Hazel McKendrick » Open Source

Vital Free Software For Computing Students

Hazel — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:25:02 +0000

With universities soon to start back, I’ve been focussing on student software a lot these past couple of weeks. First I suggested some freeware and open source software that all students will find useful. Next I looked at how Open Source software can benefit computing students and why they should try Linux. Today I’m going to suggest some Open Source software which will be particularly beneficial to computing students.

The Text Editor

You weren’t planning on writing code in Notepad were you? When a full featured IDE is too much for the task at hand, these text editors will give you all the features you need without too much bulk. Each of them lets you have multiple files open at once, has syntax highlighting and search and replace functions, and a whole lot more.

Kate (Linux)

gEdit (Linux)

Notepad++ (Windows)

The IDE

Asside from being expensive, Microsoft Visual Studio is closed source, and only runs under Windows. Whether you want something a little lighter, something tailored to your language or just something free, there’s an open source option available. Here are some great choices for a range of platforms.

Eclipse (Cross-Platform)

KDevelop (Linux)

Anjuta (Linux)

Dev-C++ (Windows)

The UML Editor

I’ve looked before at the importance of planning. UML modelling tools make it easy to put together a visual representation of a solution, and to modify it as you work.

Gaphor (Multi Platform)

ArgoUML (Multi Platform)

Umbrello (Linux)

StarUML (Windows

The Mind Mapper

Some times you need do some planning without the constraints of something formal like UML. When you just need to get ideas onto paper (or screen as the case may be), mind mapping can be ideal. These applications help you make maps quickly and easily, and unlike writing them in a notepad, they’re easy to edit later on.

Freemind (Multi Plaform)

Whilst not open source, this online tool can also be useful:

Bubbl.us (Online)

The Source Manager

Whether you’re working alone or as part of a group, losing all of your work is never fun. Source code repositories make it easy to store your code in a seperate location, access it from multiple computers, and revert to older versions when something goes wrong. Several of the IDEs I listed above have support for repositories either natively or through plugins, plus I have listed some stand alone tools below.

CVS

Tortoise CVS (Windows)

Cervisia (Linux)

Subversion

Tortoise SVN (Windows)

KDE SVN (Linux)

Git

The LiveCD

This might seem like an odd choice if you’re not normally a Linux user, however it can be a lifesaver if you experience computer problems. A Live CD can be great for rescuing data before a reinstall if Windows messes up, testing problematic hardware and of course trying out Linux without installing it to your harddrive.
Whilst these distributions might not be the most suitable for long term use, they come with great tools for emergencies.

gParted (Partitioning)

Knoppix (General Purpose)

Backtrack (Security/Pen Testing)

Over To You…

I hope you find some of the items on this list useful. If you have any other great pieces of Open Source software computing students might find beneficial, please share it in a comment below.
If you enjoyed this post, I’d encourage you to check out http://blog.padowi.se, which features an expansive overview of software which could be useful to any developer, an in particular to students.

8 Reasons Why Every Computing Student Will Love Linux

Hazel — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:56:23 +0000

With a lot of schools starting back around now and universities about to begin, we’ve been spending this week looking at software for students. First of all I suggested some useful freeware and open source applications for all students. Then I discussed why computing students should make the most of open source software. Today I want to follow on from that by considering how running Linux can benefit computing students.

Why run Linux in particular?

1. Get experience with a different operating system.

Whilst you can set up Linux to look almost exactly like Windows or Mac, when you get down to the details it is a fundamentally different operating system. Whether or not you prefer using Linux, it’s important to realise that there are alternative ways of doing things. Besides, some experience with Linux or a Unix based OS is vital because…

2. It’s used in many areas of computing.

Although you may see relatively few desktops running Linux, you’ll find considerably more servers which do. Linux is used behind the scenes all over the place: embedded devices, ultra-portable laptops, multiplayer game servers, cloud computing and high performace computing to name but a few. If you want to work in any of these areas, some previous experience with Linux can only help you.

3. You can tweak your system to exactly the way you want it.

Linux is open source, so nothing about your operating system is hidden from you. From the way you want your desktop to appear, to whether you want Blowfish support built into your kernel or compiled as a loadable module, Linux is all about choice.

