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Posts published in “Software”

Written Using Gnu Lilypond, Orchestrated in Linux MultiMedia Studio

By Phil Shapiro on March 31, 2017 |

Software and Video

Written Using Gnu Lilypond, Orchestrated in Linux MultiMedia StudioLilypond

Music written and created entirely using the FOSS apps Lilypond and Linux Multimedia Studio. Nothing else could be so beautiful, we think.

The Screening Room

Lilypond

Open source music software never seems to get the attention it deserves, so I was delighted to see this YouTube video created using GNU Lilypond.

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HospitalRun: Open Source Software for the Developing World

By Phil Shapiro on March 28, 2017 |

Community, Software and Video

Much open source software is being developed to help improve conditions throughout the world, such as this software developed by CURE International.

The Screening Room

When open source software is used for global health and global relief work, its benefits shine bright. The benefits of open source become very clear when human health and human lives are on the line. In this YouTube video, hear Harrisburg, Pennsylvania software developer Joel Worrall explain about HospitalRun software – open source cloud-based software used at developing world healthcare facilities.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

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Four Things a New Linux User Should KnowLinux

Four Things a New Linux User Should Know

By Christine Hall on March 27, 2017 |

Desktops, Distros, Operating Systems, Software and Tutorial

When you move from “that other operating system” to Linux, you’re going to find that in most ways you’ll be in familiar territory. However, that’s not always the case. We sometimes do things a little differently around here.

Linux

If you’re making the move from Windows or Mac (or even from Android or iOS), welcome to our world.

These days, using Linux for doing everyday computer tasks isn’t that much different than using other operating systems — meaning the learning curve is only slight. In fact, my colleague Phil Shapiro works at a library that uses Linux on the computers its patrons use and says that hardly anyone even notices they’re not using Windows. It’s that easy.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

However, there are some things about using Linux that are quite a bit different — and we think better — than with the other brands. Here’s a brief heads up on some things that might be good for you to know before you cross the bridge from you-don’t-realy-own-it Windows to free-open-and-yours Linux.

Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
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iCub the Open Source RobotiCub

iCub the Open Source Robot

By Phil Shapiro on March 21, 2017 |

Hardware, Maker Movement, Software and Video

It occurs to us that the iCub might be the perfect companion for an only child. Probably cheaper in the long run than a little brother or sister, and it can be turned off at night.

The Screening Room

iCub

Apparently, the iCub open-source robot can be taught anything a 4-year-old can learn. I wonder if it can be taught to whine annoyingly, be unkind to its little sister, refuse to go to bed at night, wake up its parents too early in the morning, etc.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

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WordGrinder: Distraction-Free Writing From the Command LineWordGrinder not MS Word

WordGrinder: Distraction-Free Writing From the Command Line

By Christine Hall on March 20, 2017 |

Reviews and Software

WordGrinder is an old fashioned command line program that doesn’t try to do a lot of things. Its purpose is to get the job done, and stay out of the user’s way while doing it.

WordGrinder not MS Word

A few months back while perusing the latest news from the open source media, I came across an article listing five favorite command line tools, or some such nonsense. It turned out that one of the items on the list was a command line “word processor,” WordGrinder, which the article’s writer claimed to be an uber-easy way to write from the command line.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

As it happened, I’d been looking for that very thing, so I immediately looked in the Mint/Ubuntu repositories, found it, installed it and took a look. Unfortunately, at the time I was busy, facing a couple of deadlines, so when I couldn’t figure the first thing out about it in five seconds or less, I closed the terminal and went to Bluefish to finish an article I was writing, while vowing to return to look further into WordGrinder as soon as I finished.

Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
Continue readingWordGrinder: Distraction-Free Writing From the Command Line
Growing Young FOSS Programmers With Help of Scratch and Al SweigartScratch Cat

Growing Young FOSS Programmers With Help of Scratch and Al Sweigart

By Phil Shapiro on March 17, 2017 |

Software, Tutorial and Video

If your young child is showing an interest in learning computers, an introduction to Scratch and these instructional videos by Al Sweigart might be in order.

The Screening Room

Scratch Cat
Scratch Cat, the programming language’s mascot.

