[3918] in linux-announce channel archive
Linux-Announce Digest #210
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Digestifier)
Sun Oct 27 13:13:10 2002
From: Digestifier <Linux-Announce-Request@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu>
To: Linux-Announce@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu
Reply-To: Linux-Announce@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 13:13:05 EST
Linux-Announce Digest #210, Volume #4 Sun, 27 Oct 2002 13:13:05 EST
Contents:
SMALL GRANTS: Need resources to write Free Software? (fwd) (Frederick Noronha)
Open IT - Govt to rewrite source code in Linux (Frederick Noronha)
BanShee-Linux/R 0.61 Released (Sean Rima)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Frederick Noronha <fred@bytesforall.org>
Subject: SMALL GRANTS: Need resources to write Free Software? (fwd)
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 01:29:56 CST
Sarai/CSDS, a Delhi-based research network that realises the potential of
Free/Open Source software, is offering a limited number of small grants (in
three categories of under Rs 10,000; Rs 10-30,000; and Rs 30,000-60,000) for
those willing to write socially-useful programmes and put these out in the
public domain.
Ownership of these programs will remain with its writer(s), under the
GNU/GLP or similar suitable licence. But the coders will undertake to widely
distribute and make available their work to those who desire to use the
same, in the interest of promoting Free Software/Open Source in India.
Email in your plans and suggestions via email to application@sarai.net with
a copy to fred@bytesforall.org not later than October 31, 2002. Use "FLOSS
application" as the subjectline. This should contain the following details:
* Outline of project
* How this project would be relevant to society's needs
* Stage of the project (if work is underway)
* Time-frame required for completion
* Whether work will be done singly, or if jointly, names of
all individuals/groups to be involved
* Estimated number of man-hours for completion of this project
* Estimated cost with break-up
* Any other information you feel relevant.
Last date for application is October 31, 2002.
Feel free to pass around this note, particularly to students who could
use such help productively.
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: cola@stump.algebra.com #
# PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. #
# This group is archived at http://stump.algebra.com/~cola/ #
##########################################################################
------------------------------
From: Frederick Noronha <fred@bytesforall.org>
Subject: Open IT - Govt to rewrite source code in Linux
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 01:30:36 CST
This was announced some time back, but greeted by a skeptical response in
India... FN
========== Forwarded message ==========
Open IT - Govt to rewrite source code in Linux
TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2002 01:29:29 AM]
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=24598339
NEW DELHI: If the Chinese have IT, get it. The Indian government seems to be
taking a leaf out of China's operating system, and is planning a countrywide
drive to promote the open source operating system, Linux, as the 'platform
of choice' instead of 'proprietary' solutions.
For proprietory, read Microsoft, which controls over 90% of the desktop
software market.
The Department of Information Technology has already devised a strategy to
introduce Linux and open source software as a de-facto standard in academic
institutions, especially in engineering colleges through course work that
encourages use of such systems.
Research establishments would be advised to use and develop re-distributable
toolboxes just as Central government departments and state governments would
be asked to use Linux-based offerings.
DIT is in talks with leading industry players like IBM and HCL to get a feel
of their work in the area and invite proposals for joint projects. "As a
first step we are persuading all government institutions to offer courses on
Linux and programming for Linux environment. We would also set up Linux
Resource Centres in academic institutes (with co-funding from government and
industry)," said a senior government official.
Though India has made a name for itself selling solutions, software as a
product is expensive within the country. And the cost will bite once India
starts implementing IPR protection in earnest, as it has committed itself
to.
While redistribution of proprietary software is restricted through a licence
agreement, the licensing terms for Linux grants the right to obtain and
redistribute copies. Many analysts believe that China's growing dominance in
the IT space is fuelled by its low cost open source bias.
The Chinese government has consistently promoted its local software based on
Linux, both for cost reasons, and reportedly for 'security' concerns as
well.
The source code for proprietory software is not revealed, and this, it is
believed, has not found favour with the Chinese, especially in defence and
security related applications.
Microsoft, in what many observers and reports say is an attempt to soften
the Chinese government's stand, recently committed to investing $750m in
China in three years to help set up a software college and put its money
into Chinese education.
