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Free Scientific Software for Developing World?

Posted by Cliff on from the helping-a-good-cause dept.

FlashBoltzmann asks: "I'm a physics student in the US working with a group of physicists, mostly from Africa, who are interested in helping their colleagues on the continent obtain free software for scientific and educational use. Often, many science departments in Africa have little or almost nonexistent funding to purchase new software packages, especially for scientific research or education. Some know of the free software available but say it takes up large amounts of time over often slow internet connections to find and obtain it. I am asking for any recommendations on freeware or open source software, for any operating system, that anyone knows about. We are looking at the Debian version of Linux for a lot of the great software that comes with it but resources for MS Windows would be helpful as well."

"Free educational software of any level is appreciated though we prefer college and graduate level software. Also, field specific software is great, e.g. software for condensed matter physics. Eventually we'll probably combine the software on CDs to be distributed to these scientists. Any help is appreciated especially with programs that perform simulations, mathematical and statistical analysis and plotting, compilers, lab software, etc. The users of the software will most likely be physicists or mathematicians."

3 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. VI + EMACS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    will be enough to put them off computers for life.

  2. Here's an idea by Flakeloaf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why not get the African countries to prosecute Microsoft for anticompetitive practices and force MS to just give them the software to pay penalties?

    --

    Am I the only one who heard Roxette to sing "I'm gonna get blitzed for some sex"?

  3. Re:bsd ports by tollieman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Any means of obtaining free software IMNHO is not pain-ass.

    Let's see, start a download and go to sleep while it finishes, or...

    Pay out of your ass (alot more painful for most).

    An analogy...

    Go to a strip club, and spend tons of money sticking dollars wherever, or...

    Rent a Pr0n video, watch it, throw money at the TV, when it's over, pick up the money...

    same thing.