FSUG-Bangalore June 2005

fsug-bangalore@mm.gnu.org.in

9 participants
26 discussions

Re: [fsug-bangalore] IT For Change, Bangalore
by Frederick Noronha (FN) 30 Jun '05

30 Jun '05

Smitha, Have you see FreEduc, the education tools-packed Free Software CD? FN On Sun, 2005-06-19 at 21:26 +0530, Smitha Rao wrote: > Dear All, > I am Smitha Rao, I work for a non-profit Organisation- > Shala Network in Bangalore. > Our focus is 'IT in Education' and thus we support rural > under-priviledged schools with computers and related > infrastucture,making available the relevant educational content in the > local language,Training of teachers,evaluation and monitoring of the > programe...etc, we have partnered with another non-profit > Organisation- S3IDF which concentrates on Rural Infrastructure > Development. > We have executed projects in rural parts of Chitradurga and Bellary. > > We would be interested in developing good content for educational > purposes using Open source softwares and LTSP solutions. > > Thanks, > Smitha > > > > > > On 6/17/05, Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati <rakesh_ambati(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > On Thu, 2005-06-16 at 19:30 +0530, Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati wroeen > > Hello Sajith, > > > > > > Currently I do not have much idea about 'IT for Change' project.I had > > > CC the original email to Ms.Anita(anita(a)ITforChange.net) of ITfc.org. > > > Let hope we can hear more from her about this project soon. > > > > > > > Here is quick response from Ms.Anita of ITfc.org > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Dear Rakesh > > > > Thanks for getting in touch. > > > > My colleague will get in touch early next month.. He is travelling > > currently.. > > > > Regs and hope we can find areas of common interest > > > > anita > > > > __________________________________________________________ > > > > anita gurumurthy > > IT for Change > > Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities > > www.ITforChange.net <http://www.ITforChange.net> > > Tel: 00-91-80-26654134 > > Mobile: 00-91-98455 46406 > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > Shall update the list about the further information from ITfc Project. > > > > Moreover there are quite a few NGO working here in bangalore, Ms.Smitha > > Rao works for one such NGO who has very active interest in using LTSP > > solutions in School in remote rural hamlets in Karanataka. > > > > Perhaps you can help by volunteering in deploying, developing or > > supporting Kannada localisation works.I request Smitha to tell us more > > about her work and how FSUG members can help her. > > > > > > TIA > > > > > > -- > > arky > > > > Rakesh 'arky' Ambati > > GPG Key ID: 0x92BCF7D4 > > Blog [ http://arky.in ] > > Member FSUG-Bangalore [ http://bangalore.gnu.org.in ] > > Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. > > See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html > > > > > > BodyID:9934312.2.n.logpart (stored separately) > > > > > > -- Frederick Noronha (FN) <fred(a)bytesforall.org> Independent Journalist

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Bug Buddy + LDTP test scripts ?
by Nagappan 27 Jun '05

27 Jun '05

Hi Gururaj, Any updates to bug-buddy test scripts ? Thanks Nagappan -- Nagappan A <anagappan(a)novell.com> Novell Software Development (I) Pvt. Ltd.

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[Fwd: ] Email from Smitha Rao
by Abhas Abhinav 25 Jun '05

25 Jun '05

This email was sent to fsug-bangalore-owner instead of fsug-bangalore by mistake. Cheers, Abhas.

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GNU/Linux Desktop Testing Project - Description update
by Nagappan 20 Jun '05