Talented book author Al Sweigart is a name familiar to many in the FOSS community. He writes books for kids and for adults — including the recently released Scratch Playground. Scratch is a free visual programming language developed at MIT Media Lab as an introduction to computer programming.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

His zeal and talent for explaining is remarkable. I’ve been enjoying the “60 Second Scratch” screencasts (explanatory videos) he has been uploading to YouTube in the past two weeks. For example, check out this little gem:

Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

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GitHub CEO Chris Wanstrath on Open SourceOctocat GitHub

GitHub CEO Chris Wanstrath on Open Source

By Phil Shapiro on March 14, 2017 |

Community and Software

Did you know that the software Stephen Hawking uses to speak is open source and that it’s available on GitHub? Neither did we.

The Screening Room

Octocat GitHub

At the Computer History museum, GitHub CEO Chris Wanstrath explains how GitHub has grown far beyond its original scope of being a tool just for nerds.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

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Storytelling in the 21st CenturySafia Abdalla Plotcon 2016 nteract

Storytelling in the 21st Century

By Phil Shapiro on March 3, 2017 |

Community, Software and Video

Some words for thought from this week’s video on nteract: “Open science isn’t truly open and open source isn’t truly open.”

The Screening Room

Safia Abdalla Plotcon 2016 nteract

In her PLOTCON 2016 presentation, Safia Abdalla, an open source enthusiast in Chicago, starts off saying, “The need (for human beings) to write and draw things is not new. The desire to communicate with each other has existed since the dawn of our species.” She goes on to say, “I think we’re long overdue for a renaissance that’s going to help us to communicate with each other as people…. Interactive notebooks and nteract will play a key role in the New Knowledge Renaissance.”

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Phil Shapiro

For the past 10 years, Phil has been working at a public library in the Washington D.C.-area, helping youth and adults use the 28 public Linux stations the library offers seven days a week. He also writes for MAKE magazine, Opensource.com and TechSoup Libraries. Suggest videos by contacting Phil on Twitter or at pshapiro@his.com.

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New Open Source License Compatibility Company Debuts with a Bangexamining code compliance

New Open Source License Compatibility Company Debuts with a Bang

By Robin "Roblimo" Miller on February 23, 2017 |

Business and Software

Finding compatibility issues in open source software is tedious and complex. Roblimo explains why organizations that look for compliance issues are a valuable asset to the FOSS community.

</p?

Roblimo’s Hideaway

examining code compliance compatibility

When I heard about FOSSA, my first thought was, “Don’t Black Duck and Palamida already have the FOSS license compatibility thing pretty well sewed up? Do we really need another company doing it?”

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

This was, of course, the question I immediately asked FOSSA founder Kevin Wang. His answer, via email:

Robin "Roblimo" Miller

Robin “Roblimo” Miller is a freelance writer and former editor-in-chief at Open Source Technology Group, the company that owned SourceForge, freshmeat, Linux.com, NewsForge, ThinkGeek and Slashdot, and until recently served as a video editor at Slashdot. Now he’s mostly retired, but still works part-time as an editorial consultant for Grid Dynamics, and (obviously) writes for FOSS Force.

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Why I’m Not a Full-Throttle FOSS Advocate

Why I’m Not a Full-Throttle FOSS Advocate

By Robin "Roblimo" Miller on February 16, 2017 |

Browsers, Community and Software

“Software Freedom” shouldn’t mean “use free software or else.” It should mean you are free to use the software you choose.

Roblimo’s Hideaway

I have the Chrome web browser running full-screen on my Ubuntu desktop. Not Chromium, but proprietary Chrome — because it suits my needs better than open source Chromium. I also like Chrome better than Firefox, and I say this after using only Firefox for a week and trying hard to like it.

** If our coverage matters to you, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

Some of this may be habit. We humans tend to prefer the familiar to the unfamiliar, and I’ll admit that I have gotten used to Chrome and its features.

Robin "Roblimo" Miller

Robin “Roblimo” Miller is a freelance writer and former editor-in-chief at Open Source Technology Group, the company that owned SourceForge, freshmeat, Linux.com, NewsForge, ThinkGeek and Slashdot, and until recently served as a video editor at Slashdot. Now he’s mostly retired, but still works part-time as an editorial consultant for Grid Dynamics, and (obviously) writes for FOSS Force.

Continue readingWhy I’m Not a Full-Throttle FOSS Advocate