Open Source Software

I just got a new laptop and have installed OpenOffice on it. It's very similar, but a little different than the MS programs I'm used to. I haven't used it much, but so far I like it. And I'm using Firefox right now!

 

Microsoft has free "readers" available for download that allow anyone to read word, excel, powerpoint documents...

Open source is a wonderful concept and there are quite a few good program options available for someone who enjoys the opportunities that alternative software provides.

 

Most Open Source Word clones are good enough, however, I do rather complex Excel work and the clones I've seen don't quite cut it (disclaimer: I haven't tried one in about five years). However, I have to admit Firefox is to Internet Explorer what The London Symphony Orchestra is to the Spice Girls. If browsers were presidents, Firefox would be Abraham Lincoln and the latest version of Explorer would be George W. Bush. Firefox is a Prius and IE is a Hummer. Oh, I could go on all day....

 

I agree with Patrick on this one. I use OpenOffice on my Linux laptop, and NeoOffice (the Macintosh version of OpenOffice) on my iMac. Not just a word processor, it has spreadsheet and database programs, can read powerpoint files, and can apparently do lots of other stuff I've never investigated.

For that matter, Linux itself, which I run on my laptop, is open source. I think InCrease, which I am now using for Folding @ Home, is open source, and I probably have some other OSS software also that I'm not aware of.

Proprietary software is like GM: Profit is all that matters and to heck with the consumer. Open source software is like CalCars, providing solutions anybody who wishes to can implement.

 

I use open source quite regularly... in fact, one of my computers at home has nothing but open source on it But here's a good question: Does it count as open source if it's a proprietary version based on an open source foundation?

 

Do these OSS packages work with Microsoft product-produced files? For example., if someone sends me an Excel file, can I work with it in OpenOffice and then resend it to the originator (and will they be able to work with this file in the original Excel program they have)? Most of the people I would need to send files to and from use the same Microsoft programs I use...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ May 23 2007, 09:21 AM) [snapback]448133[/snapback]</div>

You should at least take a look at the latest version of OpenOffice. The improvement in both the spreadsheet and the Presentation software (think Powerpoint) is just remarkable from even the immediately preceding version (and much better than the versions from ~5 years ago). It's possible that it still won't meet your needs, but I've been very impressed with OpenOffice 2 (I think they're up to 2.2 now). I never used to recommend OpenOffice (or StarOffice, as it used to be called) to other people because of exactly the reasons you say (i.e. it didn't used to do complex things as well as the MS products), but with the new version, I'm starting to cautiously recommend it. If you try it, please let us (or at least me) know what you think. . .

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ZenCruiser @ May 23 2007, 09:48 AM) [snapback]448159[/snapback]</div>

They do work, but I have noticed that the translation is not 100% perfect. To be fair, the only place that I've noticed it being a problem is greek characters in presentations (i.e. translating between Powerpoint and the OpenOffice software called "Impress"). This is a rather minor issue, but it makes me wonder if there are similar little problems in the word processor and spreadsheet, too. . .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ZenCruiser @ May 23 2007, 07:48 AM) [snapback]448159[/snapback]</div>

Yes.

I never used to be able to read PowerPoint files, until I got NeoOffice. Now I can read them. I have friends who use MS Word. I write documents in NeoOffice, save them as MS Word format, and my friends have no trouble with them

 

I use the Mozilla Suite at home and Firefox at work.

I also use MOODLE for two separate classes.

 

OSS has come A very long way not just i software but in operating system too.

I use Ubuntu 7.10 at home and i will never use windows for anything else but gamming again. I can do anything a windows user can do except for free, without viruses and with to much worry. I have to admit though linux does make me angry sometimes but in general i love it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndreJ @ May 23 2007, 07:06 PM) [snapback]448662[/snapback]</div>

The problem comes with proprietary stuff:

I don't think there's a Linux solution for the iPod.

My Garmin StreetPilot has an upgrade available, but there's no way to do it except with a Windows computer.

My new Nokia N800, which runs a version of Linux, can only be upgraded from a Windows computer.

