Introduction to Free

& Open Source

Software's
Mohsin Nazir
Lecturer (IT)
BHSS Khimber, Sgr
 WHAT IS A SOFTWARE?
 Software - instructions that tell a computer what to do.
 It is a generic term which refers to the set of instructions,
data or programs used to operate computers and execute
specific tasks.
 A Computer Programmer (or several computer
programmers) write the instructions using a
programming language, defining how the software should
operate on structured data.
 HOW DO YOU GET SOFTWARE?

 Software can be purchased at a retail computer store or

online and come in a box containing all the disks (
floppy diskette, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray), manuals, warranty,
and other documentation.
 Software can also be downloaded to a computer over the
Internet. Once downloaded, setup files are run to start the
installation process on your computer.
 TYPES OF SOFTWARE

System Software
Application Software
Open source Software and
Proprietary Software
SYSTEM SOFTWARE:
System Software includes the Operating System and all
the utilities that enable the computer to function.

System software is a term referring to any computer

software which manages and controls the hardware so
that application software can perform a task.

Example:
Operating Systems, Compiler, Loader, Linker,
Interpreter.
APPLICATION SOFTWARE:

Application Software includes programs that do real work

for user.
Example:

Payroll systems, Inventory Control, Manage student

database, Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Database
Management System etc.,
RETAIL SOFTWARE
 This type of software is sold off the shelves of retail
stores. It includes expensive packaging designed to catch
the eye of shoppers and, as such, is generally more
expensive.
 An advantage of retail software is that it comes with
printed manuals and installation instructions, missing in
hard-copy form from virtually every other category of
software. However, when hard-copy manuals and
instructions are not required, a downloadable version off
the Internet will be less expensive, if available.
OEM SOFTWARE
 OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer" and refers
to software sold in bulk to resellers, designed to be bundled
with hardware. For example, Microsoft has contracts with
various companies including Dell Computers, Toshiba, Gateway
and others. Microsoft sells its operating systems as OEM
software at a reduced price, minus retail packaging, manuals
and installation instructions.
 Resellers install the operating system before systems are sold
and the OEM CD is supplied to the buyer.
 The "manual" consists of the Help menu built into the software
itself. OEM software is not legal to buy unbundled from its
original hardware system.
SHAREWARE
 This software is downloadable from the Internet. L
icenses differ, but commonly the user is allowed to try
the program for free, for a period stipulated in the
license, usually thirty days.
 At the end of the trial period, the software must be
purchased or uninstalled.
 Some shareware incorporates an internal clock that
disables the program after the trial period unless a serial
number is supplied.
FREEWARE
 Freeware is software that is free to use.
 Unlike commercial software, it does not require any
payment or licensing fee.
 It is similar to shareware, but will not eventually ask you
for payment to continue using the software. You can
legally download and use freeware for as long as you want
without having to pay for it.
 FREE & OPEN SOURCE
 Free and open source software can be classified as free
software and open source software. That is anyone is freely
licensed to use, study and change the software in any way.

 The source code is openly shared so that the people freely

are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design of
software.

 This is in contrast to proprietary software, where the

software is under restrictive copyright and the source code is
hidden from the user, so that the right holders (the software
publishers) can sell binary executable file.
 FREE & OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
• There are two terms to separate “free” and “open
source” in FOSS.
• Free as in freedom of speech not as in free things.
• Open mainly points to Open Source Code of the
program, available for others.

• So free and open source software is in some ways free

but the source code is available for analysis.
OPEN SOURCE VS. CLOSED SOURCE

 View/Modify the source code of an application or

software.
 Open source software is released to the
development community and undergoes a secondary
phase of
evolution, but closed source software is developed
in isolation with a small team of developers.
 Developer support and large community to help.
 Open Source is more secure and bugs and vulnerabilities
are fixed often.
 OPEN SOURCE ALTERNATIVES
Proprietary programs
 Microsoft Windows
 Internet explorer or Google
Chrome
 Microsoft Office
 Adobe Photoshop
 iTunes and Windows media player
 skype
Open source alternative
 Linux Mint or BOSS Linux
 Firefox or Chromium
 Open Office or Neo Office
 GIMP
 Songbird and VLC media
player
 QuteCom
FREE SOFTWARE AND OPEN SOURCE
SOFTWARE
free software open source software

