Re: [SFD-discuss] Introducing TTCS OSSWIN online ? a online resource of Free and Open Source Software (#FOSS) for Windows
Dev Anand Teelucksingh wrote: In essence it is the same web interface from the TTCS OSSWIN project (which makes the collection of Free and Open Source Software for Windows as a 4GB download, along with a web based interface) ? the key difference being that no installers are shown, just the link to the program?s website.
Wanted to thank your group for the wonderful job you all do on the OSSWIN project. I gave away some of the OSSWIN CDs at our school district's tech conference in past years. It was a big hit. Look forward to checking out the online interface. I'm always looking for interesting new cross-platform software to try out.
Adonay Felipe Nogueira wrote: Awesome, at Free Software Directory --- co-run by UNESCO in the early 2000s, but now carried by FSF --- there's similar facility, see [1] for a pretty printing of all software that we know to run on Windows.
The FSF directory is also very useful. It's nice that you include other platforms besides just Linux.
Every Friday we get together in #fsf at chat.freenode.net IRC to update the FSD, see [3] for more information on which time the meeting happens. But you can contribute every day, it's just nice to get together to talk in some predefined time. :D
Didn't know you had a chat. That sounds like a lot of fun. I've been helping out with maintaining the Schoolforge web site's list of Free Software: https://www.schoolforge.net/ I'm sure there are a lot more interesting and useful Free and Open Source programs that could be added to the site. I add new information when I have time. Also, I do a lot of porting of Open Source software, so I'd be willing to bet I have some applications working on Windows that are not in any of those lists. I'm currently working on porting some of them to Android as well. Unfortunately, haven't found too many good ways to share the programs once I port them. Typically, my first try is to send the patches back to the developer, but I've found out that several Open Source developers/projects are not usually interested in cross-platform support. At present, I'm concentrating on SDL, FLTK and PDcurses/ncurses based applications, because many of them port well to a large variety of platforms (including Android and even FreeDOS). Always enjoy finding new and interesting programs. It's great to be able to discuss and share Free and Open Source software or recommend useful and educational programs to others. Best wishes. Laura http://www.distasis.com/cpp/osrclist.htm
The FSF directory is also very useful. It's nice that you include other platforms besides just Linux.
As far as I know they do include other platforms besides GNU+Linux, but this one must be supported by the software seeking to be listed there. That is: the FSD doesn't accept Windows-only "free software" (sic). I don't know if the FSD has some special guideline for how to review software which supports other platforms besides GNU+Linux --- it's been a long time since I don't rediscuss the guidelines with them ---, but I would imagine that they don't, because as far as I understand, not having such "special guideline" would mean that the non-GNU+Linux-supporting part of the software would also be required to depend only on free/libre software, except on the cases permitted by a very tiny breach present in GPL-3.0 and GPL-3.0-or-later's "System Libraries" and other related exceptions.
Didn't know you had a chat. That sounds like a lot of fun.
Indeed it is... sometimes we eventually create memes there too, or make jokes on the unusual behavior of some non-free software (including those forced to the guest/user of a website through JavaScript or any automatically-executed web browser language).
I've been helping out with maintaining the Schoolforge web site's list of Free Software: https://www.schoolforge.net/ I'm sure there are a lot more interesting and useful Free and Open Source programs that could be added to the site. I add new information when I have time.
I must say that you all have done an awesome work with Schoolforge, I've been planning to integrate Schoolforge into FSD for quite some time.
of those lists. I'm currently working on porting some of them to Android as well. Unfortunately, haven't found too many good ways to
Oh, be very careful with Android, I'm not a developer, but I was told by Replicant project that Android has somethings that don't come with stock Android, or that are not essential to make the operating system work in minimum level, even if you do development with Android that came from Google. A possible shortcut is to make the development based on Replicant instead of Android.
Android as well. Unfortunately, haven't found too many good ways to share the programs once I port them. Typically, my first try is to send the patches back to the developer, but I've found out that several Open Source developers/projects are not usually interested in cross-platform support. At present, I'm concentrating on SDL, FLTK
I agree that a good first step is always to try to push things upstream (that is: submit your patches to the affected projects). However, I find it odd that they refused. Considering that I don't have the full context of the conversation (patch submission requests and replies), I can't agree that it was due to lack of interest on cross-platform compatibility, but I can't deny either. Perhaps there's other motive for the upstream for refusing the patches. All in all, when we say that "free/libre is ideologically different from open source, but *mostly* equal in practice", it's said so based on careful choice of words, and studies. Neutrally speaking FLOSS proponents (not to be confused with the ambiguous "FOSS") --- that is: both groups of people that support free/libre software, and also those which support open source software --- provide the possibility of improving the software and related things, but only free/libre software proponents --- with their philosophy and movement --- are attempting to make this and other features durable and applicable even for the end-user of the forth/twentieth/hundredth derivation of a given FLOSS, I would also like to add that free/libre software proponents discuss and care for other topics and issues that most "open source" people don't care to, like: - digital restrictions management, such as those found in most Android and Apple devices; - politics, like the capability theory/approach to political philosophy; - sociology; - economics, like the tragedy of the anticommons; - web and communications federation; - standardization of file formats; - web accessibility, which, now with the recent discovery of Meltdown and Spectre ([1]), includes having a website that runs no client-side scripting such as JavaScript, or that has these scripts but with license information not just readable, but understandable for the most novice guest/user, besides having to be accompanied with an indication on how to get the source files of given script (GNU LibreJS can help web developers on doing and testing these changes, [2]); - peaceful protests to pressure for changes in these and other areas of interest.
Best wishes.
I wish you success and peace. [1] <https://mikegerwitz.com/2018/01/Meltdown-Spectre-and-the-Web>. [2] <https://www.gnu.org/software/librejs/> or <https://www.gnu.org/s/librejs/>.
participants (2)
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Adonay Felipe Nogueira -
LM