Free Software, Open Source and Microsoft

With a daily 2h commute, I have become an avid listener of podcasts. I mostly listen to those from the Twit network but I also like to listen to Lugradio, the U-turn cafe, BSD talk, etc...

I was just listening to the season 3 episode 23 of Lugradio, and the 4 guys talked about how they were surprised about their experience at Microsoft and how they had a hard time explaining the whole Open Source Idea to them. (Even though they seem to get the difference between Free Software and Open Source)

In my mind, it is very clear why they don't get it. Microsoft has a hard time understand Open Source (and an even harder time understanding Free Software) because they only think in terms of money, price, or value. They view software as a product, like a physical product, that you build and sell. And since they built not just a single product but an entire platform, they have a hard time understanding things outside of that model.

The FLOSS approach (especially Free Software) see software as information. Information wants to be free, thus it easier to simply accept that fact and distribute the source. And once it's out there, it's hard to make it disappear. Information them to see censoring as damage and tends to route around it. And the more popular the information is the faster and further it will travel.
It doesn't mean it cannot be sold: we buy books don't we? Aren't those simply information? What we actually pay for is the service, the easy access to a very portable and reliable form.

So explaining that to Microsoft, is like trying to explain to a book store owner what is library and how it works . He might never get it, and might even try to competition the library thinking it is his primary competition.

Microsoft cannot kill, or buy, or destroy in any way an open source project as long as there is still source available somewhere. Maybe, someday they will understand and start cooperating instead or trying to stop it...

HTPC / PVR

I found for a solution for my 'MAME arcade tv box' when I realized that MythTV hd an arcade plug-in.

For those who don't know what MythTV is, it is an application that runs on Linux and turns a computer into a PVR or HTPC. IT also include plug-ins for news, wheather, Image viewing, CD ripping, mp3 management, DVD management, even a phone plugin for SIP.

I searched the web for info, and found a couple of guides, as well as forums on the topic. From complete reviews to simple technical guide for Ubuntu, to a LiveCD, I can't wait to try and set it up... If I can find the time that is... or a spare box...

moving in

First of all: my new apartment is almost ready : Painting done, appliances delivered, Internet, phone and cable Working, Ikea Furniture built... Only my bed is missing and I can start to move in...

A big thanks to my friends and family! I was able to take the day off Sunday, and enjoy a couple of hours rollerblading. (While everyone else was watching the 2006 Mundial)

I'll be sure the reward the hard work...

Cool hardware projets to do this summer

I wish I had more time.

I have a growing list of personal projects which I can't find time to do...

I have a friend who built a mame arcade cabinet. While I find this very cool, I don't have the space for such a big cabinet. It still gave me an interesting idea: a complete home entertainment box, kind of like an Xbox or Playstation, but on the oldies side with MAME, NES or SNES Emulator (with hard-to-find legal roms) along with DVD and MP3 playback capability. While it's possible on the technical side of things, I really doubt I could easily decrypt DVD for playback... Still a Mame/Nesticle emulator on a tv set might be cool...

The second project I'm thinking of building is an Asterisk box. While it may not be very useful, have separate mailbox for each house occupant is very appealing.It might also be very interesting to combine this box with qpage and send a message to my phone each time the home network has problems. (or via Email-to-SMS bridge)

of course I have other ideas like:

• the traditionnal linksys wifi router hack to add QoS


• an all purpose listening post using special radio hardware and Gnu radio


• an open wifi mapper using a laptop, Ubuntu, a GPS and Google Maps/Google Earth


• even modify my motherboard ans install my own linux based BIOS

And thus I wish I had time...