Software Freedom Day celebrated

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Balram navigates cyberspace like any other net surfer. The visually-challenged youngster, however, uses a different set of tools to scan online newspapers and browse e-mail messages.
Mr. Balram has reason to become a die-hard advocate of free software. Addressing a function organised here on Saturday as part of the ‘Software Freedom Day,’ he explained how packages like Ubuntu and ORCA had enabled him to overcome his physical constraints and explore the cyberworld like any other youth.
The programme was organised by the GNU/ Linux Users Group, Thiruvananthapuram, Free Software Foundation of India and Society for Promotion of Alternative Computing and Employment (SPACE).
Addressing a seminar held in connection with the event, noted campaigners for free software activists spoke on the applications available for various user groups and their advantages.
Representatives of the Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board and the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications spoke on how the adoption of free software had changed the functioning of their offices over the last one year. Institute director K.Pappootty explained how patent and copyright laws had led to the privatisation and monopolisation of knowledgeIT adviser to the government Joseph Mathew said the proposed International Centre for Free and Open Source Software in Kerala would harness free software for the development of technology in various sectors.
The event also included the screening of two films, Elephant Dreams and Big Buck Bunny, and a documentary titled Steal this Film, all produced using the Blender free software.
Demonstration of free software applications for the differently-abled and desktop effects were also arranged as part of the event. Another highlight was a tutorial for students and others interested in computer programming. A Freedom Toaster vending machine installed at the venue evoked a good response from those interested in installing free and open source software. As many as 40 students, teachers and technical experts participated in the workshop.
Report courtesy: The Hindu dated 21 Sept 2008

Google launches Chrome

Localizationforum in Chrome browser

Reacting to the surprise announcement by Google last week of its own browser offering, named Chrome, the authoritative ‘Information Week’ wrote: “The desktop is dying. Long live the browser.” And it is right on target.
The web’s search leader offers GMail, a web-based email service; GoogleTalk, a web voice call and chat client; GoogleDocs, virtually an office suite on the web; Orkut, a web social networking site, and GoogleMaps, the ultimate tool to understand where on earth you stand (literally!).
With Chrome, Google has virtually carpeted the average Internet user’s entire span of experience and, more importantly, shifted everything to the ‘Cloud’, a fashionable term for the enveloping cloud of Net-based applications and services.
Chrome is available for free download with a button, the Google search engine ( http://www.google.com/). It is a fairly slim 7 MB download and the opening page is starkly simple like all Google offerings. This can change fast because the page is quickly populated — by you. Different browser
Unlike other browsers, Chrome does not fill the page with default offerings but uses most of the space for 9 window panes — the nine pages you have visited most frequently in the past. To have web pages download fast, Chrome’s development team, headed by Google’s vice-president for Product Management, Sundar Pichai (a B.Tech from IIT-Kharagpur and M.S. from Stanford University, U.S.) decided not to reinvent the wheel, so to speak: it just took the Webkit rendering engine used by Apple’s Safari browser. Ironically, there is no Chrome version for Apple’s Mac PCs — yet, it works, now only with Windows.
In a videoconference briefing for The Hindu, from his lab in Mountain View, California, Mr. Pichai explained that Chrome was released as an Open Source project. This means the source code is available for developers to build their own applications. The fruit of two years work, Chrome does away with annoying pop-ups and dialogue boxes; seamlessly integrates search and navigation functions and allows users to surf “incognito” — erasing all trails of where they surfed.
Will satisfied users of Internet Explorer, Firefox or Opera shift to Chrome? It remains to be seen; but if you are already a heavy user of Google’s tools it might make good sense to put all your web-hatched eggs in one big basket called Chrome!
Report courtesy: The Hindu

KDE release: proud moments

Group discussions at Kanakakkunnu palace

Ee alternate free standards approach engane
nadappilaakkum?


Vimal , Mahesh sir , Ragsagar, Shyam_k, Kiran,
Libregeek, Santhosh and Anivar


Chandrettan , Jaison, Hiran, Pravi and Ani

Praveen, Anivar, Ani Peter, Sushma

KDE release party at Trivandrum in photos

Santhosh makes the introductory speech


Mr Teeka Ram Meena logs into the new Malayalam
enabled KDE 4.1 .....


From Left, Standing : Chandrettan, Anoop(Gnuanu), Vimal,
Manilal, Mangalat sir , Praveeninte thala , Anivar, Shyam_K ,
Ani chechi, Kurian, Sreeranj, Ragsagar, Sushma. From Left ,
sitting : Mobin, Rajiv ( Mandoos ), Syam Krishnan ( ISS ..) ,
Jaisan , Kiran, Santhosh, Hiran

Localized KDE Screenshots

International free software centre at Trivandrum

Kochi: The Kerala State Information Technology Mission is keen to set up the proposed International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) by December this year.
In order to achieve this, M. Arun, secretary, Free Software Foundation of India and coordinator, Society for Promotion of Alternative Computing and Employment (SPACE), has been appointed its ‘special officer.’ The Centre will be located in Thiruvananthapuram.
Concurrent with the launch of the Centre, the government will hold an international seminar on ‘Free Software, Free Society: Freedom in Computing, Development and Culture’ with a view to highlighting the State’s feats in FOSS. It is also aimed at formulating a consortium of FOSS-related organisations the world over.
“We expect several developing countries in Asia and Latin America, especially countries like Brazil and Venezuela that have some experience of developing free software for public/private sectors, to participate in the seminar,” said Mr. Arun. Naturally, collaborative development of commercial Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages will be high on the agenda of ICFOSS.Logistic clearances
Meanwhile, the Information Technology Department is on an overdrive to obtain logistic clearances from the government for the project. It is in consultation with several experts, including free software guru Richard Stallman, in a bid to broaden the scope of ICFOSS.
“The focus is as much on spreading the philosophy of freedom as it is on the technicalities involved,” said Joseph C. Mathew, IT Adviser to the Chief Minister. The government, on its part, has earmarked Rs.60 lakh for the project.
Rahul De of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, has already submitted the mission plan for ICFOSS. He feels that the Centre “is going to be a pioneering institution for promoting FOSS in India and dealing with FOSS issues”. Prof. De has identified six key areas that the Centre could operate on.
It may investigate what political, cultural and economic benefits FOSS would reap for the country.
Software development apart, this could be extended to issues such as patents, copyright, digital content and scientific publishing. Providing leadership in identifying FOSS technologies for different applications for the government, public enterprises, educational institutions, small business, individuals and other key sectors could be another thrust area.
The ICFOSS could be a consultancy for all government departments in the State for IT-related activities, besides creating a level- playing field for all software acquisitions.
It could certify FOSS software considered for adoption and facilitate FOSS-based initiatives in the State by setting up infrastructure.
On a larger scale, the Centre may also draw up an action plan aimed at making the State a global leader in the open source community by developing and customising FOSS applications for developing countries.
(Courtesy: Report by S. Anandan, in The Hindu dated 2 Aug 2008)