FOSS: Freedom to explore, create and avoid intellectual speed-bumps

May 21, 2009, 18:34 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Jeff Cobb)

[ Thanks to Jeff Cobb for this link. ]

"The project itself is useful and powerful when used properly. However the point is that much of this would not have been as easy and in some cases possible with only proprietary software. Creating this costed nothing; the only on-going costs are my bandwidth fees. With proprietary tools I would need to have bought a server version of Windows, a client version of Windows, a Python development environment (to get the same IDE-abilities I get with Dr. Python), I would have to have developed the hashing algorithm from scratch and more.

"This was brought to mind lately when I had to fulfil a contract for a client that needed to support 32 and 64-bit Windows with C++ and AutoCAD. First, to fully support the needed environments I would need two versions of Windows (Linux: 0$), two specific versions of the C++ compiler (32/64, 2005 and 2008 at $200 each) (Linux C++ compiler for all platforms: 0$) and of course AutoCAD ($$$; if you have to ask, you cannot afford it). Granted there are no versions of AutoCAD for Linux but there ARE DWF-compliant CAD programs for Linux (QCAD for one). As you can see you are paying a toll at each step of the toolchain."

Complete Story

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