20 Jun '05

Hi Rakesh, Can you please update the following info in FSUG project page ? ----- GNU/Linux Desktop Testing Project (GNU/LDTP) is aimed at producing high quality test automation framework and cutting-edge tools that can be used to test GNU/Linux Desktop and improve it. It uses the "Accessibility" libraries to poke through the application's user interface. The framework has tools to generate "AppMap" by reading through the user interface components of an application. The framework also has tools to record test-cases based on user-selection on the application. GNU/LDTP core framework uses "AppMap" and the recorded "test-cases" to test an application and gives the status of each test-case as output. As of now, GNU/LDTP can test any GNOME application which are accessibility enabled, Mozilla, OpenOffice.org, any Java application (should have a UI based on swing) and KDE 4.0 applications based on QT 4.0 (based on the press releases by KDE). We encourage you to join the project and help us to create robust, reliable and stable test tool/framework for Linux Desktops. ----- BTW, This tool is being integrated with GNOME 2.12 build system by GNOME community and this week there is a plan in Mozilla community to use LDTP as default GUI testing tool for Mozilla suite. FYI. Thanks Nagappan -- Nagappan A <anagappan(a)novell.com> Novell Software Development (I) Pvt. Ltd.

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IT For Change, Bangalore
by Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati 20 Jun '05

20 Jun '05

Dear Friends, ITfC (IT For Change) is a non-profit organisation located in India. ITfC envisions a society capable of, and comfortable with, innovative and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) as a tool, to further goals of progressive social change. ITfC seeks to partner organizations working in the area of social change. http://www.ITforChange.net Don't you think its a good idea that FSUG should work with organisations like IRfc. Please kindly post your comments. -- arky Rakesh 'arky' Ambati GPG Key ID: 0x92BCF7D4 Blog [ http://arky.in ] Member FSUG-Bangalore [ http://bangalore.gnu.org.in ] Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

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Microsoft to set up computer academies
by Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati 17 Jun '05

17 Jun '05

Blogged at http://arky.in/node/38 Microsoft to set up computer academies According to the report published in today's Bangalore edition of The Hindu. Microsoft will establish computer academies in three centres in the (karnataka)state to provide basic training to teachers in government high schools implementing the Mahiti Sindhu programme. The Mahiti Sindhu programme aims at teaching children in government schools conventional subjects such as mathematics and science with with the aid of computers, besides providing students basic lessons in computer applications. The another report published in The Hindu Business Line on Wednesday, Nov 19, 2003 mentions the launch of Mahiti Shindu program in the state. Even as another report dated August 17, 2003 in Times of India states that "The Karnataka state government has decided to use Linux for its ambitious Mahiti Sindhu programme, which seeks to computerise 1,000 primary schools in different parts of the state." Today, Microsoft says it will provide Rs.50 lakhas each for the three academies to be set up.Now we have watch where this drama leads to and what response will this issue get from FLOSS advocates. -- arky Rakesh 'arky' Ambati GPG Key ID: 0x92BCF7D4 Blog [ http://arky.in ] Member FSUG-Bangalore [ http://bangalore.gnu.org.in ] Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

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After Sarge,Debian: Where should we go from here?
by Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati 16 Jun '05

