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Linux in Iraq
Nereus writes "The BBC News is reporting on the newfound popularity of Linux in Iraq. The article discusses how the Iraqi Linux User Group believe Linux will aid the Iraqi people in the rebuilding of their country, and the benefits of open source in Iraq."
They already got the beards for it....
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
They are united in their belief that open-source software like Linux could help their nation.
Of course, the absence of basic infrastructure (power, water, sewage) is a real obstacle to their goals; not to mention the monumental lack of security in many parts of the country.
Overall, however, a proliferation of F/OSS would be a positive step forward for Iraq, where proprietary software is very expensive. It would be interesting to find out what percentage of the population even owns a computer.
Sigs cause cancer.
A lot of high profile Linux users believe that Linux could be the savior to all areas of the world (developed countries as well as third world countries). How is this guy any different than the rest of those out there promoting and educating others about Linux?
"There is a shortage in power and water supplies, and sewage systems, so the last thing Iraq needs is spending billions of dollars on very expensive and overpriced products, especially software products," he said.
This enables the country to build its own infrastructure based on open source, on open ideas," Ashraf Hasson.
As of right now the "rebuilding" efforts of Iraq are in the hands of corporate contractors (from the liberating nations) who are being offered large sums of money to "help" over there. Will Linux be able to compete with the puppet-government mandated contractors who are likely more interested in filling their own coffers rather than those of the Iraqi people?
If the Iraqi population is not already hooked on the MS stuff, maybe the widespread anti-American sentiments could help gain such a company an important advantage over competing companies which provide similar services for (unauthroized copies of) proprietary software?
Under construction: swpat politics overview article
Let's see if we can get the electricity working first.
Best Windows Freeware
And so enters a new age of a gigantic battle between vi vs emacs users in Iraq.
...they run it headless.
/going to hell
What features does Linux offer Iraq that Windows does not? Does it offer any special advantages besides the standard ones for open source? For example, are there better translations or special software used by people in Iraq?
CMDRTACO CHECK YOUR EMAIL!
Wait, so you're saying that Microsoft won't be getting a no-bid contract?
Riiiiiiight...
get them internet access (porn) and accounts on everquest and you'll see a 95% decrease in bombings and protests...
Try turning it around, things don't necessarily start with Windows. What features does Windows offer Iraq that Linux doesn't?
Good thing that Bush invaded Iraq. Now we get to have a daily Linux in Iraq Slashdot story.
If we hadn't invaded, we be stuck with all those "Windows 98 in Afganistan" success stories. And we all know how painful THAT can be.
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." - Epictetus
...someone took the idea of a bullet-proof OS a little too literally.
--ac
The article also points out that Microsoft are "helping" rebuild the country with huge discounts on licenses (i.e. free???).
How long are these licenses to be free?
It's not just drug dealers that get people hooked by supplying freebies until users get dependant.
From the article:
Both of them are firm believers in open source software. Unlike expensive proprietary software, open-source software can be freely distributed and modified, as long as the modifications are shared with other users.
This happens quite often is these discussions: people like the reporter confuse/conflate (the ideals of OSS) and (getting something for free). I believe the Iraqi gentlemen - even though they are coders - are looking at the free-as-in-beer aspect as the primary benefit. This is not a Bad Thing(tm) - it's a heck of an advantage - but it is not the same as supplying the Iraqi people with OSS so they can make and distribute changes.
Also from the article:
"This enables the country to build its own infrastructure based on open source, on open ideas," Ashraf Hasson.
No, it lets the country build its infrastructure for a heck of a lot less money than it would cost to do so using commercial products. What is wrong with saying "I like to use Linux [or whatever] because it costs me very little money"?
For the record, one of the reasons I like to use Linux because it costs me very little money. (I buy commercial distros about half the time so I'm not a total leech...)
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
It's not the next wonder drug.
You're new here, aren't you?
In Soviet Russia, Chuck Norris will still kick your ass.
One of the major "selling" points of Linux is cost. Obviously there are other reasons to use it (security, flexibility, access to source code, etc.) but most laymen don't care about those reasons...they just care how much it's going to cost them.
As was mentioned in the article, most of the software in Iraq is pirated, so cost isn't really an issue since most people don't pay for software. So, in my opinion, Linux is going to have a bit of an uphill battle to gain wide acceptance among the people. Government instutions and large companies might see it a little differently since they're more likely to abide by the law, but I just don't see your average Iraqi citizen using Linux (which he's probaly has never heard of) when he can get Windows for free.
emerge weaponsofmassdestruction
Life is the leading cause of death in America.
They've only been liberated for a few months now and they're already moving towards communism!
Regan must be spinning in his grave!
hehe
Next Stop: Redmond. :-)
"Linux is a great and powerful Operating system! Open Source desktops are fully mature and without flaws! All hardware works perfectly with linux! Authentication with PAM/SAMBA/LDAP/nsswitch is easily configured! Printing is plug and play! BSD is dying in the street!"
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Why give large rebuilding contracts out to US firms, when there are literally millions of Iraqis who are unemployed - and will work for cheap - that are already in Iraq?
Not to mention the huge Iraqi construction companies who - over the last 20 years - built all of Saddam's palaces, military bunkers, etc. They certainly have the means, techinical expertise, and manpower to do that stuff. And they are already there.
That would go far beyond any Haliburton/Bechtel efforts to rebuild Iraq, as none of the money Haliburton gets paid goes to help Iraqis.
After all, the point in rebuilding a country is to eventually restart said country's economy so people there can work.
This almost sounds like Saudi Arabia all over again, with 80% unemployment rates - sans the monthly oil checks.
Well, that's your assumption - provided that the amount of work required to provide those services is more cost effective than buying commercial software and investing time in doing something more profitable (such as fixing oil pipelines or catching the remaining Saddam's lunatics)
Paying licensing fees to an American company means that this money is *leaving* your economy, and that there is no current expectation that it will come back. Paying it to a local contractor (especially if labor is cheap) may save you money, but it WILL certainly keep the money in the Iraqi economy, where it can be later used for these other things (fixing oil infrastructure, increasing security, building political institutions, etc).
This is not about one business's pocketbook. It is about the economy as a whole.
LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
As far as I'm concerned, the thing to get excited about is not, exactly, Iraqis running Linux on their desktops or what have you...
Rather, it's the notion of how OSS grows. It's a good thing if geeks in the west and geeks in Iraq can collaborate on an open source project together. (And if that, or Western/Middle-Eastern OSS collaborations become a more common thing.)
Granted, I think techies tend to be a little more progressive than the general population, but still -- people in the U.S. and people in Iraq being able to work on a project together and come to understand each other better as people, in any capacity, can only be a good thing for the people of both nations, and indeed even the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Sept-1 1-Commission.html?hp
Why did Saddam not ever have any dealing with any Islamic extremists, including Al Qaeda? Because it would have challenged Saddam's rule. He was a dictator, and we helped support him because he was anti-islamic - just look at the 10 year Iraq/Iran war. We funded him because that ended up killing over 1 million Iranians (and Iraqis, too).
I don't even want to get into invading Iraq and stuff, but needless to say, we didn't find millions of pounds of weapons of mass destruction, mobile weapons labs, and missiles capable of reaching the US.
However, we have set up a lot of other tin-pot dictators that aren't in the middle east. Just look at Pakistan, Haiti (just a few weeks ago!), etc,etc, google if you want to.