Video Reel: Linux.com’s “The Top 10 Best Linux Videos of 2013”

Video: 9. “Education and Free Software: Jon Maddog Hall” 

Excerpt:

“This list of the best Linux videos of 2013 combines some of the most watched Linux Foundation videos of the year, along with a selection of the most inspiring, compelling, or just plain fun videos produced by others in the Linux community. In choosing videos for inclusion, we avoided purely promotional videos in favor of those that celebrate big milestones, seek to educate, or communicate a broader message about the values and mission of Linux and open source software. See the full playlist on the Linux Foundation YouTube channel or scroll down to see the top 10 (with a bonus video, just for fun). What was your favorite Linux video published in 2013? Tell us in the comments, below! ”

Source:
http://www.linux.com/news/featured-blogs/200-libby-clark/752470-best-linux-videos-of-2013

Newsstand – Richard Stallman Enters Internet Hall of Fame

Congratulations are in order loyal subjects of the Open Source world.  Richard Stallman has bee inducted into the 2013 Internet Hall of Fame!  I do give a round of applause for Stallman to always sticking to his principles, despite any negativity or opposition.  It takes a ton of guts and gusto to be able to do that, especially today.

Richard Stallman, if you do not know him, is the founder of the Free Software Foundation, whose primary principle is promotion of free (as in free to use/change/modify) software.  This is slightly akin to freedom of speech, but in the software world.  He also wrote the most widely user free software licence GNU GPL, and created the GNU Project.

After he received this great award, Stallman punctuated the occasion by noting “Now that we have made the Internet work, the next task is to stop it from being a platform for massive surveillance, and makes it work in a way that respects human rights, including privacy.”

Congratulations Mr. Stallman.

-Professor

Soapbox Stand – Going completely “free” with Trisquel GNU/Linux 6.0

Not often do we enter a Linux Distribution and truly mind the “non-free” software that is included (Linux Mint, cough).  Although this non-free, and proprietary software is great and often does what we need to do, it is against the vision of GNU/Linux, namely Richard Stallman.  Whether or not you agree with this philosophy, is entirely up to you.

So really, what is “free software?”  I’ m sure you can google around, but I’ll brief you in short.  “Free” software is devoid of proprietary code, allowed to be shared freely, modified changed, to allow collaboration and betterment of the software at hand.  This not necessarily means 100 people commit horrible changes to a piece of software, rather it gives any developer, or user, the ability to change the software on their machine, and if they think it is worthwhile, suggest the code changes to the upstream developer (the original creator), to modify it permanently.

So what is “Open Source” then?  As GNU puts it, ““Open source is a development methodology; free software is a social movement.” For the Open Source movement, non-free software is a suboptimal solution. For the Free Software movement, non-free software is a social problem and free software is the solution.””  With Open Source, sure you can get the source code files, but often carries restrictive licensing, or restrictions on “freedom.”  Free Software’s philosophy aims to break those chains, and allow a sort of “1st amendment right” on software.

The Free Software Foundation maintains a good list here of such “free” distributions.  The spotlight right now is on Trisquel GNU/Linux 6.0.  Feel free to give it a try!  Essentially, it is a stripped version of Ubuntu, with only “free” software.  The joy of Linux is you are not confined to one “OS.”  There are so many to try!  Choice is power folks.

-ProfessorKaos

The Wire: Upcoming Post On Richard Stallmans Visit to Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA, UA

Coming up this Wed. (hopefully), is my notes, thoughts, and reactions to Richard Stallmans speech on Copyright and Free Software at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, located in the United States. It was quite interesting. I have to sift though about 2 hours of audio before I make my post here about it. Sit tight I should have the entry up by Wed. of this week. I have to wait for the audio file from a friend, hopefully that gets here soon!

Cheers!

_Nano

The Wire: Richard Stallman to visit local Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa

This monday, 3/23/09, Richard Stallman will be speaking at Lycoming College in Williamsport Pa!  This is a great chance to meet the founder of the GNU project, where the Free and Open Source movement was started!  Starting the Free Software movement in 1985, Stallman has since been an active and iconic figure in the Linux world.  He is most known for his support of the GNU General Public Liscense, which many developers in the Linux community use to liscense their software.  Also noted, is his creation of Emacs, the GNU Compiler Collection, and the GNU Debugger.  In his current days , Stallman spends his time advocating Free Software, and speaking on its behalf.

Details for the even are as follows

• Lycoming Website
• Event Location: Williamsport, PA
• Event Time: 7 p.m. EST
• Event Room: AC Room D-001
• Event Cost: FREE

See you all There!

Cheers!

_Nano

Note: For more information on Richard Stallman please see :  Rirchard Stallman (Credit goes to Wikipedia.org)