Proprietary operating system. Open source in Russia

Many of us have heard of the term "proprietary". They could call them anything. Equipment, drivers, programs. What is this term, and what does it mean? In general, this word came to us from the English language. AT general sense"proprietary" is a product that has a license. And we will analyze the meaning of this term in more detail below.

The term "proprietary". Meaning

The word "proprietary" comes from English word proprietary, which means "personal" or "proprietary". This term is used to refer to something "not free". Be it software or hardware. This means that, for example, it has a certain license. Naturally, in order to use licensed software, you will have to pay money. And in some cases, a lot of money.

In the case of hardware, the meaning of the word "proprietary" changes somewhat. This term usually denotes some unique piece of equipment that characterizes a particular manufacturer. For example, Apple smartphones have unique and proprietary connectors for charging the device.

Proprietary software (software)

Proprietary software includes both drivers for some devices, and in the case of drivers, everything is clear - the device manufacturer maintains the performance of all device functions through closed source software. In principle, this is correct. It is not known what troubles our all sorts of lovers could do to delve into computer hardware and programs if the developers opened the source code. In addition, hardware software is usually free. It is worth buying the same video card, and technical support in the form of drivers will be available constantly as long as it remains relevant.

With proprietary software, things are not so simple. A prominent representative of companies using proprietary licenses is Adobe with its "eternal" Photoshop. You will have to pay serious money for using Adobe products. Yes, and Microsoft is not far gone. For the use of the proprietary Windows 10 OS, for example, you will have to deduct a substantial amount every year. This is now common practice among major manufacturers software.

Pros and cons of proprietary software

To better understand proprietary software, you need to compare its pros and cons. So, the advantages include the following points:

• Permanent technical support of the product.
• More stable work compared to free software.
• Guaranteed absence of malicious objects (viruses).
• Automatic software updates.
• High-quality use of all the capabilities of the equipment.

All these were the advantages of proprietary software. Now let's move on to the cons:

• A solid amount of payment for a license.
• Proprietary device operation protocols.
• Developer dependency.
• Impossibility to change the source code.
• Software Distribution Restriction.
• Restriction on software modification.

As we can see, the biggest disadvantage is paying for a license for using such software. The remaining disadvantages are insignificant for the average user. For such users, "proprietary" is the best choice. Unless, of course, money is not a pity.

Proprietary drivers

Device drivers are also proprietary. In this case, "proprietary" means they come from a closed source manufacturer. It is impossible to make any changes to their structure. Usually such drivers are relevant in those using open source software. Free “Linux-like” systems are especially guilty of this. They usually use proprietary drivers. Ubuntu, for example, makes extensive use of both free and "closed" ones.

Such drivers under Ubuntu are more stable than free ones. Which is not surprising, because no one “poked around” in their source code. But, unlike free drivers, users of "closed" software have to wait quite a long time for a fresh updated version. Here you have to choose: novelty or stability.

Proprietary hardware

In the case of hardware, proprietary is unparalleled. Usually, this word denotes some kind of "chip" of the manufacturer. For example, a unique connector. In addition to a special shape, these connectors also support certain protocols, for example, data transfer or power management.

Proprietary connectors for their devices "sin" Apple company. They have everything patented and "closed". If you decide to connect, for example, to the iPhone an unlicensed Charger- your device may even burn out. Such equipment is usually produced only for the purpose of extorting users more money. There are no obvious advantages in using proprietary connectors. This does not affect the data transfer speed or the charging speed of the device.

Conclusion

Now we can fully understand what is called the buzzword "proprietary". This is a product that has a license and a specific owner. It is impossible to use such a product without payment. In addition, such products software and drivers) are closed source, and it will not be possible to make changes to their structure by any means.

Our little educational program is over. Now you can safely choose between closed and free software, knowing all its pros and cons. The meaning of the word "proprietary" is now known to us.

In the 1990s, free software was considered exotic in corporate environment, and the only notable competitor of proprietary giants led by Microsoft for a long time was Red Hat, but since the second half of the 2000s, the situation began to change rapidly. Open source software has become mainstream for many large companies, and dozens of trusted open source vendors have emerged that have reached the appropriate high level of expertise and experience to serve large and demanding enterprise clients.

