Re: OS questions draft, III

[Roger Dingledine <arma@mit.edu>]

In message <c44619e.35d8e558@aol.com>, eamorical@aol.com writes:
>Pete I wasn't quite sure about your reference about a central
>catalog of linux software. There is the Linux Software Map
>maintained by Aaron Schrab at
>http://www.linuxresources.com/apps/index.html#lsm

also www.linuxapps.com

>You're doing a great job on the survey. One thought on the
>open source questions, it would be nice have the questions

As for the term 'open source', I prefer sticking to 'free software'.
My reasons are similar to rms's 
(http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html). But
that isn't terribly relevant, since for most people it's just a semantic
difference.

>identical except for the word OS or application. Perhaps the
>following:
>
>*Having access to an operating system's source code for
>optimizing and customizing.
>
>*Having access to an application's source code for optimizing
>and customizing.

I was reading over the gpl and related documents last night (I've almost
succeeded in educating several authors about the GPL and convincing
them to move from a proprietary license to the gpl), and I thought it might
be neat to provide the free software questions as quotes from 
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

* The freedom to study how the program works and adapt it to your needs. 
* The freedom to redistribute copies so you can share with your neighbor. 
* The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to
  the public, so that the whole community benefits. 

>This is the power behind open source. The code can be
>precisely tuned and honed for the user. This is why I'm so
>interested in Linux.  If I can find open source applications
>in the areas I'm going to be looking at, I'm convinced we
>could double productivity. The potential is huge.
>
>Bob
 
--Roger