There are others, but those are the ones that prevented me from putting Linux on my desktop computer.

:angry:

 

Why the heck is someone posting .DOCs to a bboard in the first place,
especially when the contents are for the most part FLAT TEXT that
could simply be posted as is? There's a much deeper problem here.
And if we weren't wasting too much time on political BS around here
already, that's all it appears to be and thus completely nonessential
in the nominal context of this forum.
.
_H*

 

I think the concept of open source software is great, but not all software, open source or not is created equal..

Take OpenOffice.. If you need an "office suite", it's absolutely great- quite usable, a few minor user interface quirks, but it's free and it works.. Now take it a step further- now you need to interop with Microsoft Office users.. Now, OpenOffice is *NOT* so great.. Yes, you can open and read content and the majority of files are interchangeable, but after all these years of development, there are still incompatibilities most minor and most with available workarounds, but they cause enough of an issue that it means that OpenOffice cannot be considered for Enterprise deployment.. We tried OpenOffice for a development group that used Sun and Linux workstations and experienced enough incompatibility and user inconvenience that the eventual solution was to place a Windows PC with Microsoft Office on the desktop of the Sun users, and install VMWare with Windows/Office on the Linux PCs.. This is not to say that Windows is such a great program- quite the contrary, it isn't, but if that's the suite that everyone else in the corporation uses, you simply cannot live with even 99% compatibility- that 1% comes back to bite you again and again, and it costs real $$$.. One of the things that still hasn't been solved is page numbering and formatting incompatibilities- occasionally, the OpenOffice apps will paginate and format documents differently than Microsoft Office.. This may not sound like a problem but if you're trying to conduct a review of a large document it's unacceptable and unworkable if all parties can't be on exactly the same page numbers and see exactly the same layout and formatting..

There are some excellent examples of open source packages, but most others that try to emulate or be compatible with some other industry standard packages tend to be too incompatible for enterprise use.. Often this is because proprietary file formats are not 100% documented, other times, certain features are protected by patents and copyrights and cannot be implemented in a 100% compatible manner.. Again, if used as a standalone application without the need to share files with the rest of the world, this is probably not an issue, but the minute you have to share, unless you have 100% compatibility, you're going to run into problems..

I think Firefox is probably the best of the breed in terms of open source software- there are still a few sites that it doesn't work 100% with, but for the vast majority of applications, it is a completely seamless replacement for IE..

 

I'm trying to do as much stuff with OSS as possible. In fact I'm typing this from my home computer which only has Ubuntu Linux installed on it. At work and when travelling I use a Macbook because I still frequently have to deal with things like Filemaker databases and proprietary media formats. My current company issued workstation is an Avid Meridian based on Mac OS 9 so there's nearly zero third party software I can run on it, let alone open source. On my Macbook though, I try to use OSS wherever I can. Firefox is my primary browser, NeoOffice my office suite, Adium my instant messenger, Audacity my audio editor, etc. Open source has come a long way recently, and Firefox, OpenOffice/NeoOffice, and Ubuntu are some of the best examples of this.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 23 2007, 09:32 PM) [snapback]448672[/snapback]</div>

Dont' be so sure about all of that...

for the iPod, try http://www.gtkpod.org/about.html It's basically an iTunes for Linux (open source, too!)

As for the other items, i don't know of anything specific for them, but there is another OSS out there called Wine (http://www.winehq.org/) that can run most windows programs in a Linux environment with minimal issues... might work with your stuff.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ May 24 2007, 06:07 AM) [snapback]448956[/snapback]</div>

I tried several iTunes work-arounds, on several flavors of Linux, and no, none of them works. Only one could even correctly read the file system in the iPod, and none of them could write to the iPod. Several could play tunes from the iPod, but most of those showed the songs in a jumbled-up list which was useless for me.

