treats your private data with respect.

  • One problem with proprietary software is that it tends to use closed file formats to store your data. Once the parent company stops supporting older versions of a proprietary program, you may therefore have to upgrade to newer versions of that program, at significant expense, in order to retain access to your data. This does not happen with OSS, because when the source code for opening and saving files is available, a third party can easily write an import filter for the next generation of software, ensuring that your data will always be available.

  • Finally, the release of source code has in some cases spawned large communities of volunteer developers who have in turn provided the world with highly useful, and entirely free software such as Linux, OpenOffice.org, and Mozilla. These are then available free of charge to schools or anyone else who may not have a large budget available for software. So, you can see that the freedom of software is important for everyone, not just software developers.