Ext User(Xerxes)
12-01-2006, 01:22 PM
http://www.bellevuelinux.org/reasons_to_convert.html
25 Reasons to Convert to Linux
Businesses, educational institutions, governmental agencies and other
organizations around the world are converting1 their computer operating
systems from Microsoft Windows to Linux at an increasing pace. They are
likewise converting their application programs from commercial software to
free software (also referred to as open source software). There are at
least 25 reasons for this situation, including:
(1) Because it is licensed under a free software license2, Linux (as well
as other free software) is available at no cost. It can be downloaded from
the Internet for free, and it can be purchased in disk or box form at
trivial cost. One copy can be used on as many computers as desired with no
restrictions. This is in sharp contrast to Microsoft Windows, which can
easily cost US$100 or more per computer.
(2) Because it is free software, Linux is also free in the sense that
anybody is permitted to modify it, including its source code, in any way
desired. If modified versions are not redistributed (i.e., given away or
sold outside of an organization), they can be kept secret. This is also in
sharp contrast to Microsoft Windows, for which modification of the software
is generally not permitted. Source code is the original version of a
program as it is written by a programmer using a programming language and
before being converted by a compiler into a form such that its instructions
can be understood directly by a computer's CPU (central processing unit);
it is generally necessary to have the source code in order to be able to
make changes to a program. This ability to freely experiment with and
modify the source code, and to do so without disclosing the modifications
to outsiders, has been a very important consideration for a number of large
organizations3.
(3) High quality support for Linux is available for free on the Internet,
including in newsgroups and other forums. Some people claim that this
support is at least as good as that provided for proprietary (i.e.,
commercial) operating systems for a fee. Linux support can also be
purchased on a commercial basis if desired. Among the types of support that
can be required for operating systems are help with customization,
assistance in installing new programs, patches to cope with new security
threats and patches to fix newly discovered bugs (i.e., defects).
Fortunately, the need for the last two types is relatively infrequent for
Linux.
(4) There is little possibility that support for Linux will be
discontinued at some future date due to planned obsolescence or for any
other reason. This is because the source code will always be available to
anyone who wants it, including individuals who provide support for free
over the Internet and businesses which provide it for a fee. In contrast,
with Microsoft Windows and other proprietary software for which the source
code is usually kept secret, obtaining support becomes difficult (from both
a technical and a legal point of view) if the developer decides to withdraw
it (for example in order to try to force users to pay for upgrades to newer
versions).
(5) There is little or no fear of major obsolescence, planned or
otherwise, with Linux. This is because the UNIX architecture on which it is
based has been exhaustively tested and refined for more than 35 years and
has proven to be extremely efficient, robust and secure. Improvements
continue at a rapid pace, but new versions remain basically compatible with
the underlying UNIX architecture.
(6) There are no forced upgrades4 for Linux users. This because older
versions continue to be supported (e.g., with the development of new
security patches and device drivers) and because newer versions, if
desired, are available for free (as is all free software) and are typically
highly compatible with older versions. The developers of proprietary
software, however, have strong financial incentives to engage in planned
obsolescence, namely, in order to induce users of earlier versions to spend
money to buy or lease new versions.
(7) Should a user decide to upgrade to a newer version of Linux, there
are no licensing fees or other software costs if the user selects a free
distribution (i.e., version). Moreover, the training, program
modification/conversion, hardware acquisition and other costs associated
with upgrading to a new version are also relatively low due to the
compatibility with earlier versions.
(8) Linux has no onerous requirements for keeping track of licenses. In a
company with hundreds or thousands of computers, a number of full time
personnel can be required just to make sure that all of the computers in
use are in compliance with the complex licensing terms of the EULAs (end
user license agreements) for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and other
proprietary software. And for Linux users there is no fear of surprise
audits by the BSA (Business Software Alliance)5, with possible severe
penalties for minor license violations.
(9) Linux features superior security, including a very low rate of
infection by viruses, trojans, worms, spyware and other malware. This is
because UNIX and all of its descendants (including Linux) been designed
from the ground up with security in mind, rather than having attempts at
security tacked on as an afterthought. For example, users do not routinely
use the system as the root (i.e., administrative) user, thereby protecting
key system files even in the event of a break-in by a malicious intruder.
Also, a robust firewall is included in major distributions and it is
enabled by default. Another important factor is the free availability of
the source code, which allows thousands of people around the globe to
search for security vulnerabilities in it6.