16 Jun '05

Debian: Where should we go from here? Monday, June 13th, 2005 by Ian Murdock http://gongrc.blogspot.com/2005/06/debian-where-should-we-go-from-here.html This is old news by now (it’s been a very busy week), but Debian sarge has (finally) been released. Congrats to all involved and especially to the release managers for what I can only imagine was, at times, a seemingly impossible task (it was impossible enough in the days of a few dozen developers and a few hundred packages). Now what? If you ask me (and you didn’t, but I’m going to tell you anyway), Debian should have two overarching priorities for the next release: 1. putting a timed release cycle in place, so what happened with sarge never happens again; and 2. keeping the growing family of Debian derivatives united around a common core—namely, Debian itself. What’s at stake? Bottom line: If we don’t do something about both of these problems, actual and potential, Debian will be irrelevant by the time etch is out. Debian is one of exactly three Linux distributions that have global reach today (Red Hat and Novell/SuSE are the other two). In terms of mindshare, userbase, and almost everything else that matters, Debian is a strong #2, well ahead of SuSE in most places (even, it appears, Germany) and behind Red Hat only in the U.S. and perhaps a few other (albeit important) places. SuSE is often thought of as the #2 in commercial circles, but this is mainly because the industry isn’t quite sure how to interface with the real #2. Until it figures out how to do that (hint: we should be helping), the industry needs an alternative, any alternative, to keep Red Hat honest. Not exactly the strongest market position, and it’s beginning to show too. Unequivocally, this means Debian’s potential is enormous; unfortunately, a big part of that potential remains untapped. How, then, do we tap it? Let’s start by looking at what makes Debian unique. First of all (and this is the obvious part), Debian is a non-commercial, community project, which means it isn’t owned or controlled by a commercial interest. As such, Debian is an embodiment of what made Linux what it is today: openness, vendor neutrality, and community. It’s a reminder of where we all came from. It keeps the industry honest. Or, in the words of IBM and HP executives, it’s “the core of the Linux community” and a vendor neutral “arbiter… to make sure everybody plays nice”. Sure, Debian isn’t entirely unique in this respect (there are, after all, other community distros, most notably Slackware and Gentoo). However, combined with its popularity, Debian’s “non-commercial, community project” status makes it a force to be reckoned with. In other words, Debian may not be the only global player, and it may not be the only non-commercial, community project, but it’s the only global player that’s also a non-commercial, community project. Second, Debian is less an operating system and more a collection of compatible software. (Note the word compatible—that will be important later.) Red Hat, SuSE, and the other distros are much more like traditional operating systems: monolithic, vertically integrated, one-size-fits-all products. Because Debian is modular by design (it had to be, or it wouldn’t have been possible to subdivide the work amongst many distributed developers), it’s an excellent foundation for “value added” Linux distros, and we’ve seen numerous of these distros emerge over the years: Corel, Stormix, Progeny, Linspire, Xandros, KNOPPIX, LinEx, Skolelinux, MEPIS, and Ubuntu, to name but a few. In fact, it’s safe to say the vast majority of all distributions today are derived either from Debian or from Red Hat, and because the Red Hat derivatives have long ago splintered into many different and incompatible varieties, it’s also safe to say Debian is truly unique among distros not because it’s the basis of so many derivatives, but because those derivatives are, after all these years, still compatible with each other. Debian’s popularity as a base distro goes beyond technology. In many ways, Debian facilitates the Linux equivalent of “think globally, act locally”. With Debian, governments and nonprofit organizations can launch projects like LinEx and Skolelinux that focus on meeting local needs the big vendors might not otherwise have the capacity, expertise, or interest to address, yet do so in a way that connects them into a larger, global community so their local focus doesn’t make them an island. Companies like Progeny, Linspire, and Ubuntu can build upon the strength and momentum of an open, global platform, allowing them to focus on bringing new and innovative products to market without fear the underlying platform vendor that makes it all possible will go out of business or, worse, be acquired by a competitor. In short, because Debian allows organizations of all kinds to “stand on the shoulders of giants”, Linux is making inroads into geographies and markets that would otherwise be underserved. Would Red Hat or Novell have been interested in cornering the market in Extremadura, Spain? I doubt it. Yet Linux is changing everything in Extremadura, as it is in a lot of places. To me, these observations point the way to an answer to our question. First of all, we need to make it easier for the industry to interface with us. That means we need a predictable release cycle, one that results in a new Debian stable every 12 or 18 months. It also means we need to take the industry’s needs seriously, which in turn means we need to better engage the ISVs, IHVs, and OEMs that want to support Debian but aren’t quite sure how to do it. They want to engage us, not just because we’re a global player, but because we’re a non-commercial, community project. Yet when I bring this up in Debian circles, the reaction I almost always get is similar to the following: “Why do we need ? We already have .” The answer is simple: we need it because a lot of our potential users need it (or at least think they need it—why argue with them about that?). Fortunately, there’s an existing effort that already enjoys broad industry support whose sole mission is to provide a single, vendor neutral ISV/IHV/OEM interface to the Linux world, namely the LSB, so we don’t have to go it alone here. All we have to do is work more closely with the LSB folks. Let’s face it. Our track record to date with the LSB hasn’t exactly been stellar. Let’s change that and work with the LSB to make Debian a vendor neutral implementation of the LSB standard. It’s got the mindshare, userbase, etc. to make a reference implementation a reality and give the LSB some real punch. Second, we need to tap into Debian’s most unique asset, namely the collective power of the Debian derivatives. On their own, the derivatives aren’t significant players; but, taken as a group, they dwarf the individual leaders (Red Hat and Novell), and they’ve got breadth a single company couldn’t dream of having on its own even with billions of dollars of cash to market vertically oriented solutions or open hundreds of branch offices in different parts of the world. Debian’s opportunity, then, is to connect the derivatives into the powerful, global force they have the potential to become, to nurture a sort of “network of peers” approach to service and support to replace the traditional, vertically integrated model that’s being used by today’s leading commercial vendors. Of course, this opportunity can only be recognized to the extent the global fabric that connects these local communities is strong, and it cannot be strong if we don’t have a common, compatible foundation. Predictable releases are a requirement, because in the absence of a common, compatible foundation that has a clearly articulated roadmap, each of the derivatives will necessarily have to go its own way, something that, in my opinion, is already happening. We need a commitment on the part of the derivatives to work with the larger Debian community and make sure fragmentation doesn’t happen. Personally, wearing my Progeny hat, I’m willing to make this commitment, and I hope my peers at the other Debian derivatives are willing to do so as well. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Take them or leave them, but please at least consider them http://gongrc.blogspot.com/2005/06/debian-where-should-we-go-from-here.html -- arky Rakesh 'arky' Ambati GPG Key ID: 0x92BCF7D4 Blog [ http://arky.in ] Member FSUG-Bangalore [ http://bangalore.gnu.org.in ] Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

