Linux and opensource. Operating Systems

1. The Future of OpenSource
By: Khawar Nehal
th
24 March 2005
PAF­KIET
CEO Applied Technology Research Center
Assistant Registrar : PIMSAT

2. OpenSource Defined
Open source promotes software reliability and quality by
supporting independent peer review and rapid evolution of
source code.

4. Pervasive Computing
Computers and Software has become more of a commodity
which everyone uses rather than the expensive things which only
a few companies had in the 1960s and 1970s.

5. Patents
A patent is granted to the inventor of a new device to ensure that
the device can enjoy protection against the competition.

6. Groups
All types of development. Not just software
Collaborative Development
Open Source
GNU
Linux

7. Types of Players
Old time Hackers and Enthusiasts : (Not for profit)
Example : Linux Pakistan, LPI Pakistan
Effective profitable support companies : (For Profit)
Example : ATRC, PING, Arpatech, OpenTech, Mandrake,
Suse
New Open Source capitalists based on real support and
integration
( Not 100% open source based )
Example : IBM, HP

8. Types of Players
Attempting Commercial Sellers :
Example : RedHat
Attempting Monopoly Creators :
Example : Microsoft (Desktop), Oracle (Databases), SCO
Unix

9. Desktop Momentum
95% of the people in the world are afraid of change.
Revolutions are always destructive; they are justified if the
benefit strongly outweighs the damage.
Most of the momentum is towards Microsoft and other
commercial softwares on the Desktop.

11. Linux Momentum
Linux has a large penetration and now some heavy momentum
in the servers arena.
The Linux Desktop has evolved to such an extent that it should
not be too hard for anyone to adopt it.
Many people who tried the “not so great” desktop several years
ago need to be shown the new desktop of today.

13. Linux Momentum
ATRC is asking clients these days if they can find anything
missing in the Linux desktop and they can not find anything
missing.
Some ask for drivers for some hardware and some more
automation of the USB Flash Drive.

15. Lack of Business and Gaming Applications
Businesses find a need for many small applications and tools for
special tasks. Linux has a plethora of tools for programmers
because these have been its main “customers.” Linux will not
have a similar large, overlapping set of small, useful business
applications until it has become the “default” platform for a
significant portion of an industry.

17. Lack of Business and Gaming Applications
Right now, because Linux is a new platform, this is lacking, and
the lack is a hindrance to acceptance by some potential users,
who find that The Other Platform has a larger inventory of
ready­made business tools. This is a classic bootstrapping
phenomenon; a large inventory is a sign of dominance which the
Linux platform has not yet achieved.

19. How problems are solved
Whenever there is a problem or issue in the OpenSource
community then someone comes up with the brilliant idea of
starting a project. In the rest of the world they suggest the
creation of committees.
The project spends years on creating a solution to the problem
while committees waste hours to create useless “minutes”.

21. The Business Applications Project
There now exists a project on the issue.
Business applications are more likely to be built on Java. To
increase their value and lifespan over multiple platforms.

23. Home­software deficiencies
Linux has only about 2% of the desktop market, and hardly any
home users.
Strong influences for adoption of Microsoft platforms has been
the familiarity of executives with Windows at home and on
laptops, and the analytic power of spreadsheets.

24. Home­software deficiencies
Linux has only about 2% of the desktop market, and hardly any
home users.
Strong influences for adoption of Microsoft platforms has been
the familiarity of executives with Windows at home and on
laptops, and the analytic power of spreadsheets.

26. Adoption Possibilities
There are only two major “home” software vendors left:
Quicken and Adobe. If both were to aggressively port their
software to Linux, home use of Linux would promptly increase
incrementally. Interestingly, in Europe, the standard is that tax
software is supplied by the government as in Finland, Denmark,
and Germany.

28. Old users want the same bugs.
Another factor is that people become accustomed to the
peculiarities of the dominant applications; these special
characteristics are, on sober reflection, not at all necessary for
functionality or even best use. But reviewers often act as though
they are: if the competing product does not duplicate the
functionality of the dominant one, right down to the warts, then
it's said to be “incomplete.” Windows' faults and poor design
decisions thus become benchmarks for the ignorant.

29. New users shall be more accepting
As more new users are introducted to Linux. They are the ones
which shall lead the transition to linux and opensource.
They shall be considered newbies by the novice users.
The novice users shall be surprised to hear that the newbies find
Linux to be easier and better in many ways to the old systems
which they are accustomed to using.

31. Growth of OpenSource Increasing.
The growth of open source all over is increasing daily and
inevitable because of the attractiveness of the Linux platform.
The rate of its entrance into non­technological firms will depend
on the information about it getting to non­technical users, who
are kept from efficiency and reliability by ignorance of which
they are unaware. Students like you can make the people aware
of the benefits of OpenSource for businesses worldwide.

33. Microsoft Adoption Percentage
Microsoft Ports their software onto a platform when it passes the
45% penetration mark.

35. Microsoft Adoption Percentage
Example : Frontpage Extenstions for Apache.
Expected date of Microsoft Office for Linux : 2007­2008

36. Linux for Internet Access
To the extent that a growing number of adults and children use
their home computers mostly for Internet access, to the extent
that they become aware that their susceptibility to viruses and
the risk of cracker invasion and use of their system is chiefly due
to the platform, home use of Linux will increase. But we have
no marketing clout.

37. Linux for Internet Access
Linux dances on the Internet.

38. Managerial Indifference
Managers are like reporters: they think they run the world, but
unfortunately they have no expertise in any of the important
technical areas that actually make the world work. Many
recognize this, and function well by consulting experts and
underlings as necessary. Many do not recognize this, and trudge
along unaware of powerful tools and technology that could
make their enterprises more efficient.

40. Managerial Indifference
Unfortunately, managerial ignorance of the power, robustness,
reliability, and superior manageability of open source software
and familiarity with the Unreliable Desktop, combined with a
steady flow of falsity from Microsoft in the media, have meant
that Open Source has had slow growth in industry. Open Source
had adequate tools for most ordinary business needs five years
ago; now there is no essential desktop functionality unavailable
within the OS community.

42. Two Types of Ignorance
Cluelessness refers to the state of being ignorant but ignorantly
crashing along as if fully knowledgeable. This is a form of
innocent ignorance.
Stupidity refers to the state of ignorance that is aware that others
hold different knowledge or conclusions, but assumes that they
are misinformed or wrong; stupidity is characterized as well by
taking unwise actions, often based on the wrong assumption of
full knowledge.

43. A Linux Cluster
Supercomputing is
impossible with
Operating Systems
like Windows.

44. Ignorance
Ignorance is a danger to open source, and benefits the
monopolist. At one time the ignorance that open source exists
was widespread, but there continues to be ignorance about the
reliability of the OS, availability of training and support,
availability of tools, of the power and flexibility of collaborative
development, etc.

46. Ignorance
This is in large part due to the aggressive misinformation
campaign that Microsoft has waged in the technical and lay
media. Ignorance of Open Source strengths of course delays
appropriate acceptance and gains traction for the Monopolist's
vendor­lock goals.

48. So who is going to win ?

50. The Future of
OpenSource !

60. Further Information
Khawar Nehal
Applied Technology
Research Center.
khawar@atrc.net.pk
92­333­2335380
92­21­4980523