Re: Education strategy

On Sun, 12 May 2002 13:16:09 +0100
Alistair Davidson <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hilaire Fernandes wrote:
> > 
> > > > The main problem is inability to run Windows
> > > > based education software - WINE is a possibility but we have to get hold of
> > > > the software to test and testing takes time. For the time being we are
> > > > concentrating on low cost thin clients
> > >
> > > There is a lot of free educational software that could be substituted. There is
> > > also the important task of getting teachers to contribute GPL'ed content for
> > > new free educational e-books etc..  Keep it free and maximise cooperation =>
> > > productivity & efficiency. If you are being ordered to buy a particular
> > > proprietary product then blow the whistle here and in the TES etc..
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > Getting education titles to run under WINE
> > > > is a high priority but difficult for a small company.
> > >
> > > WINE is said to be very good now but most free software was written to run on
> > > GNU and BSD. (BSD licening is to be avioded due to propritization, vis Mac OS
> > > X.)
> > 
> > I agree. In term of freedom it may not be a good idea to promote the use of Windows software
> > under a GNU system. Althougth such Windows may be free it may not be easy to modify such
> > software under a GNU system. What if the free education software was developped with VB,
> > Delphi or any other non free development tool? Instead we could look at porting such
> > software or write new one from the ground.
> > This is what we are doing at OFSET. GCompris was written in the idea to replace software as
> > ASIBOU (quite famous software in France) and DrGenius to replace Geometer's Sketchpad or Cabri.
> > Of course more need to be done and we are always looking for new volunteers.
> 
> Wine is important because it lets people continue using their old
> (albeit non-free) software after switching to a free OS. It increases
> the chances of them using free software in situations where there's one
> or two apps they use that don't have a diect equivalent under *nix.


I understand the issue you are pointing at. What are these software teacher may still want/need to
use under a GNU system? 
We can promote a port or the writting of free equivalent for GNU but we need an accurate list. 
Do you have some idea ?

Hilaire