but the source is available - so far better than matlab. God save us from purists
Use GNU Octave (http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/). Stay away from both Matlab and Scilab.
Regards, Debarshi
Hi,
On 2/17/07, Debarshi 'Rishi' Ray debarshi.ray@gmail.com wrote:
but the source is available - so far better than matlab. God save us from purists
Use GNU Octave (http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/). Stay away from both Matlab and Scilab.
I don't want to get into this battle but still I always fail to understand is such blanket statements which makes no sense to me. Do you watch TV? Do you use a cell phone? Do you listen to music on a music system? Do you ever use a ticket vending machine ( if you get a chance to do so, like when you are in BOM )? Do you ever use a car? Do you ever do anything that involves some internal electronics / programming magic so that your work is done?
So before using that do you search for a "free alternative" for such a program/application that can run the gadget and such? Or just go ahead and use it.
I repeat my point here, I don't want to get involved in any of the Holy Wars (tm) . My point here is to explain you, don't just go ahead and give a blanket statements. To me they look like prejudiced and prejudice is bad - no matter who does it - even me surely at times.
Since I am in a argumentive mood, lets say a company requires huge lot numerical calculations for their project? Loads of them. And this project will make or break them. They find that MatLab does everything for them. SciLab comes close but many crucial features are missing in GNU Octave. What would they do? Not use the first two since you advised against it. (Lets assume that they hired you as consultant by paying loads of $$$.) So you take their money as fees and tell them not possible because they can't use Mat/SciLab and Octave doesn't worky. One solution is they add all the features to Octave and then use it. Now that's an ok advise but in real world there are deadlines which they will (surely) miss because they started buidling bricks inhouse instead of making the house.
So my question to you is - in future if you were to be a consultant will you give such blanket statements as advice to your clients.
Again, this is not to provoke you or anybody else.
Cheers!
Pradeepto
On 2/17/07, Pradeepto Bhattacharya pradeeptob@gmail.com wrote:
Hi,
On 2/17/07, Debarshi 'Rishi' Ray debarshi.ray@gmail.com wrote:
but the source is available - so far better than matlab. God save us from purists
Use GNU Octave (http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/). Stay away from both Matlab and Scilab.
I don't want to get into this battle but still I always failto understand is such blanket statements which makes no sense to me. Do you watch TV? Do you use a cell phone? Do you listen to music on a music system? Do you ever use a ticket vending machine ( if you get a chance to do so, like when you are in BOM )? Do you ever use a car? Do you ever do anything that involves some internal electronics / programming magic so that your work is done?
So before using that do you search for a "free alternative"for such a program/application that can run the gadget and such? Or just go ahead and use it.
There was a time when all the GNU hackers were using proprietary kernels, operating systems, and their applications were running on top of them. Today they managed to change the situation, they also showed that a completely free society is not impractical. We all know that that goal is very very ideal, and we may never reach there. However, if we begin to compromise, and begin to adjust, we give way to what we don't want. This act is not interesting to hackers. That is why, whenever such an issue arises, we relentlessly repeat and remind ourselves the objective.
As regards, scilab/octave/matlab situation goes: imagine if scilab like Sun's java becomes a free software, it will be embraced by all of us. We are not feeling that we miss scilab, the scilab developers should feel that they are missing us. Their business and reach will increase if scilab becomes free software. This will also reduce the need to redo the things that scilab already did. By releasing it as free software, they will gain. ultimately it is win win situation for both, though not for matlab.
However, we should say the same thing to matlab develoopers. We should say, please make matlab free software, so that we will begin using it, we will begin to aclaim it, we will take to every school and college.
By the same logic, our demand applies to the cars, vending machines and the entire list that you stated above. We have a equivocal demand, it does not exclude MS.
Nagarjuna
On Saturday 17 Feb 2007 18:22:19 Nagarjuna G. wrote:
There was a time when all the GNU hackers were using proprietary kernels, operating systems, and their applications were running on top of them. Today they managed to change the situation, they also showed that a completely free society is not impractical. We all know that that goal is very very ideal, and we may never reach there. However, if we begin to compromise, and begin to adjust, we give way to what we don't want. This act is not interesting to hackers. That is why, whenever such an issue arises, we relentlessly repeat and remind ourselves the objective.
A question. This is not intended to be a flame or something.
What exactly does a ``free society'' mean in FSF's point of view?
-
Debarshi 'Rishi' Ray -
Mrugesh Karnik -
Nagarjuna G. -
Pradeepto Bhattacharya