Why in the name of the great bugbladder beast of Trol would I ever want to run Windows programs on my Linux machine? Sure, I could have installed Wine or CrossOver Office, but the whole point of switching to Linux was to get that buggy, security-vulnerable crap OFF of my computer. The moment you start running MS software, you have to be updating it constantly for security. I use my laptop for travel, which means several months at a time of not using it. If I had Windows crap on it I'd have to spend two days updating it before every trip!!! No way!

I ended up getting an iMac. It gets me out of reach of Bill, and does almost everything I need. (I still cannot update my GPS or my N800.) I put Linux on my laptop because I don't need iTunes when I travel. I load up the iPod before I leave and I don't need to alter what's on it during my trips.

 

The nice thing about Wine, though, is that you don't need to worry about all those windows updates or about windows security issues. it's just an interface engine to make your programs work.

I completely agree that you generally don't want to be running windows programs on an environment you have specifically to get away from linux... but as you yourself said, sometimes you just simply need to use a windows based program. Wine lets you do that, without exposing you to all the other crap that usually comes along with it. It's not a Parallels or Boot Camp approach, Windows is never installed. It just makes your programs compatible with other operating systems.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(c4 @ May 23 2007, 10:27 PM) [snapback]448720[/snapback]</div>

I totally agree with you, but one of the points that I was trying to make up above is how much OO has improved. The newest version (OO 2), is TONS better than the the older versions. If you haven't tried it yet, I would encourage you to. However, I do agree that in an enterprise environment, 99% compatibility is not acceptable. With the progress that OO has made in the past year (or, even really in the past 6 months), I'm hoping that 99.9% compatibility isn't far off. I mean, it's not like Firefox does everything exactly like IE; one of the great things about it is that it doesn't; it does a lot of things better! If we could get lots of big-time companies using OO, then the tide might shift a little bit and there would be more documents that were written natively in OO. Of course, for publication, I'm of the firm belief that everyone should be using LaTeX, but that's a battle that even I am not willing to fight right now.

 

I'm responsible for IT in a small start-up business. We use OSS extensively for servers, less for desktops/laptops. My own laptop is all Linux because I like a challenge, but no way can I expect my business partners to do the same. They are perfectly capable of supporting themselves running XP or Vista, but would need a lot more support to run Linux. I'd rather spend my time growing the business than running after their needs.

On the server side, OSS means I manage our servers remotely using very little bandwidth and without any special software, there are no IT people needed locally (we may be small, but we operate in two different continents using servers in three different continents). Local users tend not to touch the servers because they don't know what to do when all they get is a Login: prompt. Servers run for years without a hitch, all I do is scan the daily Logwatch mails to see if all is well.

However, OSS is not the best thing since sliced bread. For some applications, it's perfectly well possible to run your own OSS copy for the business: CRM (SugarCRM), file and printer sharing (Samba), and a few others. But lots of OSS applications are way too immature to use in a business. Ever tried to support project management with a proper project planner? Loads of them out there, none of them really fit for business critical use.

Then there is the issue of integrating whatever nice application you find into your chosen OSS platform. Bottom line: if the application provider nor your Linux distro has done this for you already (i.e., provided you with tested, ready to install rpm or whatever packages), you'll waste lots of time doing the integration yourself, with mixed results. Time you cannot spend on growing the business. I've spent a day getting a UPS and a server to talk to each other, because this particular model of UPS was not supported 'out of the box' by my Linux distro.

Even when you have packages ready to install, don't expect them to play nicely with your central LDAP server right out of the box, let alone have some kind of single sign on for your users. So they end up with loads of passwords.

I'm not surprised over 80% of people polled here use OSS. For businesses, it will be closer to 100%. But that does not mean OSS is replacing closed source software. It's being used next to it.

As for our company, our first choice currently is always not to run software at all, but to rent it, hosted and maintained by someone else. Project management planner: don't waste precious days getting it running, but sign up at projectplace.com or a similar service. Groupware: Google for your domain. Etc. And spend your precious time doing business instead of doing IT. Now if only all these providers would integrate with each other, so I can sign in to Google and have my projectplace.com planner in there...

Sorry for the long post, I hope someone enjoys it.