For 2014, there are many players who successfully compete with commercial software vendors in a number of areas. In addition to Red Hat, these are open source organizations such as Google, Apache Software, Novell, SUSE, Acquia, etc. More and more OpenSource analogues of existing proprietary solutions appear on the market. Open source communities are getting stronger and improving the quality and functionality of products.

As a rule, the development itself is offered for free, and it is commercialized through support and customization. This creates additional competition and, as a result, promotes the development of open source software products.

In almost all industries and activities, there is an opportunity to use software based on open source code. Almost every proprietary software has a valid open source counterpart:

• Cisco VPN - OpenVPN,
• Oracle Database - PostgreSQL
• Microsoft Hyper-V - OpenVZ,
• MS Active Directory - Samba,
• Avaya IP Office - Asterisk, etc.)

Based on specific business objectives, you can compare the cost and timing of implementing a solution based on proprietary software and OpenSource.

Open source in the countries of the world

USA

In March 2016, the US presidential administration presented pre-release version bill on the use government departments. Market participants supported the initiative.

According to a document released by the White House, US government agencies can share source code for certain projects with each other in order to increase their efficiency and eliminate the need to develop the product again. More about it.

India

In October 2011, it became known that the government of Punjab decided to purchase software from Microsoft, overturning a 2008 decision to install free software on 46,000 computers in 4,956 schools. ʻWe have decided to reconsider our previous decision,` said Baldeo Purushartha, the state's school minister.

The Government of Punjab launched an informatization program for students in grades 6-12 in 2004-2005. The Punjab Department of ICT Education is implementing a project to provide computer labs to all primary schools necessary equipment, software and broadband internet connection. At the same time, the decision of Bharat received wide support at the state level. operating system Solutions (BOSS), tested and certified by the Linux Foundation for use in schools due to its affordability.

According to the Punjab State President, as of 2008, the minimum cost of a software update licensed by Microsoft - for 16,578 computers at Rs 1,375 per computer - was Rs 23 million over five years. For this reason, in September 2008, the Government of Punjab decided to purchase and install BOSS in all public primary schools and stated that from 2011 all primary school students will be trained in the use of BOSS. The work was completed in April 2011, including the training of 6,600 teachers.

But on August 8, 2011, after a comprehensive analysis of the results of the project, the head of the Department of School Education of the State of Punjab said that `the Department of School Education will return to using software from Microsoft ... for teaching children in the primary grades of public schools`. The cost of renewing the licenses will be about 7 million rupees, 3.77 million of which has already been allocated by the government.

Moreover, about 90,000 computers will be installed in public schools connected to the EDUASAT network, through which students will be able to watch live broadcasts from various lectures. According to preliminary calculations, the initial price of software and Microsoft licenses will amount to 30 million rupees. This amount does not include the price of equipment, etc.

Earlier, in February 2011, it was decided to use BOSS to operate in the EDUASAT network. But now, in the words of Purushart: `In order to make the fullest possible use of installed computers where students will learn Microsoft software, we want to use Microsoft in EDUASAT as well.

Note that Punjab was the first state to actively implement Linux in schools. Currently, BOSS is still in use in the Indian states of Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

Germany

According to a recent study by the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), Germany ranks fourth in the world in terms of open source software penetration in the public sector. In 2001, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and with it all embassies and consulates) switched to Linux. The consulting firm McKinsey has confirmed several times that the Foreign Office saves a lot by using Linux, OpenOffice, and Thunderbird instead of Microsoft's suite of Windows, Office, and Outlook. It was even said that diplomats spend less on IT than employees of any other government agency.

But the trick is that shareware software is sometimes more expensive to operate than unconditionally paid software. Dinosaurs like Microsoft can provide better and cheaper maintenance than smaller Linux support companies. And sometimes it is more profitable to buy a license. Therefore, for example, the same German foreign office is returning to Microsoft software this year. Officials valued in money the permanent problems with technical support, as well as the difficulty in mastering open source software (many employees complained about this) and spoke in the spirit that the miser pays twice.