In comparison, Microsoft has announced investments worth only $75m over a
three-year time frame in India. Howver, the Chinese company Redflag
Software, which was set up by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the country's
most prestigious research institute, has often come out with low-cost
software based on Linux, in direct competition to Windows-based software.
The Indian government's plan, however, is not driven by security concerns,
but by the far more simple arithmetic of costing. To put it simply, India
being a developing country needs low cost solutions.
Unlike the Microsoft-developed Windows operating system, Linux code is free
and downloadable from the internet. With the addition of special
applications, it can be personalized to meet specific needs.
An industry-government-user-developer conference on the subject would be
organised to throw up ideas for specific initiatives including funding,
reliable sources told ET.
The only issue here is support and services, which Indian government sources
feel is not likely to be an issue in a country known for its software
support and service skills.
Like China, the government is also eyeing the increasingly lucrative global
support and services market for the Linux environment may prove lucrative.
While proprietary support agreements govern only the systems purchased (with
licences), for free software support is independent of the number of copies
owned.
"With applications in security being a focus area, inputs have been sought
from the Defence on their experience with Linux. Indian-language based
solutions, e-governance, embedded and high performance cluster solutions are
other areas. But firstly we want to concretise the position on IPR issues in
the use of Linux," the source said.
DIT is planning a three-tier mechanism, with itself as the first, industry,
user groups and state governments as the second and a national apex
committee headed either by a government representative, an industry expert
or an academician to oversee manpower and skill development, applications
development and deployment and public policy support, said sources.
According to IDC's figures for '00, Microsoft still controlled 94% of the
desktop software market and while Linux is expected to overtake the number
two — Apple Mac OS — by '03, it would still control less than 4% of the
market.
In server software, it fares a little better and is expected to control
around 30% of the market by '03, according to IDC. Linux, which has
established itself in the server space, is an open reliable OS that runs on
virtually any platform and was developd by Finnish technologist Linus
Torvalds.
After developing the initial source code, Linus made it available on the
Internet for use, feedback and further development.
===============================================
Warm regards,
Ashish Kotamkar (ashish@mithi.com)
solaris--independant forum for IT & development issues
un/sub info: solaris-request@mail.sarai.net with the word "help" in the subject
line or in the body of the message.
URL: http://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/solaris/
archive: http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/solaris/
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: cola@stump.algebra.com #
# PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. #
# This group is archived at http://stump.algebra.com/~cola/ #
##########################################################################
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 06:16:13 CST
From: Sean Rima <sean@tcob1.net>
Subject: BanShee-Linux/R 0.61 Released
=====BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE=====
Hash: SHA1
BanShee Linux/R is a two-floppy rescue system using uClibc and Busybox
to make sure that the system is as small as possible.
e3 was updated to 2.4 and BusyBox was updated to 0.60.5. This is a
major update due to the changes and bug fixes in BusyBox.
As usual the BanShee-Linux website is http://www.banshee-linux.org
Sean
- --
Sean Rima http://www.tcob1.net
Linux User: 231986 Jabber: tcobone@jabber.org
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF MY WIFE.
=====BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE=====
Version: GnuPG v1.2.0 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Use GPG for Secure Mail
iD8DBQE9u9jwHMnSWn2nApQRAnDeAKCfNdYdJZ+REV9vk6Y73wAIKN/MOACeNIaM
uOGv35d7DRZsolYjlcfwy0s=
=i4q2
=====END PGP SIGNATURE=====
##########################################################################
# Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: cola@stump.algebra.com #
# PLEASE remember a short description of the software and the LOCATION. #
# This group is archived at http://stump.algebra.com/~cola/ #
##########################################################################
------------------------------
** FOR YOUR REFERENCE **
The service address, to which questions about the list itself and requests
to be added to or deleted from it should be directed, is:
Internet: Linux-Announce-Request@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU
You can submit announcements to be moderated via:
Internet: linux-announce@NEWS.ORNL.GOV
Linux may be obtained via one of these FTP sites:
ftp.funet.fi pub/Linux
tsx-11.mit.edu pub/linux
sunsite.unc.edu pub/Linux
End of Linux-Announce Digest
******************************
