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Hey all -
We need to examine our perspective here a little
bit. Open source does not guarantee Linux, and Linux does not guarantee
open source. The two ideas are not mutually inclusive.
Examples: there is a wonderful graphics
manipulation program you all may have heard of, called the GIMP? How about
StarOffice/OpenOffice? Yes, these applications do run on Linux. They
also have versions available for Microsoft operating systems. They also
have versions for Solaris and BSD. Solaris and BSD are not GNU open
sourced, and we don't get rabid and foam at the mouth when we hear them
mentioned... On the contrary, we consider them allies. Why is Sun our
ally? Granted, they developed Java and gave it to everyone in a
quasi- GNU manner, but they still do not give you access to the Solaris 8 source
code, or their numerous network management suites.
Conversely, maybe you have heard of Adobe, or
Corel? Acrobat reader is available for Linux. Yes, it's free, but it
certainly isn't open source. XPDF sucks in comparison. Open a piece
of sheet music in pdf form and compare between Acrobat reader and
XPDF. You'll see. Corel makes an office suite for Linux that
competes with StarOffice, Koffice, and Gnome's new office project. It's
not open source.
What is my point? Here it comes.
If you want schools to embrace open source, then
you need to get them hooked on great software first. They will switch OS's
when they become satisfied with new open source software packages. Quit
complaining about Microsoft. I don't own stock in them, and I am not a
friend of Bill Gates. I think their manipulation of the industry is
deplorable.
Look at the name of this mailing list. Open
Source Now. Not "Pimp RedHat on Schools," not "M$ $ux," nor any other
derivative. Scour Tucows and Sourceforge for educational open source
software that has ports for Linux and MS. Teachers on this list that have
programming classes, have your students develop software under GNU that you
first develop for MS, then port to Linux. Or vice versa. Once you
undermine MS Office with the Windows port of OpenOffice, your job is 3/4
done.
Think of this project (Open Source migration) much
like trimming a tree. You have a shape you want in your head. You
might even want to change the direction the entire trunk and roots of the tree
grow. You start by trimming leaves and smaller branches, though, rather
than chopping the entire tree down and starting over. Or perhaps you're a
northwest lumberjack in Redmond. You see a great big tree, but it's so big
you can't chop it all down at once. So you sling your way up the tree and
start chopping pieces at a time.
On a very important side note, how do you folks
deal with the Macintosh Gestapo Nazis?
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