Russia

Decisions of the government and the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, domestic open source software was implemented in all schools of the Russian Federation in 2008 and will be installed in all state and budgetary organizations to ensure national security in the field of IT.

Project Penguin - open source implementation

Project "Penguin" - a project for the implementation of Linux Technologies and Open Source Software in schools and universities in Russia in 2009-2010. financed by FAO - the Federal Education Agency of the Russian Federation. Under the Penguin project contract, three stages must be completed:

1. Refinement of textbooks and methodological support
2. Development technical support and Internet portals
3. Training of 60 thousand teachers in Linux technologies and Open Source

1. The development of basic Informatics textbooks for universities and schools based on Open Source in accordance with state standards and the requirements of the Unified State Examination in Informatics and ICT was completed in 2008-09. 2. Development of Internet support with basic computer science textbooks and basic Open Source packages for Windows and Linux was completed in 2005-2009. 3. Pilot courses for computer science teachers and school teachers on Linux Technologies and Open Source Software were conducted and worked out in 2005-2007. together with the Moscow pedagogical universities of Moscow State Pedagogical University and Moscow State Pedagogical University with the support of UNESCO, IBM Corporation and Linux Center.

• • HAC, prof., PhD 16:32, October 15, 2009 (UTC)

Open source - the opinion of the President of the Russian Federation

At this meeting D.A. Medvedev said:

"... If we sit down now completely on the needle of foreign software and “lay down” for many years, then we will not get off it. And we will develop contrary to global trends. At the same time, announce that tomorrow we will transfer all computers in schools (and potentially this is a much more serious network of computers) to programs with open source, with a free license, is also impossible, because there are connection problems, there are technological problems. That is, there is no complete readiness here either. What to do?

We offer take a compromise path, and this path has now begun to be realized. For three years, purchase a licensed package of basic programs (I mean, first of all, operating systems, archivers, offices, editors, photoshops - in general, everything that is usually used by users, including in schools), but at the same time it’s time not to stop, but to work on a domestic software package with open access (and now we’ll talk about this in more detail), so that later, ultimately, in three years (if it works out earlier, even better),

Create such an optimal model where schools and, potentially, all government agencies will be able to choose what they need: either continue to use commercial products at their own expense, and not at the expense of federal funds, or switch to a system that is already absolutely adapted, acceptable to them, based on open access, on open code ... ".

December 2010: Putin orders power shift to Linux

The history of the document on the transition of government bodies to free software has been going on since 2007, when the Ministry of Information and Communications began to develop the “Concept for the development of the development and use of free software in the Russian Federation”, which was published in the spring of 2008. However, the resignation of Minister Leonid Reiman and the appointment of to his post Igor Shchegolev led to a revision of the concept.

Despite this, in the spring of 2008, a few days before the transfer of power to Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, while still the president of Russia, mentioned the plan for migration to free software of federal institutions in the list of his instructions to the government, thus setting this task to himself.

Open Source Packages for Schools

Open source packages for schools are designed for installation of programs in schools and home computers with operating Windows systems and Linux. The Linux Live-CD is designed to run Open Source on Windows home computers without installing Linux on the machine.

By decisions of the government of the Russian Federation domestic open source software in 2008 and 2009 was sent to all schools in the Russian Federation and will be installed in all state and budgetary organizations to ensure national security in the field of IT.

Open operating system Linux

Open office suite

Open office suite open office can be freely installed and used not only on personal computers with Linux operating system, but also on computers with Windows operating system. At the same time, documents and files prepared in the MS Office package can be read and processed in the Open Office package.