(10) Linux is highly resistant to system crashes and rarely needs
rebooting (i.e., restarting). This can be very important for large
organizations for which even a few minutes of down time can result in a
substantial cost. The reason is that Linux has been designed from the
ground up to be an extremely stable and robust operating system,
incorporating all that has been learned about attaining these goals from
the more than 35 years of history of Unix-like operating systems.
(11) An extensive selection of high quality application programs is
available for use with Linux, most of which are also free software
(including nearly all of the most popular ones). Many of them have features
and performance equal or superior to those of comparable applications for
use with Microsoft Windows. In fact, users often find that all the
applications that they want are available freely on the Internet and that
it is no longer necessary to purchase any commercial software.
(12) There is a choice of numerous distributions (several hundred) of
Linux, each with its own unique set of characteristics but all basically
compatible with each other. This allows users to select the versions which
best meet their specific requirements. It also means that if one provider
of Linux were to go out of business, there would still be many others from
which to choose. Moreover, it fosters a healthy competition among them,
thereby contributing to the continuous improvements in Linux's quality and
performance. If the choice seems overwhelming, it is usually difficult to
make a mistake by selecting one of the most popular distributions, such as
Red Hat or SuSE.
(13) Linux features a high degree of flexibility of configuration, and a
great deal of customization can be accomplished very easily and without
having to modify the source code. For example, it is a simple matter to
configure Linux during installation so that it will be optimized for use as
a workstation, desktop computer, notebook computer, web server, database
server or a router. Likewise, the appearance and behavior of the desktop,
including icons and menus, can be configured in an almost infinite number
of ways, according to user tastes or requirements. They can even be made to
resemble Microsoft Windows. Should this not be enough, the ability to
freely access, revise and recompile the source code allows virtually
unlimited flexibility of configuration.
(14) Linux and other free software uses open format file formats. These
are formats for word processing, spreadsheet and other file types that
conform to industry-wide standards and which can be used by any developer
of software to create compatible programs, in contrast to the closed
formats commonly used by some proprietary software. This eliminates the
problem of lock-in to proprietary standards, with the consequent difficulty
and expense of switching to other software in the future. It allows the
user to have complete control of its data, particularly in the event that
at some future date the developer who originally created the software goes
out of business or stops supporting its earlier software.
(15) Linux is generally faster for a given set of hardware
specifications. This is due to greater optimization of the source code,
including far less code bloat.
(16) Linux features a high degree of compatibility with other operating
systems. For example, it can read, write, copy, erase and otherwise
manipulate data that resides on Microsoft Windows partitions on the same
hard disk drive (HDD), act as a Windows server for a network containing
Windows clients, format disks for use with Windows, and even run Windows
programs directly if necessary. In contrast, the Microsoft Windows
operating systems cannot access HDD partitions that contain other operating
systems, cannot format disks for other operating systems, etc.
(17) Very high ethical standards are maintained for Linux and other free
software, in large part due to the very openness of their development
process and the free availability of the source code. Linux has never been
convicted in a Federal court of violation of U.S. antitrust laws or other
crimes, nor has it had to pay penalties for the unauthorized copying of
technology developed by other companies.
(18) Linux reduces the need to upgrade or replace hardware when upgrading
to newer versions. This is because its code is very efficient and compact,
thus allowing it to work effectively on older computers that are not
suitable for the newest versions of Microsoft Windows.
(19) Linux is capable of operating on a wide variety of platforms (i.e.,
processor and system types), rather than just being limited to
Intel-compatible processors and computers. It scales well and is well
suited for use on a diverse array of equipment ranging from supercomputers
to industrial robots to electronic medical equipment to cell phones (and
can even run on a wristwatch).
(20) Linux is a superior choice for use in academic institutions for a
number of reasons. Among them is the fact that there are no secrets (in
sharp contrast to proprietary software), thereby providing students the
opportunity to study how computers really work rather than to just learn
how to use them. Many educators are convinced that it is far more important
for students to study computer science fundamentals than to practice
specific applications (such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint). One
reason is that computer science fundamentals will still be valid many years
from now, whereas the specific application programs, especially the
proprietary ones that do not conform to industry-wide standards, are
constantly changing and those currently in use will likely become obsolete
in a few years7.
(21) For governmental agencies, Linux and other free software allows for
transparency of data because it stores the data in formats consistent with
industry-wide standards. This is in contrast to the proprietary, closed
formats characteristic of commercial software. Such transparency is
important for maintaining an effective democracy. Keeping non-secret data
in standards-compliant formats allows anyone to access it without having to
purchase expensive proprietary software. Also, storing secret data in
standards-compliant formats is widely regarding as being more secure than
keeping it in proprietary formats.