4. It’s easy to stay up to date and secure.

Linux comes in a multitude of flavours, or distributions, each one with different features, and in many cases a different package manager. Package management is a new concept to a lot of Windows users. Basically, imagine how easy it would be if thousands of pieces of software could be installed, tracked and updated through one central location. No more trawling the web to find a decent CD Burner. No trying to find out which of your applications have newer versions available, and whether you need other software in order to install them. Well, Linux package managers handle all that for you. With a few clicks (or commands if you prefer), you can manage the software you want installed, keeping you up to date and secure.

5. It can be a challenge.

These days, user-friendly distributions like Ubuntu make it easy for even a novice to get a desktop installation up and running smoothly. However, try to get an unusual piece of hardware working, or use a less stable distribution or piece of software, and you’ll probably face a few “challenges”. Now, someone who just want to do some word processing might refer to these as “problems” or “reasons to go back to Windows”, however, I personally find them one of the most exciting features of the operating system. Every time I have a problem, it takes some work and liberal use of everyone’s best friend Google to get over it, but each time I learn a little more about the software I’m using.

6. It runs on a range of hardware.

If you have an older PC lying around, or a laptop that isn’t quite as Vista capable as the shiney sticker on the box made out, Linux can let you get far more out of the hardware. Linux isn’t limited to desktops either, you can try it out on a range of devices from smart phones to games consoles.

7. You don’t even have to install to your harddrive.

If you’re not quite ready to take the step of installing Linux to your harddisk, there are still ways you can try it out. LiveCDs offer you a bootable environment on a CD or DVD so you can try out the OS without making any changes to your computer. You can download LiveCD images of various distributions from their homepages or via bittorrent, or if using the internet is an issue for you, you can order a free Ubuntu CD. Linux magazines also often come with dvds with images of the latest distro releases on them.
If you prefer, you can also install Linux to a USB flash drive or external harddrive to give you a portable version, without re-partitioning your internal harddrive.

8. You don’t have to lose Windows.

If Windows is necessary for some of your work, or you just can’t bear to part with it, you don’t have to give up on installing Linux. It’s easy to set up an environment, either with virtualisation or a native dual-boot install, where you can use either operating system on the same computer.

Over to you…

Do you run Linux? What benefits does it have?

Why Computing Students Should Care About Open Source

Hazel — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:01:28 +0000

As I’ve mentioned before, my university has a pretty successful Linux Society. It welcomes both students and members of the public, and looking at an average meeting you’d probably agree that a decent number of people attend. That is, until you compare that number to the total amount of computing students at the university.
At this point, you’re probably thinking something like

“Linux has a less than 2% market share – why would you be surprised about how few people use it?”

Well, for the general public I wouldn’t be. Be we’re talking about computing students in particular – people who could get a lot of benefit from using Open Source software and running the Linux operating system.

Why Care About Open Source Software?

1. It gives you access to hundreds of free applications.

If you’re a student, software probably isn’t something you’ll want to spend limited funds on. Although open source software can be sold, many applications are completely free. Most people have probably heard of the big names in the open source world – the likes of Open Office, The Gimp and Firefox, but if you care to search you’ll find there is much more on offer. Whilst there are plenty of open source applications you can run under Windows and Mac, if you choose to install Linux there’s even more on offer and getting hold of them is easy too.

2. More contributers mean better software.

Since the source code of applications is available for other developers to review and modify, programs tend to become secure and high quality. Whilst some may be buggy, software tends to be updated regularly and fixes quickly become available. You can help by reporting bugs to the application’s maintainer if you come across them, or helping to fix them.
As Eric S. Raymond said in his highly recommended book The Cathedral and The Bazaar:

“Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.”

3. Find out how things work.

With a proprietary program, if you want to make a change or see why the application works, you’re out of luck. With a piece of open source software the source code is always available to you, and you’re free to modify it.

4. You can afford to contribute for free.

As a student, you’re in a great position which you might never be in again in your lifetime – you have found a way to get to university or college and hopefully have funding for the next few years. Whether you have scholarships, work part time, or have taken out a loan, you probably aren’t working full time and can afford to do something for free. If that something also helps you with the subject you are studying – all the better. While you are a student is a great time to develop for and contribute to a relevant open source project, and perhaps even apply to Google Summer of Code.

