September 2003 — Features
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Making the Switch to Open Source Software
The Benefits of Open Source Software
There are a number of benefits to using open source software. I can't list them all here, but I will focus on some of the more prominent benefits I have experienced. Our initial interest in open source came from the almost unbelievable fact that open source software can be obtained at little or no cost. This is because those who donate their time to open source projects see themselves as part of a community. These programmers desire to have their software shared openly, not controlled or licensed.
The common misconception is to think that because open source software can be obtained for free it is cheap. On the contrary, Linux, for example, is known for its superior stability and quality of design compared to popular proprietary operating systems. This is because the program code is available for anyone to view and improve. Combine this with the ability for thousands of programmers from around the world to collaborate on an open source project using the Internet, and you can see why open source software can compete with and even surpass proprietary software.
As a system administrator, one of the greatest benefits of using open source software is freedom. Many people, even some system administrators, do not fully understand the typical EULA that accompanies today's proprietary software. As software companies continue to protect their intellectual property, software users find themselves bound by more and more restrictive software licenses.
In contrast, GPL gives the end user incredible freedom in the installation, distribution and even modification of open source software. The flexibility of the GPL saved me many hours of installing and configuring the software in our new computer lab. Also, I no longer have to worry about violating some obscure stipulation hidden away in an EULA.
A rather surprising benefit I have seen since switching our computer lab to Linux is the eagerness of children to learn something new and different. In past years, I would often hit a roadblock in my attempts to teach children computer skills using an operating system most had at home. Because it was something the students were familiar with, they saw it as an "old hat," and I had to work hard to foster enthusiasm. With Linux, students dive in with great fascination, almost immediately recognizing that they are learning something new that is cutting edge. This makes it easier to teach the fundamental principles in computer science, which can apply to any application running on any operating system.
Preparing Students for the Real World
This brings up an interesting argument that I have repeatedly heard: "Students are not being prepared for the real world by being taught Linux." This premise is based on the fact that Microsoft currently owns a vast majority of the market share of desktop operating systems and office applications. It was an argument that I once used when comparing our old lab to another computer lab of Apple Macintoshes. However, I was forced to re-evaluate this misconception when I began my lengthy investigation of open source software.
There are two assumptions behind this argument: The first is that the software students learn in school will be the software they use in the workplace.
