Free as in Internet: Using Linux and Open Source Software on Public Workstations

Public workstations in libraries are generally dominated by software from two compa-nies: Microsoft or Apple. Every once in a while, you might see Mozilla Firefox, but Internet stations still predominantly run Windows or Mac OS. Debate about Win-dows versus Mac aside, all of these computers share a characteristic: they are proprietary. There is an alternative. Public libraries in Coos County have migrated our public computers to the open source operating system Linux and other open source software. This change has saved us money, staff time, and ultimately resulted in better service for patrons. What is Open Source Software? First, we digress briefly for some explanation. Open source software (OSS), sometimes called free and open source software (FOSS), are programs where the underlying source code is published and freely available. People are able to use, share, and modify the software as they see fit. Ironically, such freedom is allowed through use of copyright law. OSS is released under licenses, the most popular of which is the GNU General Public License (GPL), that delineate these freedoms, putting OSS squarely within the “free culture ” movement. Often, one of the terms is that modifications to source code must be released under a similar license. Because of this openness, OSS is developed differently from proprietary software. Often, OSS is designed by geographically-dispersed groups of dedicated developers rathe