Mortenson Center for International Library Programs

… connecting librarians around the world

Associates Program

Fall 2007

Advantages of Open Source Software

Professor Kristin Vogel

Mortenson Center Instructor

Today’s Agenda

• Defining Open Source Software

• Philosophy & Process

• Open Source: ILS

• Open Source: Institutional Repositories

• Open Access & SPARC

• Open Source: IT & Office Productivity

By the end of today’s sessions:

a. Examination of Open Source Software (OSS) and the background principles and development

b. Exploration of several currently prominent open source packages

What is Open Source Software?

• Open source software (OSS) is software distributed under licenses guaranteeing the rights to freely use, modify, and redistribute the code.

• The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a non-profit corporation that acts as a standards body for open source. – To use the Open Source Initiative Approved

License trademark the software must meet 10 criteria, including Free Redistribution and the Source Code.

Two Models of Software Development & Distribution

• Corporate/Proprietary – Software as commercial product for sale– Cost based on development time, profit margin, etc.– Restrictions on access to source code

• Open Source – Software as contribution – value comes from use and modification– Central concept is freedom– Optional accompanying services may have fees;

generally not a required purchase

Clarification on terminology

Distinction from “free software”– Interactions with Commercial/Proprietary software– Confusion over terms… Open Source and Free

Software• …but people used to ask me, 'What do you mean it's free

software if it costs $150?' . . . The reason they asked this was that they were confused by the multiple meanings of the English word free. One meaning refers to price, and another meaning refers to freedom. When I speak of free software, I'm referring to freedom, not price. So think of free speech, not free beer.“

Richard Stallman, GNU developer

www.gnu.org/events/rms-nyu-2001-transcript.txt

Reading Recommendations

Bretthauer, David. "Open Source Software: A History"  ITAL: Information Technology and Libraries  21(1). (March 2002)

http://www.lita.org/ala/lita/litapublications/ital/2101bretthauer.cfm

– ITAL Abstract:In the thirty years from 1970 to 2000, open source software (OSS) began as an assumption without a name or a clear alternative. It has evolved into a sophisticated movement that has produced some of the most stable and widely used software packages ever produced. This paper traces the evolution of three operating systems: GNU, Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), and Linux, as well as the communities that have evolved with these systems and some of the commonly used software packages developed using the open source model. It also discusses some of the major figures in OSS, and defines both free and open source software.

Philosophy & Process

• “OSS provides the means for the profession to take greater control over the ways computers are used in libraries. OSS is free, but it is free in the same way freedom exists in a democracy. With freedom comes choice. With freedom comes the ability to manifest change. At the same time, freedom comes at a price, and that price is responsibility.

• OSS puts its users in direct control of computer operations, and this control costs in terms of accountability. When the software breaks down, you will be responsible for fixing it. Fortunately, there is a large network at your disposal, the Internet, not to mention the creator of the software who has the same problems you do and has most likely previously addressed the same problem.

• Open source provides the means to say, "We are not limited by our licensed software because we have the ability to modify the software to meet our own ends." Instead of blaming vendors for supporting bad software, instead of confusing the issues with contractual agreements and spending tens of thousands of dollars a year for services poorly rendered, OSS offers an alternative. Be realistic. OSS is free, but not without costs.”

Eric Lease Morgan, University of Notre Damehttp://www.library.nd.edu/daiad/morgan/musings/ossnlibraries/index.shtml

Philosophy & Process• “OSS provides the means for the profession to take greater control over the ways computers are

used in libraries. OSS is free, but it is free in the same way freedom exists in a democracy. With freedom comes choice. With freedom comes the ability to manifest change. At the same time, freedom comes at a price, and that price is responsibility.

• OSS puts its users in direct control of computer operations, and this control costs in terms of accountability. When the software breaks down, you will be responsible for fixing it. Fortunately, there is a large network at your disposal, the Internet, not to mention the creator of the software who has the same problems you do and has most likely previously addressed the same problem.

• Open source provides the means to say, "We are not limited by our licensed software because we have the ability to modify the software to meet our own ends." Instead of blaming vendors for supporting bad software, instead of confusing the issues with contractual agreements and spending tens of thousands of dollars a year for services poorly rendered, OSS offers an alternative. Be realistic. OSS is free, but not without costs.”

Eric Lease Morgan, University of Notre Damehttp://www.library.nd.edu/daiad/morgan/musings/ossnlibraries/index.shtml

Philosophy & Process• “OSS provides the means for the profession to take greater control over the ways computers are used in libraries.

OSS is free, but it is free in the same way freedom exists in a democracy. With freedom comes choice. With freedom comes the ability to manifest change. At the same time, freedom comes at a price, and that price is responsibility.

• OSS puts its users in direct control of computer operations, and this control costs in terms of accountability. When the software breaks down, you will be responsible for fixing it. Fortunately, there is a large network at your disposal, the Internet, not to mention the creator of the software who has the same problems you do and has most likely previously addressed the same problem.

• Open source provides the means to say, ‘We are not limited by our licensed software because we have the ability to modify the software to meet our own ends.’ Instead of blaming vendors for supporting bad software, instead of confusing the issues with contractual agreements and spending tens of thousands of dollars a year for services poorly rendered, OSS offers an alternative. Be realistic. OSS is free, but not without costs.”

Eric Lease Morgan, University of Notre Damehttp://www.library.nd.edu/daiad/morgan/musings/ossnlibraries/index.shtml

Practical Similarities

• Commonalities with Commercial/ Proprietary software– Central developer– Clearinghouse for information and new

releases that incorporate patches, fixes, feature development

– User groups and mailing lists

Summary of Advantages

• Modification is possible

• Modification to meet needs is encouraged

• Join active community of users– Troubleshooting– Development– Training

• Philosophical approach

• Different set of costs

Open Source: ILS

• Koha -- Koha.org• A New Zealand consortium commissioned a company to

develop a Web-based system for use in its libraries• Open source in order for other libraries to use it and

make further improvements.

• Evergreen (previously discussed) -- http://www.open-ils.org/

• eXtensible -- Extensiblecatalog.info• In development phases by the University of Rochester

with a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.• Focused on academic libraries

Open Source: Institutional Repositories

• DSpace http://www.dspace.org University of Illinois IDEALS

• EPrints http://www.eprints.org/softwareCalifornia Institute of Technology

Caltech Authors

• Fedora http://www.fedora-commons.org/University of Virginia

Digital Collections

Open Access & SPARC

• Open Access intersects with Open Source– Scholarly Communication trends

• Breakdown of traditional publishing models– No longer meeting everyone’s needs– Changed environment

– Open Access • Continuity of philosophy – knowledge as

contribution rather than commodity• SPARC http://www.arl.org/sparc/

– Discussed previously by Sarah Shreeves, IDEAL, University of Illinois

Open Source: IT & Office Productivity

• Operating system Linux• Web server Apache• Image manipulation GIMP• Office software suite Open Office

– Spreadsheet, word processor, etc.• Audio editing Audacity• Web design NVU (N-View)• Web content management DRUPALFor more software listings:

SourceForge.netWikipedia listing of open source packages

Windows-based open source applications

Activity: Exploring OSS

Review of Today’s Agenda

• Defining Open Source Software• Two Models of Software Development &

Distribution• Philosophy & Process• Open Source: ILS• Open Source: Institutional Repositories• Open Access & SPARC• Open Source: Office Productivity

Going forward

• Questions??

• One-minute Exercise– Complete

feedback form, please

1. Most helpful item in today’s sessions

2. A way to improve today’s sessions

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