Grafpup

Grafpup is a live CD based on Puppy Linux created by Nathan Fisher. It has all the stuff for graphics artists wanting to use/try the software available on GNU/Linux systems. It is a 75MB download. It looks great and works quite beautifully.

You can write your changes back to the CD or DVD too!

Look at some of the stuff on it!

Gimp
Cinepaint
Inkscape
gtKam
XnView
LCMS
DcRAW
mtPaint

“There are utilities for importing photos from your digital camera for instance, and every application that has support for it is color managed without having to install any other software.
It’s package manager, Pupget, has an extensive list of extra applications that are available to extend Grafpup, with more being added on a regular basis. There are also other methods of extending it’s capabilities and easy installation of such major packages as OpenOffice2.0 and the KDE desktop environment.”

http://www.grafpup.com/

Surgical Audit

Auditing one’s work is very important for an individual surgeon. It gives him a record of ones achievements, success as well as failures. The process of undertaking audit improves one’s attitude to work and brings to the whole team a sense of understanding and purpose in their duties. It brings science to what is in reality a practice of an art.

The audit of

• Structure
• Process
• Outcome

are all necessary, but the most valuable to the surgeon is that of Outcome. To be valuable it must be continuous, fairly comprehensive and most importantly, honest.

The conduction of audit is personal and private. It must not compromise the individual freedom and right to privacy of the patients as well as the surgeon. But there are some things that need to be made public as well.

The individual audit of a surgeon must be discussed with colleagues in audit meetings at fairly regular intervals. The outcomes must be compared with those of colleagues in the same institution as well as those of the country. They have then to be compared with the rest of the world.

How best to do this is to be discussed. The use of digital media is generally accepted as the best way to collect and distribute data. What devices, software are we to use and how?

Free and Libre

GNU/Linux and open source software is being promoted quite actively in our country as well as around the world. There have been many instances where the word free has become confusing to those getting to know FOSS. Free software is something you do not pay for, it does not ensure that the source code is also made available. You cannot change it either. Such software exists. Open source software is when the source code -the way the program has been written – is made available. This does not mean the software has to be free of charge or that you can share it with your neighbour or friend.

Free and Libre are used to signify freedom to the user, the community, the country and perhaps the world. The problem is that advocacy may fail to stress this very important area, and miss the whole point of the concept to newcomers. The term OST (Open Source Technologies) is now widely used and is of concern as the F is out of it. It should be FOST (Free Open Source Technologies).

People like Richard Stallman did not create FOSS just to allow cheaper software or free of charge software. They did not just want source code made available. They wanted to produce something which would belong to everyone; to build, share, improve, join, distribute, copy, criticise and yet safeguard, with the freedom that all deserve to have. This will not only ensure equality, reduce the digital divide but will allow for people to work together and share together, without worry about legal issues, like patents and copyrights. Making money out of it is part of the freedom!

If people do not undertand this freedom, then the whole purpose of advocating FLOSS fails. If it is a trade off between prorietary and cheap or free of cost software or just open source software, it is just a matter of money and how curious and IT literate you are. You will realise the restrictions of these only when you want to share, improvise and work together, and find it restricted. This is not your software. It belongs to others. They make the rules.

As always, preserving freedom is a life-long battle. The way not to lose, as always, is by education, knowledge and wisdom within the growing community of software users.

In a world growing with ICT, as the levels of ICT literacy rise, the freedom of FLOSS will make its own statement.

VistA

VistA (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture) is the most comprehensive Medical Software System in the world. It is quite massive, and this itself is the problem. It is quite a task to deploy and it is not user friendly at all. It uses M or MUMPS programming language, not something that is heard of in modern times. To find a programmer for this language will be quite a task, and as a result that person will be very expensive to work with!

However if the government is trying to deploy a country-wide system, this is the best bet. In that case, they could hire programmers for the inital setting up. On the other hand, it is so comprehensive that it could be just used as it is without the need of a programmer.