 free software is a software for  open source is a software whose

which every one has a right not source code is freely available that
only to inspect and study the is with out any requirement for
source code but also to use it for payment or any other obstacles for
any desired purpose without any one to inspect and study.
monitory or other restriction.
 Open source software is more or less
 free software is a good, morally indifferent to moral issues
right, thing to do. concerning software sharing.
 MYTHS ABOUT OPEN SOURCE
(FOSS STANDS FOR FREE AND OPEN
SOURCE SOFTWARE)
 FOSS is free.
 FOSS isn't reliable or supported.
 Making a software open source, anyone can change it.
 The open source license is too liberal.
 if you make your software open source, volunteer coders will
fix all of your problems for free.
CRITERIA FOR OPEN SOURCE SOFWARE
According to the “Open Source Initiative” software is considered “open
source” if its distribution terms adhere to the following:
 Unrestricted distribution. Users can distribute or sell the software
without paying royalties.
 Source code distribution. The source code of the entire open source
product must be easily modifiable. In the absence of the source code,
the product must cite a low-cost resource where users can obtain it.
 Modifications. The license allows modifications, and its terms remain
unchanged for distribution of improved versions.
 Author's source code integrity. If the license allows patch file
distribution along with the original source code, a user cannot modify
the code and distribute it except by giving the new version a new
name.
 No personal discrimination. No person or group shall be discriminated
against during open source product distribution.
  No restriction on application. Open source software can be used in
any field and for any purpose.
 License distribution. The privileges attached to the original
program extend to all who receive the program, so recipients do
not need to apply for a separate license.
 License must not be product-specific. The rights associated with a
license extend to products extracted from a larger software
aggregate.
 No restriction on other software. No restrictions are allowed on
distribution of open source products bundled with products
developed on other software platforms.
 Technology neutrality. Licenses should not be issued on the basis of
the specific technology involved.
 In general Open Source Software (OSS) refers to any
software whose source code is freely available for
distribution.
HOW OPEN SOURCE WORKS ?
OPEN SOURCE DEVELOPMENT MODEL
ADVANTAGES OF OPEN SOURCE
 Availability of source code
 Source code to understand and learn from
 Do not have to re-invent the wheel
 Free as in “freedom”
 Does not depend on vendor
 Can choose additional support
 Can fix bugs and adapt to change in requirements as
well as technology
 Quality and Customizability in open source is
better.
 Costs much less than proprietary counterparts.
SOME DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN SOURCE
 Not generally straightforward to use and requires a
certain learning curve to use and get accustomed.
 Incompatibility issue with software and hardware.
(3rd party drivers)
 Bad Codes, and some unqualified people who uses
it.
 Software quality assurance process is widely not
transparent
 No financial incentive.
 EXAMPLES OF OPEN SOURCE

Application software : Operating Systems: Programming Language :

 7-Zip  Android  Perl

 Eclipse  Linux  PHP
 GIMP  Python
 FreeBSD
 Chromium
 ReactOS  Ruby
 Blender
 Haiku  PHDL
 Mozilla Firefox
 FreeDOS  Prolog
 Open Office
OPEN SOURCE DIGITAL CONTENT
 FREE/OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE IN
EDUCATION
 FOSS can lower the barriers to the access of ICTs by
reducing the cost of software.
 It is usually possible to download FOSS without any cost.
 there is no licensing fee for each user or computer, as by
acquiring proprietary software, and it can be freely
distributed once a copy is downloaded or made available
on a CD-ROM.
 Upgrades of FOSS can usually be obtained in a similar way,
making the upgrade costs negligible as well.
 FOSS is considered to have better reliability, performance
and security.
 The development methodology of FOSS tends to assure
high quality of the software.
 Bugs are rapidly removed with the help of large numbers
of developers, and the resulting software is more reliable.
 There are clear indications that the use of FOSS in
government, industry and other institutions is growing and
that there will be a need for graduates familiar with
FOSS. It is important that students are not only exposed to
the predominant proprietary software but also have the
opportunity to use a wider array of software, including
FOSS.
 The use of FOSS also discourages piracy by students, many
of whom can ill-afford the purchase of licensed copies of
proprietary software.
 The open nature of FOSS is such that it can be localized,
because we have access to source code.
 Advantage of FOSS is to examine and to modify the
programs. This gives students the opportunity to learn
from studying high quality real-life programmes. In this
way we enhance the quality of education.
FEW OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARES
 OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org), is gaining popularity as its
features are becoming comparable to the proprietary Office
suite. A prominent feature of the latest version of
OpenOffice.org is the ability to export documents directly to
pdf format.
 There are a number of Open Source browsers available such
as Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.org), Galeon
(galeon.sourceforge.net) and Konqueror (www.kde.org).
 A wide range of multimedia FOSS is available, including
graphics editors and video players that can serve as tools for
enhancing educational content and its delivery.
 GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme—www.gimp.org) is
the most well-known FOSS for image editing and graphic
design. It is available for GNU/Linux, Unix variants and
Windows. As it supports various image file formats,
interoperability with other programs should not be an issue.
GIMP is considered to be the FOSS equivalent of the proprietary
Photoshop software.
 A programme that allows the drawing of diagrams will find good
use in an educational institution. There are some good
proprietary software that serve this purpose, such as Visio and
Smartdraw. A FOSS equivalent called Dia
(www.lysator.liu.se/~alla/dia) has been designed to provide
similar functions. It can be used to draw many different kinds
of diagrams and has special objects to facilitate the drawing of
flowcharts, network diagrams and simple circuits. The
programme is available for the Windows platform in addition to
FOSS operating systems.
 Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) is a FOSS audio
editor through which you can record sounds, play sounds,
and import and export files in various formats. It can be
used to edit your audio, mix tracks together, or apply
effects to your recordings. This software will be useful
when there is a need to digitize audio or make
recordings for incorporation into multimedia
educational content. It runs also on Windows.
 Concept maps graphically represent the relationship
between various concepts, their sub- concepts to get a
clear and deep understanding of holistic perspective. We
have Cmap and FreeMind Open Source Softwares for
depicting the Concept Maps
Video e-content tool could be a simple camera used
to record the live process, event or for telling a story.
Also screen casting tools are used wherein the screen
of the computer is captured to teach something
happening of computer screen especially , software
functioning.
CamStudio, OBS Studio, OpenShot
 Content Authoring Tools include eXe Learning, H5P
etc.
CONCLUSION
 Common platform for sharing ideas and putting them into
action by developers or other people who wishes to improve a
product/software.
 We are in the Open Source Revolution where people
collaborate to create, produce software or technology.

 Based upon the key advantages of Open source technology ,

we can finally conclude that open source deserves the
increasing popularity.
 THANK YOU

Any Queries??