(22) With Linux and other free software there is little reason to fear
the existence of backdoors, in large part because all of the source code is
available for inspection. A backdoor is a secret method for obtaining
remote access to a computer. There is a (not unjustified) concern by many
foreign governments and corporations that back doors have been covertly
inserted into proprietary software that could allow the software developer
and agencies of other governments to snoop into their most confidential data.
(23) Using and advocating Linux helps foster a healthy diversity and
increased competition throughout the software industry. Such competition
can promote technological advance, improve performance and lower costs for
open source software and proprietary software alike. Both economic theory
and hundreds of years of real-world experience clearly show that monopolies
have little incentive to innovate, tend to produce shoddy products, charge
inflated prices and tend to corrupt the political system.
(24) Linux and other free software have not only caught up with, or some
cases surpassed, their proprietary counterparts, but they are also
developing at a faster pace8. This trend will accelerate as demand for such
software continues to grow and more and more individuals and organizations
become actively involved it its development.
(25) Linux and other free software provide the opportunity for users to
contribute to the advance of software technology because the source code is
freely available to study, improve, extend and redistribute. This has been
fairly common, and the most notable corporate example has been IBM. In
addition to giving back to the software community and being a virtue in
itself, such contributions can have great public relations value.
There are also several situations in which businesses and other
organizations might benefit from converting their operating systems from
Linux to Microsoft Windows:
(1) An organization that is downsizing its operation and already has
valid but unused licenses for Microsoft Windows might be able to reduce
personnel costs by replacing its Linux experts with Windows administrators,
as the latter can generally be hired for significantly less than Linux
administrators.
(2) Were Microsoft to offer an organization an extremely low cost
incentive package, including providing long-term licenses (and upgrades) at
nominal cost, paying for new hardware and providing free training and
support, this could be a very attractive proposition. In fact, it could be
a win-win situation because of the great publicity value that could accrue
to Microsoft from a company or other organization converting from Linux to
Windows.
________
1For links to articles about some recent conversions to Linux, see Linux
Success Stories, The Linux Information Project, December 2005.
2Linux and most other free software is licensed under the GNU Public
License (GPL). This highly successful license has been specifically
designed to provide as much freedom as possible for users, both in a
monetary sense and with regard to use. The GPL allows anyone to freely
access the source code for software licensed under it in order to study,
use, modify, extend and redistribute it as desired with only the very
minimal requirements of always making the source code for redistributions
of modified versions freely available and including a copy of the GPL text
with the software.
It should be pointed out in this context that there are also compiled
versions of Linux that are not free in a monetary sense, which is also
permitted by the GPL. However, they are not necessarily any better than the
free versions. Businesses and other organizations have the option of
selecting whether they want a free or non-free version, and if they select
the former, they have many distributions from which to choose.
3This is a major reason that Google selected Linux, according to industry
sources.
4Forced upgrades occur when the developer stops supporting an earlier
version of its software, and thus security patches for the newest viruses
and other malware become unavailable and drivers are no longer developed
for new hardware. Thus, many users have little choice but to purchase or
lease the newest version. This can be very costly because of the licensing
fees or other payments that must be made to the software developer or
vendor. Further adding to the cost is the frequent need to purchase new
hardware to accommodate the bloated code in the new versions of the
software. In addition, installing the new software and troubleshooting it
can be very time-consuming for system administrators and disruptive for
business operations.
5 The highly controversial BSA is an international organization that was
set up by major developers of proprietary software. It is empowered by the
mandatory EULAs accompanying such software to make surprise audits on users
and to levy heavy fines in the event of violation.
6 The is the same principle that is employed by public key cryptography
(PKC), which is the most secure form of data encryption. And it is the
opposite of the approach used with proprietary software, for which an
attempt is made to keep the source code secret as a means of hiding
security vulnerabilities.
7 For a more detailed look at the reasons that Linux is the best choice for
use in educational institutions, see Linux and Education, The Linux
Information Project, March 2004.
8Numerous examples could be cited. For example, Apache is the dominant web
server, hosting far more web sites than any of its proprietary
counterparts. Likewise, it is widely agreed that the free Firefox and Opera
web browsers are far more advanced (in terms of security, usability, etc.)
than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is free in a monetary
sense, but it is not free software because the source code is not made
available and users are prohibited from modifying it.
