Paw Prints: Writings of the maddog

TCO of FOSS vs Closed Source: Mr. Bacil, you are wrong

Dec 19, 2019 GMT

Today I received a link to a news article from Brazili where first-term Parana state deputy Emerson Bacil of Jair Bolsonaro's PSL party is proposing to change a law that prefers Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) used by government over closed source, proprietary software. Mr. Bacil claims that this is necessary because the software is not “free”...it has maintenance and updating costs that have to be considered, and that free software vendors would not provide assistance at the level the government required. Mr. Bacil thinks that the software should be chosen on a case-by-case basis depending on what is needed, including security and confidentiality.The law, written in 2003,...

IBM Purchase of Red Hat Software: There is No Fear Except Fear Itself – with Thanks to FDR

Oct 29, 2018 GMT

IBM bought Red Hat Software.The world wide web is alive with the news, and many of the people who have worked and used Red Hat in the last 25 years are lamenting the “fall” of their beloved company and software.I understand how they feel. The first company I worked for, Aetna Life and Casualty is much smaller than it used to be through various economic reasons. The college I taught at, Hartford State Technical College, was merged with the state community colleges and is not even mentioned today. Bell Laboratories, renamed Lucent and broken off from the world's largest telephone company, purchased by Alcatel, then by Nokia. Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), once the second...

Subutai: Peer-to-peer, private, secure, stable cloud software that gives you control

Sep 19, 2017 GMT

I have been using the equivalent of “Open Source” since 1969.   My entire time in the computer industry has been spent: writing software using software written by the companies that employed me (so I had access to the sources) using code freely written by others for their own use, then contributed to software repositories for others to use I have used software from the GNU project since the mid-1980s and since 1994, of course I used GNU/Linux.I have never personally used software from Apple or Microsoft either at home or (unless circumstances forced me) at work.  I resisted using closed-source software of every type.During the last twenty-three (almost the magic...

LPIC OT DevOPs Engineer - Request for help in the Job Task Analysis (JTA)

Dec 26, 2016 GMT

Some of my readers may know that I am the Chair for the Board of Directors of the Linux Professional Institute (LPI).  Like many things I do, this is a volunteer job, and I could not do it without help from many other volunteers.Founded in 1999, LPI was created as a Canadian based non-profit to “certify users of computer software programs” and “facilitate the exchange of information between computer users”. Since that time LPI has delivered over 500,000 tests, and currently has over 200,000 certificate holders in over 180 countries.The certifications so far are on four major levels, known as “LPI Linux Essentials (LE)”, “Linux Administrator (LPIC-1)”, “Linux Systems...

Free and Open Source: Economics, not Politics

Nov 02, 2016 GMT

“Open Source” has been prominent in Brazil for over ten years. During that time Free and Open Source Software and Hardware (FOSSH) has become associated with the PT political party. However, the use of Open Source Software, Hardware and Culture is not a political issue, but an economic issue that benefits every Brazilian citizen, and therefore should be embraced by every Brazilian political party. This paper will outline why FOSSH should be a major policy of every Brazilian political party.  While it is answering a particular current problem in Brazil, it can be used in almost any country.In the paper below, the term “end user customer” is the actual user of the solution,...

True Love … and Microsoft Love

Sep 21, 2016 GMT

"Microsoft Loves Linux." "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." – Inigo Montoya, "Princess Bride" Over the past year I have heard with increasing volume about how much Microsoft loves Linux. However, I would like to substitute another word for “love”, then tell you why I feel that way.I think that Microsoft "tolerates" Linux, and that “tolerance”, if used on someone who is supposed to be a loved one, would probably quickly cause a divorce. This is why I refuse to say “I do” to Microsoft, having fought for marriage equality I value real marriage and real love too much.I know there are people inside...

"You Keep Using That Word; I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means"

Jul 18, 2016 GMT

Recently I was in a book store and saw two books, both related to "hackers". One was "Hacking for Dummies" by Kevin Beaver and the other was "CEH: The Certified Ethical Hacker Practice Exams" by Matt Walker. I posted pictures of these two books on my Facebook page, and for the second one used the classic quote of "Inigo Montoya" from the movie Princess Bride:"You Keep Using That Word; I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means". Shortly after that a friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook:"In the school I am teaching there are at least two "Certified Ethical Hackers". I stand in awe about it. Never heard about it,...