Open Source at Home
Opportunities
Some unusual opportunities arise as a result of using open source software. Many users may not necessarily consider these to be “strengths”, so they are presented here.
Use old hardware
Proprietary software companies have a commercial interest in constantly moving their users onto newer versions; Apple has stopped supporting Macintosh OS 9 and Microsoft has cut off support for Windows 95 and NT. New versions always seem to require newer, faster hardware so users of proprietary systems are strongly encouraged to upgrade.
Open source projects do not have the same commercial incentives, so older hardware remains useful for much longer. A number of online resources describe how GNU/Linux can be used to revive old “boat anchor” computers as firewalls, routers, or file and printer servers on a home network.
- Building a Linux Router-Firewall (watch out pop-up ads!)
- A Simple Linux Router
- Lightweight Linux
Use different hardware
Unlike much proprietary software, open source software is not restricted by hardware. Many open source projects are ported to multiple hardware platforms because the source code is available to be converted and recompiled. Portability is one of the main aims of the NetBSD project, and they take great pride in having their system running on as many hardware configurations as possible, giving rise to their motto: “Of course it runs NetBSD”.
For an unusual challenge it is relatively inexpensive to convert both the Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) and Microsoft Xbox to run GNU/Linux. NetBSD also works on the PS2 and the Sega Dreamcast. If you have one of these game consoles lying around, open source gives you the option of making their considerable computing power available for more than crashing cars and shooting aliens.
On handheld computers GNU/Linux runs on several PDA, including Hewlett-Packard’s iPaq and Jornada, and the Sharp Zaurus is specifically designed to run under GNU/Linux.
Contribute and learn
If you enjoy programming, open source is a great environment to sharpen your skills. While it can be hard to keep up with some of the more commercial projects such as Gnome or Apache, literally thousands of projects are crying out for contributors and any positive input is usually gratefully received. Likewise there is also a need for writers, testers, and user interface designers. There are many ways to contribute, and in doing so you are bound to learn more about your computer than you would otherwise.