25 Reasons to Convert to Linux
Businesses, educational institutions, governmental agencies and other
organizations around the world are converting1 their computer operating
systems from Microsoft Windows to Linux at an increasing pace. They are
likewise converting their application programs from commercial software to
free software (also referred to as open source software). There are at
least 25 reasons for this situation, including:
(1) Because it is licensed under a free software license2, Linux (as well
as other free software) is available at no cost. It can be downloaded from
the Internet for free, and it can be purchased in disk or box form at
trivial cost. One copy can be used on as many computers as desired with no
restrictions. This is in sharp contrast to Microsoft Windows, which can
easily cost US$100 or more per computer.
(2) Because it is free software, Linux is also free in the sense that
anybody is permitted to modify it, including its source code, in any way
desired. If modified versions are not redistributed (i.e., given away or
sold outside of an organization), they can be kept secret. This is also in
sharp contrast to Microsoft Windows, for which modification of the software
is generally not permitted. Source code is the original version of a
program as it is written by a programmer using a programming language and
before being converted by a compiler into a form such that its instructions
can be understood directly by a computer's CPU (central processing unit);
it is generally necessary to have the source code in order to be able to
make changes to a program. This ability to freely experiment with and
modify the source code, and to do so without disclosing the modifications
to outsiders, has been a very important consideration for a number of large
organizations3.
(3) High quality support for Linux is available for free on the Internet,
including in newsgroups and other forums. Some people claim that this
support is at least as good as that provided for proprietary (i.e.,
commercial) operating systems for a fee. Linux support can also be
purchased on a commercial basis if desired. Among the types of support that
can be required for operating systems are help with customization,
assistance in installing new programs, patches to cope with new security
threats and patches to fix newly discovered bugs (i.e., defects).
Fortunately, the need for the last two types is relatively infrequent for
Linux.
(4) There is little possibility that support for Linux will be
discontinued at some future date due to planned obsolescence or for any
other reason. This is because the source code will always be available to
anyone who wants it, including individuals who provide support for free
over the Internet and businesses which provide it for a fee. In contrast,
with Microsoft Windows and other proprietary software for which the source
code is usually kept secret, obtaining support becomes difficult (from both
a technical and a legal point of view) if the developer decides to withdraw
it (for example in order to try to force users to pay for upgrades to newer
versions).
(5) There is little or no fear of major obsolescence, planned or
otherwise, with Linux. This is because the UNIX architecture on which it is
based has been exhaustively tested and refined for more than 35 years and
has proven to be extremely efficient, robust and secure. Improvements
continue at a rapid pace, but new versions remain basically compatible with
the underlying UNIX architecture.
(6) There are no forced upgrades4 for Linux users. This because older
versions continue to be supported (e.g., with the development of new
security patches and device drivers) and because newer versions, if
desired, are available for free (as is all free software) and are typically
highly compatible with older versions. The developers of proprietary
software, however, have strong financial incentives to engage in planned
obsolescence, namely, in order to induce users of earlier versions to spend
money to buy or lease new versions.
(7) Should a user decide to upgrade to a newer version of Linux, there
are no licensing fees or other software costs if the user selects a free
distribution (i.e., version). Moreover, the training, program
modification/conversion, hardware acquisition and other costs associated
with upgrading to a new version are also relatively low due to the
compatibility with earlier versions.
(8) Linux has no onerous requirements for keeping track of licenses. In a
company with hundreds or thousands of computers, a number of full time
personnel can be required just to make sure that all of the computers in
use are in compliance with the complex licensing terms of the EULAs (end
user license agreements) for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and other
proprietary software. And for Linux users there is no fear of surprise
audits by the BSA (Business Software Alliance)5, with possible severe
penalties for minor license violations.
(9) Linux features superior security, including a very low rate of
infection by viruses, trojans, worms, spyware and other malware. This is
because UNIX and all of its descendants (including Linux) been designed
from the ground up with security in mind, rather than having attempts at
security tacked on as an afterthought. For example, users do not routinely
use the system as the root (i.e., administrative) user, thereby protecting
key system files even in the event of a break-in by a malicious intruder.
Also, a robust firewall is included in major distributions and it is
enabled by default. Another important factor is the free availability of
the source code, which allows thousands of people around the globe to
search for security vulnerabilities in it6.
