Freeware and Open Source
Software: Why Bother?
James E. Corbly
ARLD Day 2015
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Chaska, Minnesota
Topics to be Explored
• What are the different types of software?
• How are open source software and freeware
licensed?
• Where can I get freeware and open source
software?
• What are some freeware and open source
equivalents to commercial software?
Why be Concerned with Freeware and
Open Source Software?
• Freeware and open source software is
cost-effective.
• Freeware and open source software increase the
value of computer hardware.
• Freeware and open source software help
librarians become better librarians.
Freeware and Open Source Software
are Problem-Solving Tools!
workschedules.com/Store/
Product/
Picture_Time_Clock.aspx
Types of Software
• Commercial.
• Shareware.
• Adware.
• Freeware.
Types of Software
• Freeware.
– Copyrighted software given away by the author. – Author retains copyright, so users cannot alter the
software.
– Author allows individuals to use the software but not sell it.
– Some usage limitations may apply - for nonprofit usage.
Types of Software
• Open source software (public-domain software).
– Source code can be modified - not copyrighted. – Can be used without restriction.
– Usually created as a collaborative effort.
– Improved code is shared within the community of users.
Characteristics of Freeware and Open
Source Software
• International productions.
• Sometimes no technical support or documentation
but active user groups (communities).
• Many commercial firms offer free versions of
their software – Paragon, AVG, others.
• Frequent unannounced updates.
Other Notes
• Most people use freeware and open source
software everyday - browsers, Web network
software, templates, etc.
• Many freeware and open source software
packages are standards in their field - CCleaner,
Audacity, Apache HTTP Server.
Open Source Licenses
• General Public License (GPL).
• Berkeley Software Distribution Licenses
(BSDL).
General Public License
• Most widely used open source license – 68% of
open source software.
• First version written by Richard Stallman (Univ.
of Pittsburgh) in 1989.
• Modified to keep pace with changing times.
• Third version - 2007.
General Public License
• GPL is concerned with three activities:
– Freely copying software. – Freely distributing software.
– Freely modifying the code of the software.
• Copyleft – method of making a program free and
requires all modified versions to be free.
Berkeley Software Distribution License
• Family of licenses, each of which can be
modified to meet a specific need.
• Originated at the University of California –
1980.
• Restrictions:
– Software distributed “as is.”
– No warranties on the software or its suitability for any purpose.
Other Open Source Licenses
• Mozilla Public License.
• NASA Open Source Agreement.
• Apache Software License.
• Common Public License.
• Not less than 72 open source licenses.
Freeware Licensing
• Not as uniform as open source licensing.
• No equivalent to General Public License.
• Rights and responsibilities of the copyright
holder and the software user vary from program
to program.
Freeware Licensing
• Common clauses.
– Copyright is retained by the author of the software. – Software user may install and use the software for
any legal purpose.
– The software may be installed and used only on a specified number of computers.
Freeware Licensing
• Common clauses.
– Software may be freely copied and distributed as long as the original copyright notice remains intact. – No fees may be charged for copies of the freeware
other than distribution costs.
– Software provided “as is” - the copyright holder is not liable for any damages resulting from product usage.
Freeware Licensing
• Common clauses.
– Limits of use.
• Personal or noncommercial use only.
• Limits on software use with other programs. • Restrictions on use over a network.
• Licenses vary in length – a few paragraphs to
several pages.
Good Practice
• Copy the text of a license to a blank document in
your word processor.
• Keep the document with the text of the license in
the master file of the software.
Where can people find freeware and
open source software?
majorgeeks.com
filehippo.com
listoffreeware.com
microsoft.com/en-us/download/
default.aspx
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Office suites:
– LibreOffice - https://www.libreoffice.org/
– Apache OpenOffice - https://www.openoffice.org/ – Lotus Symphony - http://www-03.ibm.com/
software/products/en/lotusymp – Ssuite - http://www.ssuitesoft.com/
– Kingsoft Office - http://www.kingsoftstore.com/ kingsoft-office-freeware.html
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Library management systems:
– Koha - http://www.koha.org/
– Evergreen - http://evergreen-ils.org/
– SLIM21 - http://slimpp.com/slim21site/ about_ slim21.htm
– OpenBiblio - http://obiblio.sourceforge.net/
– WEBLIS - URL_ID=16840&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC &URL_SECTION=201.html
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Library of Congress freeware:
– Arabic Translitrator - http://sourceforge.net/projects/ translitrator/files/
– FRBR Display Tool - http://www.loc.gov/ marc/marc-functional-analysis/tool.html
– Marc RTP - http://rossjohnson.homemail.com.au/ MARCRTP/
– Other free software programs - http://www.loc.gov/ marc/marctools.html
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Anti-Malware:
– Ad-Aware Free AntiVirus + - http://www.lavasoft. com/ products/ad_aware_free.php
– Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free - https://www. malwarebytes.org/downloads/
– Norman Malware Cleaner - cleaner.findmysoft.com/#
– SpyDLLRemover - http://securityxploded.com/ spydllremover.php
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Anti-Virus:
– Avast - thank-you.php?product=FAV-AVAST&locale= en-us – AVG - http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage – Avira - http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus – Microsoft Security Essentials - http://windows.essentials-download
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Calendars/Information Managers:
– Efficient Calendar Free - http://www. efficientcalendar.com/freeedition.htm
– EssentialPIM Free - version
– Evolution - https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Evolution/ – TreePad Lite - http://www.treepad.com/
download/tplitewin.html
– Rainlendar Lite - http://rainlendar.net/cms/ index.php?option=com_rny_download
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• File Shredders:
– CyberShredder - http://cylog.org/utilities/ cybershredder.jsp
– File Shredder - http://fileshredder.org/
– Files Terminator Free - http://elefantsoftware-en. weebly.com/files-terminator.html
– Free File Shredder - shredder/
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Firewalls:
– Comodo Firewall - https://www.comodo.com/ – Privatefirewall - http://www.privacyware.com/
personal_firewall.html
– TinyWall - http://tinywall.pados.hu/
– ZoneAlarm Free Firewall - http://www.zonealarm. firewall.htm
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• Firewalls:
– Look for a firewall which keeps you safe from inbound and outbound attacks.
– Install a firewall that updates security lists of viruses, spyware, and other dangers (manually or
automatically).
– Obtain a firewall which makes you invisible on the Internet.
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• PDF Software:
– PDFedit - http://pdfedit.cz/en/index.html – PDFill PDF Tools - https://www.pdfill.com/
pdf_tools_free.html
– PDF to Flip Book - pdf-to-flip-book/
– PDF reDirect - http://exp-systems.com/ – UniPDF - http://unipdf.com/
Free Alternatives to Commercial
Software
• System utilities:
– Auslogics Disk Defrag - http://www.auslogics.com/ en/software/disk-defrag/
– CCleaner - http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner – Gadwin PrintScreen- http://www.gadwin.com/
printscreen/
– Glary Utilities - utilities/
