Free Software

Software should be free.  If you agree, you’re in company great in both number and spirit. If you’re unfamiliar with free software, and you are if you think the word “free” has anything to do with price, please check the definition of free software as published by the Free Software Foundation.

If you’re seeking a free alternative for non-free software, I recommend you check here. I have collected here many links to free software that I imagine will serve during your education at USF. I use these resources a lot myself. Send me your contributions, and I’ll add them!

Operating systems

  • GNU/Linux: The operating most people typically call simply “Linux” comes in an incredible array of flavors, called “distributions” (“distros” for short). Browse them and try some for yourself. Ubuntu indisputably leads the pack in usage share, but Fedora, Mint, and Arch each have very strong followings. You can also get some rather limited experience using the CentOS machines in our own c4lab at USF Tampa.
  • OpenSolaris/OpenIndiana/Illumos: All historically came from OpenSolaris, originally hosted and developed by Sun (now Oracle). Read the history about them. Solaris and its derivatives include some great innovations, not the least of which is ZFS!
  • The BSD distros, the most popular of which is FreeBSD. These are freely licensed, but not copyleft.

The arts

  • Inkscape: Astounding and feature-rich vector graphics editor, probably one of the leading editors of the international open SVG standard. This serves as a drop-in replacement for editors like Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw, and has many exclusive features. It works well for technical diagrams, too.
  • GIMP and Krita are very capable raster editors.
  • Audacity and Ardour: DAWs for pros.

Development

Office applications

  • OpenOffice.org (or better, LibreOffice) offer full native support for the internationally standardized Open Document format (ODF), while maintaining a greatly respectable compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. LibreOffice also supports PDF export out of the box. Microsoft Office 2010 supports the ODF format natively, and 2007 offers nominal ODF support with a plugin (the same goes for PDF support).
  • LaTeX. ‘Nuff said.

File formats

File formats (the logical organization and structure given to certain logical file types) have issues similar to those of free software. Some companies create proprietary file formats, most of which they burden with patents and other legal hindrances. Refusal to free the file format spec prevents developers from writing software compatible with the spec, which hinders software development and innovation, and can lead to vendor lock-in, especially if the proprietary format is widely used (e.g. Microsoft Office file formats). Microsoft Office historically has used closed proprietary file formats, preventing cross platform compatibility and compatible software development. Nowadays, due to increasing pressure, Microsoft is adding support for open formats like ODF and PDF. The newest Office versions use a variation of XML as the file format. Microsoft still holds the patent on the file formats, though, but they have so benevolently promised not to sue anyone for developing software relating to them.

The landscape of file formats isn’t so bleak, though, because many of the most popular formats are open or free (there is a difference) formats, and increasingly more people are demanding free and open file formats, even if it’s to ensure that they own their own files. Adobe has published the international standards for PS, EPS, and PDF. Recently the internationally standardized Open Document Format has gained much ground, even so much as to pressure Microsoft. The advent and spread of web languages backed by open standards has also benefited users and developers alike. Here’s a list of tips for those interested in supporting the widespread adoption of free an open formats:

  • Don’t use proprietary email attachments. Configure your email client not to attach messages in proprietary formats when replying or forwarding; instead inline the previous message, or attach it as text.
  • Don’t use proprietary formats for final work. Unless you plan for others to make edits to your document, publish it in DVI, PS, EPS, or PDF format. All platforms have free software to enable viewing of any of these file types.
  • If you do plan for others to edit your published document, consider saving it in the Open Document Format, which OpenOffice.org, LibreOffice, Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect Office 14, Google Docs, and Zoho all support. Open Document formats for word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations exist. If the document is purely or nearly purely informational and needs no formatting, there’s no reason not to use a plaintext file. People have reported on the inefficiency, incompatibility, and privacy & security concerns of HTML mail. Most of the time it simply isn’t necessary because a plaintext email will suffice!
  • Support open and free formats like HTML, XML, ODF, PDF, EPS, PS, DVI, TEX, WAV, OGG (and its relatives, Vorbis, Theora, SPEEX, FLAC), Matroska, CSV, DjVu, 7zip, bzip2, gzip, etc. How can you support them? Three major ways come to mind: Firstly, use them yourself! Get the encoders & decoders if your system does not already have them and use them. Secondly, request device and software support for the formats from the vendors of your incompatible hardware and software. Thirdly, give preferential business to companies creating and fostering free and open formats. Sometimes it isn’t easy for them, either!