The development of a FOSS derivative through WorldVista, using GT.M a modernized version of M that is used widely in many organizations particularly in the US, combined with OpenVistA has promoted an interest in it around the world. The GUI front-end to it is windows based, and to run it in linux, Wine was used with some success. But some functions do not work and others do not work very well. To solve this problem, CodeWeavers have come forward to port the CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) component of VistA, a free electronic health records software application developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, for use on Linux.

“CodeWeavers’ version of the VistA CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) graphical user interface will be promoted by WorldVistA to non-profits as well as healthcare providers in developing nations around the world. The goal of the two organizations is to increase the viability of implementing VistA, thereby giving providers the same capabilities in records management enjoyed by their better-funded counterparts in the industrialized West.”
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php/2006022013533346

However there is far to go, as some of the applications working on VistA are not free. However once Open Sourced, things can grow pretty fast as we all know!

Learning VistA maybe worthwhile. The governnments of most developing countries will benefit greatly by going with this and more than that, M via GT.M, will ride again!

Anyone for M Programming?

Tiddlywiki

In a previous post I was thinking about a way of keeping a jotter to write down ideas. While this is not as spontaneous as a dictaphone or notebook, this tool is one of the best bits of software that I have seen. Jeremy Ruston, thank you!

I have two folders, each with a wiki, and some pictures. Keeping notes was never as fun as this way. One is all about HIT stuff and the other on my other job.

The variety of the offshoots (adaptations) of TwiddlyWIkis is another revelation (one runs in Zope called Ziddlywiki!). Whatever your job, you have a customised Twiddlywiki to write your twiddlers and read them! The nicer way to do this is to use plugins after starting from the basic tiddlywiki – a file called called empty.html about 145K. There are hundreds of Macros that can be added to automate many differernt tasks. These are easy to add too. You can make your own

RSS feeds can be added easily.

Did I mention it is free to download and use? It is open source!

For the latest news about TiddlyWiki, see:

* Osmosoft, Jeremy’s blog TiddlyWiki
* TiddlyForge, an independent news site from DevonJones
* TiddlyWiki discussion forum and developer discussion forum

Everyone needs one……..

FOSS in HIT to the world

OSHCA is an important organization, but has only a small international presence. It needs to grow and become incorporated as an official enterprise type organization. This will give it a stature in the international government/business/IT/health sectors, that will allow the furthering of initiatives to FOSS based HIT. The organization should be able to handle funds, organise conferences, collaboration, set open standards, motivate people and governments and educate them. IT could also forewarn them about legislature that can harm the development of FOSS.

To promote FOSS in HIT a strong organization such as this is needed. Organizations like IOSN could also play an important role here. Instead of creating several organizations under many banners, it is best to form one large umbrella under which the others can work. To do this communication between these international groups are a must.

We need a go-between……

Rescued by a puppy

My hard disk, after surving me well beyond the guarantee period, coughed and collapsed. Since I had saved most of what I had there, it was not a problem. I was however, able to use my PC with a live CD of linux. But what about my bookmarks, files etc?

I thought this was as good a time as any to get that little puppy from down under, to help. Booting with the puppy multisession CD 1.0.6 in the CD writer, I simple copied everything I wanted from my USB pen and a CD, setup the connection to the internet, played around a bit, and logged off. I was asked if I wanted to save stuff, I said “yes” and logged off.

When I booted up again, everything was there including my beloved bookmarks, files and pics. This is so good, that I wondered if I ever would need a HDD! But there are some problems. Sound does not work. Not a big problem, but sad. The MPEGs cannot be seen. Multimedia is missing!!

All these are correctible according to the Forum. If I want to I can install by pup-get the Open Office 2.0 suite too, and log off and burn it to my Puppy. But I have held it at bay for now, as it gives me a chance to try out my Taprobane live CD to use Office apps.

Nevertheless, Puppy is quite wonderful. I must get multimedia going and add OOo and then it would be quite adequate for most days.

