the free software history and communities’ journey ahead

What we can learn and expect from freedom@ricardoamaro

The Free Software History and Communities’ journey ahead

Free/Opensource software loverSenior Cloud Engineer @AcquiaDrupal.org infrastructure/devopsDrupalist & Linux enthusiast

Father, artist, community facilitator

@ricardoamaro

About me

1. Free Software History (Software Livre)

2. The GPL License

3. GNU/Linux

4. Freedom Challenges

5. Why Free Software?

6. Trust your computer

7. Choose your future

today’s agenda

• In the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s, it was normal for computer users to have the freedoms that are provided by free software. Software was commonly shared by individuals who used computers and by hardware manufacturers who were glad that people were making software that made their hardware useful.

History

rights

what is going on?

• While some software might have always remained free, there was a growing amount of software that was for sale only. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the software industry began using technical measures (such as only distributing binary copies of computer programs) to prevent computer users from being able to study and modify software. In 1980 copyright law was extended to computer programs and in 1981 the first Software patent was issued in the US.

History

rights

what is going on?

• In 1983, Richard Stallman, longtime member of the hacker community at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory announced the GNU Project, saying that he had become frustrated with the effects of the change in culture of the computer industry and its users. Software development for the GNU Operating System began in January 1984, and the Free Software Foundation (FSF) was founded in October 1985. He developed a free software definition and the concept of "copyleft", designed to ensure software freedom for all.

Evolution

what is going on?

rights

The first formal definition of free software was published by FSF in February 1986. That definition, written by Richard Stallman, is still maintained today and states that software is free software if people who receive a copy of the software have the following four freedoms:

What is Free Software?

0 (use) The freedom to run the program for any purpose.

1 (study) The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.

2 (copy & share) The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.

3 (modify & distribute) The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

What is Free Software?

It’s called GPL :General Public License

The majority of Free and OpenSource Software

uses it.

what is going on?

…

Linux Distro History

Gnu/Linux

1993

1995

1998

what is going on?

what is going on?

Free and Opensource Software for everything you can imagine in life

● Antivirus Software● Application Servers● Astronomy Software● Audio Software● Backup Software● BitTorrent Clients● Business Software● CD Writing Software● Compilers and Interpreters● Computer-aided Design Software● Content Management Systems● Data Compression Software● Database Management Systems● Desktop Environments● Development Toolkits and Libraries● Educational Software● Email Software● File Managers● File Transfer Software

● Games● GIS Software● 2D Graphics Software● 3D Graphics Software● Groupware● HTML Editors● Image Galleries● Instant Messengers● Internet Forum Software● IRC Clients● Learning Support Software● Mathematics Software● Media Players● Multimedia codecs, Containers, and Splitters● Network management software● Note-taking Software● Office Suites● Operating Systems

● PDF Software● Personal information managers● Project Management Software● Revision Control software● Science Software● Search Engine Software● Special Purpose File Systems● Spreadsheets● System software● Television Software● TeX Software● Text Editors● Usenet Clients● Video Software● VoIP software● Web Browsers● Window Managers● Windowing Systems● Word Processors

But this freedom is not only on Software...

It extends to knowledge,

culture and especially

human rights!

what is going on?

1 - Social Networks and your privacy

2 - Your computer should trust you

3 - Free Software = freedom of choice, speech, association & expression

Freedom Challenges

Have you ever thought about your privacy?

Facebook, Google+ and others admittedly archive and use your data for their own benefit and for governments control.

Ps. It’s not only for advertisements anymore…

Social Networks

From: https://www.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy

We may enable access to public information that has been shared through our services.We may allow service providers to access information so they can help us provide services.(...)

We may access, preserve and share your information in response to a legal request (...) This may include responding to legal requests from jurisdictions outside of the United States (...) We may also access, preserve and share information (...) to protect ourselves, you and others, including as part of investigations;

Information we receive about you, including financial transaction data related to purchases made with Facebook, may be accessed, processed and retained for an extended period of time(...)

Facebook’s example

If you’re not paying for a product

and they still earn money, then

you probably are the product.

“free” hosted services

...and you are cool with that?

fine :)

But there are options!

Solutions:

Diaspora, Friendica, FreeNet

https://gitorious.org/social/pages/ProjectComparison

Own your data rights (if you care)

…or just socialize for real

Your computer should trust you

and you should trust your computer

Free has in Freedom

A backdoor to the NSA, called “Trusted Computing” developed and promoted by the Trusted Computing Group, founded a decade ago by the all-American tech companies AMD, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Wave Systems. Its core element is a chip, the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and an operating system designed for it, such as Windows 8.

Trusted computing

Does your computer trust you?

TPM 2.0

is a malicious feature or a “backdoor”

http://investmentwatchblog.com/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-links-the-nsa/

Apple and other vendors apply “Digital Restrictions Management” or“digital handcuffs” on their Software.

These are technical mechanisms designed to impose restrictions on computer users. Mainly regarding access to content and data that you should have the right to control.

DRM

The solution is Free Software

My Gnu/Linux Desktop

Own your Computer!

http://distrowatch.com/

“Don’t declare victory and ignore the danger.”

Richard Stallman

Because corporations profit justifies any means...

Change is much easier than you think! :)

Communities like Drupal, Linux, DevOps, Libreoffice are building their own tools for that…

Why?!

but… but… but...

“The reason why open source happened, the reason it started, was because the people who make software are artists and craftsmen. They are not just mindless drones, that show up every day and put in their hours. They spend their evenings, their weekends, unbelievable amounts of time crafting this software. And they wanna see it used by the most people, and they wanna see it used for the best purposes, typically, and they didn’t see that happening in the proprietary software world, not any of the proprietary software companies. And so they decided – because they could – to write their own world!”

Danese Cooper - Drupal Association Board Member

Artists and craftsmen

http://www.transformingfreedom.org/hyperaudio/software-monopolies-and-open-source

“And so they decided – because they could –

to write their own world!”

Danese Cooper - Drupal Association Board Member

http://www.transformingfreedom.org/hyperaudio/software-monopolies-and-open-source