5. You can boost your coursework.

Depending on your course and your lecturer, you might be able to integrate open source software to boost your coursework. Obviously I’m not talking about plagiarism or using someone elses work as your own, but if you are allowed and declare them properly in your references, open source software and libraries can save you re-writing a working piece of code, and let you focus on more exciting parts of your project. If you can contribute and give something back in the process, even better.

6. Get experience of working with other people.

Whether you are simply getting an application working, submitting bug reports, or actually helping develop it, you’re going to have to work with other people. When much of your time at university will be spent working on your own, contributing to a project can be a great way to get some experience of developing software as part of a group. As well as aiding your communication skills and letting you learn from more experienced developers, you’ll also gain an understanding of the importance of vital resources such as source code repositories.

7. Become part of the community.

Open source has a huge community surrounding it, from end users to developers. Communicating with other people though forums, mailing lists and IRC channels is easy, letting you share help and support with others. It can also give you some great recommendations for other software to try, and aid you in finding some inspiration for your next project.

Over to you…

To what extent do you make use of open source software?
Do you have any other reasons why it’s great, or perhaps a tip for computing students (including myself)?
Check back in the next few days or subscribe to the site RSS feed to learn why computing students should consider running Linux, and for a list of recommened open source software.

12 Essential Free Applications For Students

Hazel — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:05:19 +0000

It’s getting late in the summer and many of us will soon be heading back to school or university. With student budgets running pretty tight, it’s important to make the most of open source software and freeware. This guide gives an overview of vital set of applications for students of any discipline, whether you have a new computer or just want to get more out of an old one.

Office Suite

1. Open Office

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.
Open Office contains all the functionality of Microsoft Office and then some: document and spreadsheet editors, drawing, database functionality and even powerpoint-style presentation creation. It is also fully compatible with Microsoft Office documents so there are no problems opening .ppt files or saving your documents as a .doc to hand in. You can also export work as PDF – ensuring it will look exactly the same no matter who opens it.

Web Browser

2. Mozilla Firefox

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.
If you aren’t using Firefox already, why not? Now in its third reincarnation Firefox is faster and more secure than ever. Although Internet Explorer may now support tabbed browsing, nothing offers the level of customisability now available with Firefox. Aside from theming the browser to get it looking just how you want, you can easily download and install extensions which add even more functionality, such as add blockers and social networking plugins.

3. Opera

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
If you’re looking for something a little lighter in weight or easier to use than Firefox, Opera is also a great choice. It has several great features already built in such as speed dial: images of your favourite bookmarks to select from when you start up your browser, as well as email and newsfeed readers. However, it is also easy to skin the browser for a new look or add widgets, mini applications to sit on your desktop.

Email reader, RSS reader and Organiser

4. Mozilla Thunderbird with Lightning

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.
Whilst webmail makes it easy to check your email from any computer, it can still be useful to be able to download and view all your mail from one central location. Thunderbird makes it easy to get hold of your mail from several accounts and sort it automatically.
As well as this, Thunderbird works as an RSS reader. This means you can subscribe to news feeds from websites and have the latest content delivered straight to your PC as they are updated. If you haven’t used RSS feeds before they can be a great way to save time hunting the web for your favourite sites – if the site you want has a feed look for a ‘Subscribe’ button on the page or see if there is a little orange icon in the address bar in Firefox.
Like Firefox, Thunderbird allows you add functionality by installing extensions. A fantastic one to look at is Lightning. It adds a calender and to-do list to the email client, making it easy to manage your time from one location. If you don’t want to use Thunderbird, you can also download Lightning as a standalone application.

Graphics Editing

5. The Gimp

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
At some point, most people are going to need to edit an image, or produce some sort of graphic. The Gimp is an application with far more power than the simple Paint program that comes with your OS, without the price tag of Photoshop. Whilst it is a flexible and advanced tool, bear in mind that the Gimp is not meant to be Photoshop, it is just an alternative. It has it’s own user interface and way of doing things which can take some time to learn, although it isn’t hard for a novice to find the key features.