I do miss my Ubuntu install though It was growing quite well……

Favorites old and new

Starting with Redhat Linux 2.0 then to mandrake 7.0 and to Debian to Knoppix and Mepis. Then I picked up my little distro DSL. Now my favorites are Ubuntu to install (maybe until Taprobane comes with a good installer) and Puppy linux as the live distro. Puppy is truly amazing! I also found that Ubuntu server is excellent for LAMP/Zope stuff ( I haven’t seen Taprobane 4!)

I am not sure if I will have to change to Kubuntu in case I don’t like GNOME. However the fact that the MAIN Ubuntu distro is based on GNOME and the KDE version is just a – well – another variant distro, may make all the diference to GNOME’s future.

However Mark Shutleworth is using Kubuntu on his desktop .

Since I am also more familiar with KDE, I may join him. Whatever happens……

Thanks Mr Shutleworth!

The stupidest species -us??

Human beings need a conscience. Without it we do the stupidest things. Despite being the most intelligent, knowledgeble species in the planet, we seems to be lacking in both wisdom and conscience for our deeds.

Having explored space and landed in a few planets, we are all excited with our own cleverness. We have failed to take the most important point of our findings – that we do not have another habitable planet anywhere. We have learnt to control our immediate little environment around us – the buildings, houses and clothing materials – and not realised that we are destroying the environment of our planet. Indeed, we are well on the way to destroying our own species, but thinking that if we die, the whole planet will be destroyed, somehow!

Homo sapiens is a new, young species and our worldly experience is incredible brief when compared to so many animals around us, not to mention the most important living thing on the planet – plants. These species have survived for such a long time and are evolutionary success stories par excellence.

The great religions of our world have taught us how to live wisely in this world, but we do not follow this advice. They tell us to “share”, “give” and “let-go” and not to grasp in greed. They tell us to live and let live and to respect the environment.

When we want to kill others in our own species and we choose a weapon that will destroy everything, and the environment in that area we drop our bomb into becomes inhabitable for those who drop it; the conquerors conquer what?

We eat all the wrong foods, do not exercise, pollute the water we drink, food we eat and the air we breath so we get ill and to cap it all, our sperm counts are dropping all over the world. Our males are going sterile. The stupid young species may soon be no more!

When will our conscience stop us? When will wisdom come to our rescue? After destroying many species or both flora and fauna, if we are the endangered species now, will the other living things in our planet help us survive?

The rising tide

The tide rises insidiously, not suddenly and unexpectedly. Free open source software and GNU/Linux have been growing in stature, range, publicity, acceptence by non-geeks and the corporate world, in a somewhat similar way. It is 10 years since I got interested in linux, and when I look out there, the change is awesome!

When we see IBM, Sun Microsystems, Intel supporting this platform, and Nokia producing a new internet tablet based on it, it is apparent that GNU/Linux is now serious business. With mobile phones to ship with linux, and some computers selling with Linux pre-installed, embedded linux systems becoming well established, this is overwhelming evidence.

This is why, that, it becomes absolutely necessary, for developing countries in particular to adopt FOSS with a vengence. The advantages are clear, and to promote it to government is also easier. Indeed, it becomes suspicious, if those in the top IT hierarchy of a developing country, talks otherwise. The acceptence of FOSS and Prorietary on equal terms is a plus for FOSS, but not for the government. No government of a developing country can accept these on equal terms. They owe it to their citizens and for posterity, to take a stance for FOSS. They must take to a proprietary solution only if a FOSS solution is not available.

It is also necessary to remember that it is not only the cost that is important. FOSS gives the local software development platform a certain freedom and the government complete control of their data,
liberation from proprietary lock-in and security that is more assured.

Therefore, all deployment of proprietary software in government in a country such as ours, and the intentions of those who advocate them without reasonable explanation, must be questioned.

Even in the private sector, more knowledgeable share holders may well ask questions in the future when software costs are talked about in he sharholders meetings.

The tide is high…..