(10) Linux is highly resistant to system crashes and rarely needs
rebooting (i.e., restarting). This can be very important for large
organizations for which even a few minutes of down time can result in a
substantial cost. The reason is that Linux has been designed from the
ground up to be an extremely stable and robust operating system,
incorporating all that has been learned about attaining these goals from
the more than 35 years of history of Unix-like operating systems.
(11) An extensive selection of high quality application programs is
available for use with Linux, most of which are also free software
(including nearly all of the most popular ones). Many of them have features
and performance equal or superior to those of comparable applications for
use with Microsoft Windows. In fact, users often find that all the
applications that they want are available freely on the Internet and that
it is no longer necessary to purchase any commercial software.
(12) There is a choice of numerous distributions (several hundred) of
Linux, each with its own unique set of characteristics but all basically
compatible with each other. This allows users to select the versions which
best meet their specific requirements. It also means that if one provider
of Linux were to go out of business, there would still be many others from
which to choose. Moreover, it fosters a healthy competition among them,
thereby contributing to the continuous improvements in Linux's quality and
performance. If the choice seems overwhelming, it is usually difficult to
make a mistake by selecting one of the most popular distributions, such as
Red Hat or SuSE.
(13) Linux features a high degree of flexibility of configuration, and a
great deal of customization can be accomplished very easily and without
having to modify the source code. For example, it is a simple matter to
configure Linux during installation so that it will be optimized for use as
a workstation, desktop computer, notebook computer, web server, database
server or a router. Likewise, the appearance and behavior of the desktop,
including icons and menus, can be configured in an almost infinite number
of ways, according to user tastes or requirements. They can even be made to
resemble Microsoft Windows. Should this not be enough, the ability to
freely access, revise and recompile the source code allows virtually
unlimited flexibility of configuration.
(14) Linux and other free software uses open format file formats. These
are formats for word processing, spreadsheet and other file types that
conform to industry-wide standards and which can be used by any developer
of software to create compatible programs, in contrast to the closed
formats commonly used by some proprietary software. This eliminates the
problem of lock-in to proprietary standards, with the consequent difficulty
and expense of switching to other software in the future. It allows the
user to have complete control of its data, particularly in the event that
at some future date the developer who originally created the software goes
out of business or stops supporting its earlier software.
(15) Linux is generally faster for a given set of hardware
specifications. This is due to greater optimization of the source code,
including far less code bloat.
(16) Linux features a high degree of compatibility with other operating
systems. For example, it can read, write, copy, erase and otherwise
manipulate data that resides on Microsoft Windows partitions on the same
hard disk drive (HDD), act as a Windows server for a network containing
Windows clients, format disks for use with Windows, and even run Windows
programs directly if necessary. In contrast, the Microsoft Windows
operating systems cannot access HDD partitions that contain other operating
systems, cannot format disks for other operating systems, etc.
(17) Very high ethical standards are maintained for Linux and other free
software, in large part due to the very openness of their development
process and the free availability of the source code. Linux has never been
convicted in a Federal court of violation of U.S. antitrust laws or other
crimes, nor has it had to pay penalties for the unauthorized copying of
technology developed by other companies.
(18) Linux reduces the need to upgrade or replace hardware when upgrading
to newer versions. This is because its code is very efficient and compact,
thus allowing it to work effectively on older computers that are not
suitable for the newest versions of Microsoft Windows.
(19) Linux is capable of operating on a wide variety of platforms (i.e.,
processor and system types), rather than just being limited to
Intel-compatible processors and computers. It scales well and is well
suited for use on a diverse array of equipment ranging from supercomputers
to industrial robots to electronic medical equipment to cell phones (and
can even run on a wristwatch).
(20) Linux is a superior choice for use in academic institutions for a
number of reasons. Among them is the fact that there are no secrets (in
sharp contrast to proprietary software), thereby providing students the
opportunity to study how computers really work rather than to just learn
how to use them. Many educators are convinced that it is far more important
for students to study computer science fundamentals than to practice
specific applications (such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint). One
reason is that computer science fundamentals will still be valid many years
from now, whereas the specific application programs, especially the
proprietary ones that do not conform to industry-wide standards, are
constantly changing and those currently in use will likely become obsolete
in a few years7.
(21) For governmental agencies, Linux and other free software allows for
transparency of data because it stores the data in formats consistent with
industry-wide standards. This is in contrast to the proprietary, closed
formats characteristic of commercial software. Such transparency is
important for maintaining an effective democracy. Keeping non-secret data
in standards-compliant formats allows anyone to access it without having to
purchase expensive proprietary software. Also, storing secret data in
standards-compliant formats is widely regarding as being more secure than
keeping it in proprietary formats.