6. Picasa

Platform: Windows, Linux and Mac
The Gimp can be a little bit bulky and confusing if you just want to organise and alter your photos – that’s where Picasa comes in. Picasa was released by Google and allows you to sort your photos on your hard disk, as well as making it easy to share them on the web. You can also crop and resize them, alter the colours and contrast and play with a few simple effects. The application is incredibly easy to use but also offers a good range of options, and you can perform an action to a set of photos in just a couple of clicks.

Instant Messaging

7. Pidgin

Platform: Windows, Linux (check Adium if you’re using a Mac)
Whilst the Microsoft MSN client is free to download, it only has support for one chat protocol. Pidgin however, supports over a dozen different protocols, and you can be logged in on different accounts simultaneously. As well as the ability to use Yahoo!, AIM and MSN, Pidgin has support for useful services like Google Talk and IRC. Pidgin is lacking webcam and voice chat right now, however as it is constantly being developed that should be available in future.

8. Skype

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
Skype’s primary purpose is to allow you to make free calls across the internet to other people using the service. That is far from it’s only use though. It can also be used to make low cost phone calls to landlines and mobiles, send SMS messages, instant message other users, and make free video calls. Because Skype is designed for audio messaging, the sound quality can be higher than other services, and with many international users, it can be a great way to practice language skills. It is also easy to find users who meet certain criteria and want to talk in order to make new friends.

CD and DVD Burning

9. Infrarecorder

Platform: Windows
A lot of courses are going to need you to submit coursework on a CD at some point. If you need something with more features than the default Windows burner but without the high cost of buying Nero, Infrarecorder is a good, lightweight choice. It integrates with Windows Explorer and burns a range of different media, including dual layer DVDs and multisession disks. It also allows you to record disk image files such as .isos.

Security

10. AVG

Platform: Windows
If you are running Windows, connecting to the internet without some sort of anti-virus software is putting your data at risk. AVG is a free virus and spyware scanner which allows you to run a regular, unintrusive scan of your computer. The program is regularly updated (just make sure you allow it to download updates) to stay on top of the latest threats. For the paranoid, there are also low-cost premium versions available with even more protection.

11. PeerGuardian

Platform: Windows, Mac, (Linux users check MoBlock)
If you’ve even so much as considered using Peer to Peer software (such as bittorrent) you’ll want to get hold of PeerGuardian right away. The application allows you to cease communications with certain IPs and maintains lists of those you might wish to block, such as government addresses, those releated with spyware and those who might compromise your privacy using P2P. Bear in mind that whilst PeerGuardian does make it safer to use bittorrent for copyright infringement, many people use the protocol for legal downloads and this application will help to protect their privacy.

12. Comodo Products

Platform: Windows
Comodo offers a range of free products to help your security. Their firewall is fairly unintrusive and is easy to use and update, and easily one of the best available for free. Another interesting utility is Comodo Backup, which allows you to make automatic backups of your data on your PC, accross a network or to CD/DVD. Comodo also offers a range of premium security products however I’ve found their free software to be more than sufficient.

Over To You…

Hopefully you’ll find some of these pieces of software useful and save some money on buying costly alternatives. If you have any other pieces of freeware or open source software which you think others might like please feel free to share it in a comment below.

If you enjoyed this post, please also check out Mike’s List of Multimedia Software. He has added some great applications, particularly if you are interested in audio or video editing.

Steps To Join The Open Source Community

Hazel — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:59:43 +0000

In my previous post I wrote about how, despite the fact geeks are known for hiding away on their own, Linux and Open Source software has a huge community surrounding it. Here I hope to give some more practical advice and links to help newer users get involved.

Forums

There are hundreds of Open Source related forums all over the internet, some for a specific program or Linux distribution, others aimed at new users and yet more dealing with anything and everything. If there is something relating to Linux you want to discuss, there will be a forum out there where you can talk about it.

The best part is, all you need to do is sign up and immediately you can read through a whole lot of useful information, get help, and talk with other Linux users.