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[Humour] Just to lighten up a little
by Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati 16 Jun '05

16 Jun '05

Hi Friends, You must have had a had day, don't the weekend is just around the corner. Here are few to lighten up your evening. Why Mike and I love Debian ? http://www.flickr.com/photos/fgclaramonte/18650360/ Sarge is here at last ;o) http://www.flickr.com/photos/25563799@N00/18012438/ Star War or OS Wars.... Arise the O' Sith Lord ;o) http://www.flickr.com/photos/judland/19339659/ Enjoy and but me a cup of tea if you like them. -- arky Rakesh 'arky' Ambati GPG Key ID: 0x92BCF7D4 Blog [ http://arky.in ] Member FSUG-Bangalore [ http://bangalore.gnu.org.in ] Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

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Python developers required for LDTP project
by Nagappan 14 Jun '05

14 Jun '05

Hi Guys, Anybody interested in Python programming language and who can spare some time in developing python scripts for Linux Desktop Testing Project (LDTP) are welcome to contact me. http://gnomebangalore.org/ldtp/index.php/Main_Page Thanks Nagappan -- Nagappan A <anagappan(a)novell.com> Novell Software Development (I) Pvt. Ltd.

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Microsoft woos LEARN Foundation with cash and software
by Rakesh 'Arky' Ambati 14 Jun '05

14 Jun '05

Sajed Chowdhury <sajedc(a)gmail.com> writes in bytesforall ML.... "Under the first UP project in Bangladesh, Microsoft will support community ICT training to more than 2,000 disadvantaged youth every year and facilitate information access at the grassroots-level. Microsoft's contribution includes US$ 90,000 in cash grants, software, training curriculum and certifications for rural communities. Eight existing rural telephone shops and ICT training facilities will be converted to full Internet enabled Community Technology Learning Centres with LEARN Foundation providing Internet over its Smart Villages Wireless LAN infrastructures." ref: http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidRecord=0000000000000000047954 -- arky Rakesh 'arky' Ambati GPG Key ID: 0x92BCF7D4 Blog [ http://arky.in ] Member FSUG-Bangalore [ http://bangalore.gnu.org.in ] Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html

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FSUG-Bangalore June 2005