(22) With Linux and other free software there is little reason to fear
the existence of backdoors, in large part because all of the source code is
available for inspection. A backdoor is a secret method for obtaining
remote access to a computer. There is a (not unjustified) concern by many
foreign governments and corporations that back doors have been covertly
inserted into proprietary software that could allow the software developer
and agencies of other governments to snoop into their most confidential data.
(23) Using and advocating Linux helps foster a healthy diversity and
increased competition throughout the software industry. Such competition
can promote technological advance, improve performance and lower costs for
open source software and proprietary software alike. Both economic theory
and hundreds of years of real-world experience clearly show that monopolies
have little incentive to innovate, tend to produce shoddy products, charge
inflated prices and tend to corrupt the political system.
(24) Linux and other free software have not only caught up with, or some
cases surpassed, their proprietary counterparts, but they are also
developing at a faster pace8. This trend will accelerate as demand for such
software continues to grow and more and more individuals and organizations
become actively involved it its development.
(25) Linux and other free software provide the opportunity for users to
contribute to the advance of software technology because the source code is
freely available to study, improve, extend and redistribute. This has been
fairly common, and the most notable corporate example has been IBM. In
addition to giving back to the software community and being a virtue in
itself, such contributions can have great public relations value.
There are also several situations in which businesses and other
organizations might benefit from converting their operating systems from
Linux to Microsoft Windows:
(1) An organization that is downsizing its operation and already has
valid but unused licenses for Microsoft Windows might be able to reduce
personnel costs by replacing its Linux experts with Windows administrators,
as the latter can generally be hired for significantly less than Linux
administrators.
(2) Were Microsoft to offer an organization an extremely low cost
incentive package, including providing long-term licenses (and upgrades) at
nominal cost, paying for new hardware and providing free training and
support, this could be a very attractive proposition. In fact, it could be
a win-win situation because of the great publicity value that could accrue
to Microsoft from a company or other organization converting from Linux to
Windows.
________
1For links to articles about some recent conversions to Linux, see Linux
Success Stories, The Linux Information Project, December 2005.
2Linux and most other free software is licensed under the GNU Public
License (GPL). This highly successful license has been specifically
designed to provide as much freedom as possible for users, both in a
monetary sense and with regard to use. The GPL allows anyone to freely
access the source code for software licensed under it in order to study,
use, modify, extend and redistribute it as desired with only the very
minimal requirements of always making the source code for redistributions
of modified versions freely available and including a copy of the GPL text
with the software.
It should be pointed out in this context that there are also compiled
versions of Linux that are not free in a monetary sense, which is also
permitted by the GPL. However, they are not necessarily any better than the
free versions. Businesses and other organizations have the option of
selecting whether they want a free or non-free version, and if they select
the former, they have many distributions from which to choose.
3This is a major reason that Google selected Linux, according to industry
sources.
4Forced upgrades occur when the developer stops supporting an earlier
version of its software, and thus security patches for the newest viruses
and other malware become unavailable and drivers are no longer developed
for new hardware. Thus, many users have little choice but to purchase or
lease the newest version. This can be very costly because of the licensing
fees or other payments that must be made to the software developer or
vendor. Further adding to the cost is the frequent need to purchase new
hardware to accommodate the bloated code in the new versions of the
software. In addition, installing the new software and troubleshooting it
can be very time-consuming for system administrators and disruptive for
business operations.
5 The highly controversial BSA is an international organization that was
set up by major developers of proprietary software. It is empowered by the
mandatory EULAs accompanying such software to make surprise audits on users
and to levy heavy fines in the event of violation.
6 The is the same principle that is employed by public key cryptography
(PKC), which is the most secure form of data encryption. And it is the
opposite of the approach used with proprietary software, for which an
attempt is made to keep the source code secret as a means of hiding
security vulnerabilities.
7 For a more detailed look at the reasons that Linux is the best choice for
use in educational institutions, see Linux and Education, The Linux
Information Project, March 2004.
8Numerous examples could be cited. For example, Apache is the dominant web
server, hosting far more web sites than any of its proprietary
counterparts. Likewise, it is widely agreed that the free Firefox and Opera
web browsers are far more advanced (in terms of security, usability, etc.)
than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is free in a monetary
sense, but it is not free software because the source code is not made
available and users are prohibited from modifying it.