INLS261/461 Tools for Information Literacy

But first, what is "Open Source", the software & the movement?

• What is Linux? and why is it so popular?
  • Introduction to Linux: Red Hat
    • Linux as a server, serving Windows clients. The class website is hosted on a Red Had Linux server.
    • other Linux examples
  • Linux Tutorial
• A comparison of Linux and Windows
  • This is a non-biased and incomplete comparison of Linux and Windows.
• Why Linux?
  • however, when you hear that Linux is "free", consider the cost of your time. Linux is not always perfect.

Linux resources

• ibiblio
• freshmeat
• linuxapps
• slashdot
• advogato

What does Linux mean to its advocates:

• it's all about freedom, man.

What can Linux do now?

• CD bootable OS - Knoppix & Ubuntu
  • how does it look to the user?
• office applications  - open office
• image manipulation  - gimp
• web browser  - mozilla
• email client  - mulberry

What is its future?

• on phones
• Sun embracing it on Sparc
• Dell used to offer it on PCs, but didn't get enough business to continue

Other thoughts on Open Source

• The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond in First Monday, March 1998
  • not required, but well worth your time
  • if you want to read only part of it, read these two sections
    1. Necessary Preconditions for the Bazaar Style
    2. The Social Context of Open-Source Software
• not everyone agrees with Raymond, however
  • A Second Look at The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Nikolai Bezroukov
    • also not required, but if you are interested in the Open-Source issue, you might want to learn about all sides of the issue

if open source or Linux appeals to you

• why don't you find your way to Manning 213 and introduce yourself to the cast of characters there
• take a look at this Linux tutorial and see if it makes you "an expert in 10 lessons"

Now for networks

• we'll start with an intro to the networking here in the lab and in SILS then we'll look at a roadmap of the wires and boxes which connect us to the internet.

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