Some Popular Forums:

Mailing Lists

Mailing lists tend to be more specific than forums, dealing with only a particular geographical area or an application. Users communicate through email, with every one you send being shared with every other person in the group. Writing to one can be a great way to meet people and get support.

Some Mailing Lists:

Linux User Groups

User groups can be a good way to meet other Linux users in person, or talk to people near you through a mailing list. Meeting other new users can really help you see that you are not alone with your problems, and get some tips from more experienced users.

Some User Group Sites

I hope that this post will help some newer users become part of the vast and active Open Source community. If you’ve joined a group and are now looking for technical help, I’ll be following this up with a guide to finding solutions and asking questions in the next couple of days.

If you have any other tips and links you’d like to share, please share them in the comments.

New Linux User? Be Social.

Hazel — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:04:29 +0000

I just got back from a fortnightly meeting with Abertay Linux Society. It’s a pretty casual event – some weeks people give talks on Linux related (and unrelated) topics or we discuss the promotion of Linux to other users, this week we sat in the bar to talk about Software Freedom Day. There are are wide variety of members too, from experienced developers and veteran users to students wanting help with their first install.

I consider myself pretty lucky to be in an area with an active group where I can talk to other Linux users face to face. However, even before I came to Dundee I was far from alone – I contacted people through forums, IRC and mailing lists. Not only can I get technical help but it’s good just to chat about new technologies, share resources and links and continue to learn about the OS. When I have a problem or need advice, I’m never alone. There is always a range of people willing to offer suggestions and advice.

If you’ve been a part of the Open Source community for a while this probably all seems obvious, a natural part of your every day life. But for an average Windows user, an operating system is simply something you run. It’s not something worth talking to your friends about. It’s not a topic you would join a forum to discuss. Of course there are groups of evangelists and developers but for someone who simply uses the Windows operating system for day-to-day tasks becoming part of community about it seems unlikely.

So perhaps when we introduce people to Linux, it’s something we need to actually point out. Encourage our neighbour who now has Fedora on their laptop to join LinuxChix. Point out forums and message boards to our newly converted parents. Not only will it mean less tech-support calls for us, but becoming part of a community will help inexperienced users stick with Linux, and share it with others. It’s one of the most talked about benefits of Open Source – let’s not leave anyone out.

For The Glory Of The Hive

Hazel — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:59:59 +0000

Honeypots by Avmaier.

My previous post on abandoning my own project in favour of a more popular and complete one got me thinking. If everyone was to do the same, surely open source software would be even more successful… or perhaps die entirely. Here are my thoughts on the consequences of such action.

More Contributors

Of course, almost all pieces of open source software will be built by and contributed to by many people, sometimes hundreds or even possibly thousands. If everyone was to give up on their personal projects to work on something that was already successful, surely each project could only become stronger, and more useful to everyone.

…But No Innovation

However most projects won’t know right at the start whether they are destined to be big… so many potentially great ideas could be given up in favour of software that exists already. Every project has to start somewhere.

More Complete Software

Of course, having more people working on software means more perspective, more ideas for where it could be taken. If all the effort spent on several projects was combined into one, surely it would offer more features and be useful to more people.

…But No Choice

Choice is commonly regarded as the foundation of the open source community. For example, I choose to use Gentoo Linux, because its package manager suits my needs. If I wanted something more use friendly, I might choose Ubuntu Linux or Fedora. No matter how great a piece of software is, it’s unlikely to be able to cater to everyone – focusing on particular key pieces of software would lose this diversity.

More Expert Opinions

Experienced developers working on software for their own use could benefit everyone if instead the contributed to a bigger project.

…But No Enthusiasm

Few developers would start a personal project unless it was an idea they liked and wanted to work on. Feeling forced to contribute to someone else’s project for the greater good of the community rather than because they liked it themselves could never be as productive or fulfilling.So at the end of the day, I think starting new, small projects is hugely important, it’s when you start repeating work done by someone else that you should stop and think about whether it’s necessary. It’s vital that a lot of people contribute to existing projects, but it’s just as necessary for there to be new, innovative and different projects to compete. As with everything, balance is key.

What do you think?
Have you given up on your own project to contribute to something bigger, or do you enjoy the satisfaction of working on your own idea?