<Questions>
1) What kinds of OS(operating system) and applications do you use for network service or office job in your organization?
2-1) Do you use Linux box as an OS and applications for a network service or office job in your organization? If so, for what kind of job do you use it concretely?
2-2) If using Linux box, what do you choose it for? And what do you think the merits and demerits of Linux box are, while using it.
3-1) Do you use commercial program as an OS and applications? If so, for what kind of job do you use it concretely?
3-2) If you use commercial programs, do you usually buy them or copy illegally?
3-3) Do you have some plan to use linux box in the future? If so, why?
3-4) If you don't have a plan to use linux box, what is the reason? What make you so?
4) How many people use Linux box in your country, especially in the social movement?
5) Do you want much more people to use Linux box in the social movement of your country? If so, do you have any plan for it? Please tell us.
6) Is there any "campaign against the monopoly of Microsoft" in your country?
<Answers>
1. YASUDA YUKIHIRO
Japan, JCA-NET, yukihiro@klact.co.jp
1) FreeBSD and Linux (Japanese version compatible to RedHat 6.x)
2-1) We are using Linux as network server in our office. We use FreeBSD for Internet service, however. I'm using FreeBSD and Linux personally. FreeBSD is Japan's tradition, we have been using BSD for handreds of years (No! Just kidding!)
2-2) Because:
It's cool!
It's cheap!
It's easy to use!
It's high performance!
...and IT NEVER CRASHES!
Adding to this, anyone even those who don't have special knowledge of UNIX can use/operate Linux server. Of course, because it's open source, we can modify the function of the server or application. In other words, we can use every function on the earth on Linux for free! I don't want to use closed source and expensive commercial operating system no more.
I have Windows NT Server, for research and study. However, it has no merit against Linux. There are a lot of demerit, such as; it crashes, it's expensive, it's heavy, it needs restart whenever we make tribial configuration change, it has a lot of security hole, etc...
3-1) User assistance.
I'm happy with Linux, but our customers are still using easy-to-crash, high-cost, low-performance, difficult-to-use OS/apps, and we have to support their questions every day.
Because commercial OS/apps is very much difficult to use, many customers call us and claim "Help! It crashes! It won't work!!"....
We have to use Windows...
Linux have no good Japanese word processing software and desktop publishing software. We make our pamphlets with Microsoft or Apple's machine.
I, personally, use MS Windows when I use Korean-Japanese translator, because the translator works only on MS Windows...
3-2) Buy them, if we need them.
3-3) I'm using already.
3-4) Linux is great.
4) I don't know exact number, but I suppose several handred...
5) Yes, of course.
We promote to install Linux as office server of social groups. This week, I installed one linux server at the office of a fair-trade group.
6) Yes and No.
A lot of "anti Microsoft" people exist in Japan, and they provide every information concerning Anti-Microsoft. The most famous "anti microsoft guy" is Mr. Nakamura Shouzaburo and his page is: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ki4s-nkmr/
The page is written only in Japanese...
However, there is no social group that concerns anti Microsoft campaign.
Many Japanese activists are using Macintosh for they don't want to use Microsoft's products (Macintosh is commercial product anyway, though). I have Macintosh, too.
2. Roberto Verzola
Philippine, Philippine Greens, rverzola@phil.gn.apc.org
1) For Email Center: Linux (Slackware) for the email/network server services, DOS for the basic applications. We also have a Windows machine for our CD-writer, because its software only runs under Windows.
2-1) Mainly email server and other network functions.
2-2) Because it is complete, reliable and free.
3-1) For my laptop (250Mb HD, 4 Mb mem), I use DOS. For applications, I use mainly shareware.
3-2) I don't buy commercial programs.
3-3) Already using Linux as server now. If I can find a Linux version that will run fast on my laptop, I will use it on my laptop.
3-4) On my laptop, Linux will not fit.
4) On my laptop, Linux will not fit.
5) Yes, I hope to convince the social movement to shift to Linux. I've written the article "Low-cost Strategies for ICT Deployment in Developing Countries" to convince people to shift.
6) The Philippine Greens has taken this position, and had sponsored one rally against Gates when he visited the Philippines. But there is no regular, systematic campaign, because of lack of people at this time. When we have more activists, we can assign some to make the campaign systematic.
3. Kubeshni Govender
The Republic of South Africa, Food and Allied Workers Union, Kubeshni@cge.org.za
1) We use microsoft windows 98 and office packages
2-1) No we don't use the Linux box system
2-2) not applicable
3-1) Mostly we use microsoft word (word processing), Microsoft outlook for email, and microsoft powerpoint for presentations, we use Microsoft explorer as an internet browser.
3-2) All the software we use is licensed.
3-3) No we have no plans to use this system.
3-4) It is not a common package here. We are guided by our service providers and using another system has never come up .
4) Not sure, I don't think many do
5) Don't know enough about the system to tell.
6) Not that I know of.
4. Bruce Morrison
Australia, C2O, firefly@c2o.org
1) c2o uses linux based servers. At home I use both Linux systems and a Win95 box
for the accounting software.
2-1) c2o is running the following software
Apache - Open source web server
Mysql - Open source SQL Database server
INN - OPen Source NNTP News server
qmail - open source mail system
At home I use Linux to provide network connectivity to my other systems using masqurading. I use Star Office (a package similar to Microsoft Office for word processing and spread sheets). I also use it as a development system for the c2o systems.
2-2) I have a lot of unix experience and most of my work is done using various Unix OS's. In the past I've used Microsoft products as a base OS and then connected to the remote unix systems via terminal programs to do my work. I've been using Linux systems for the last 3-4 years. The main reason is that it is what I am used to using. I also find them stable (no crashes) Linux is not for everybody you do need some unix experience to make the most of the system - though this is changing. Both the Redhat and Mandrake distrubitions of Linux have become very user friendly. Also the desktop enviroments KDE and gnome have added Windows like functionallity (only better) to Linux.
3-1) I do use Windows95 on an old 486 to run accouning software. This is one area where linux is lacking.
3-2) Where the business is concerned I buy commercial software - but only after looking at the Open source alternatives.
3-3) I'm using them now :)
4) The use of linux is increasing. There are a number of reasons for this. Mostly organisations in the social movement have limited funding. Open source solutions are often cheaper in the long run and more realiable than the alternatives.
5) c2o and minihub actively advocat for the use of linux based systems in these situtations.
6) I'm not aware of an organised one, but there is certianly a feeling that "Microsoft is bad"