Composition of the Open office suite open office:

1. OpenOffice.org Writer- Text Writer editor with rich features for creating letters, books, reports, newsletters, brochures and other documents, compatible with MS Office.
2. OpenOffice.org Calc- Electronic Calc tables have advanced analysis, charting and decision-making capabilities expected from high-quality spreadsheets, compatible with MS Office.
3. OpenOffice.org Impress- Impress presentation editor provides all common media presentation tools such as special effects, animation and drawing tools. Compatible with file format Microsoft PowerPoint, and can also save your work in numerous graphic formats, including Macromedia Flash(SWF).
4. OpenOffice.org Base- Base database provides tools for working with databases within simple interface. It can create and edit forms, reports, queries, tables, views, and relationships so that the management of the associated database is much the same as in others. popular apps databases. Base includes HSQLDB as its default relational database engine. It can also use dBASE, Microsoft Access, MySQL or Oracle, or any ODBC or JDBC compatible database.
5. Open Office Draw Draw is a vector graphics editor with which you can do everything from simple diagrams or flowcharts to 3D artwork. Draw can import graphics from many common formats and save them in over 20 formats, including PNG, HTML, PDF, and Flash.
6. gimp- bitmap graphic Gimp editor, a program for creating and processing raster graphics. Vector graphics are partially supported.

Open text editor Writer

OpenOffice.org Writer - word processor and a visual hypertext editor, is part of OpenOffice.org and is free software (released under the LGPL license).

Writer is like Microsoft Word and the functionality of these editors is approximately equal. Provides the user with modern tools for typing, editing and formatting documents.

Along with familiar interface and functionality:

* creating and designing paragraphs of text and pages, * adding sections and footers, * inserting images and multimedia objects, * preview and document printing, * recording changes and reviewing texts, * automatic formatting of the table of contents, indexes and footnotes, * adding macros and controls, * work with tables, * spell checking and much more,

The concept of applying styles is a great solution to make creating and formatting documents easier. Working with styles is supported in all components of the office suite, but it is in OpenOffice.org Writer that it is most fully implemented.

Five groups of styles - paragraphs, characters, pages, frames and lists - provide the user with many options for easy document formatting. A dedicated Styles and Formatting panel lets you manage styles by modifying existing ones and creating new ones. And the more complex the document, the more often you have to change it, the more obvious the advantage of styling becomes.

Another tool, the Navigator, provides options fast transition through the document, using headings, footnotes, sidebars, or other objects as reference points.

As for other components, for Writer there is a large number of add-ons (extensions) that improve the basic functionality of a component or provide additional functions, such as grammar checking or publishing to MediaWiki.

Writer supports a large number of formats for importing and exporting files, including saving to PDF and importing docx. And sending a file by e-mail is done with the click of a button.

Open Calc Spreadsheets

start: OpenOffice.org Calc is a spreadsheet application. With it, you can analyze the input data, do calculations, predict, summarize data from different sheets and tables, build charts and graphs.

Calc is an up-to-date and demanded component of OpenOffice.org for working with spreadsheets in the business environment. A favorite tool for accountants and managers to create reports.

Step-by-step entry of formulas into spreadsheet cells using the Wizard facilitates the formation of complex and nested formulas, demonstrates descriptions of each parameter and the final result at any stage of entry.

Conditional formatting and cell styles allow you to organize the finished data, and pivot tables and graphs show the results of the work.

More than two dozen file import and export formats, including text import functions, allow you to operate with almost any data. Also, using a special tool, you can import data from other sources, such as databases, or you can create an updatable range so that the imported data is always up to date.

Links between different spreadsheets and collaborative data editing are supported (since OpenOffice.org 3.0).

Various print settings available finished sheets on the printer: scale, margins, headers and footers. And the built-in spell check, as in a text editor, will improve the quality of the finished report.

Open vector graphics editor Draw

OpenOffice.org Draw- vector graphics editor, comparable in functionality to CorelDRAW, is part of OpenOffice.org.

Vector graphics editor Draw is a drawing tool that uses vector graphics. It contains a number of services that allow you to quickly create all kinds of drawings. Vector graphics allows you to save and display images as vectors (two points and a line) rather than as a set of pixels (dots on the screen). Vector graphics make it easy to save and scale images.

draw graphics editor perfectly integrated into the OpenOffice.org system, which makes it very easy to exchange drawings between any system modules. For example, if you create a drawing in Draw, you can easily use it in a Writer document by copying and pasting. You can also work with graphics directly in the Writer and Impress modules using a subset of the functions and tools from Draw.

The package includes full-featured "connectors" between shapes that can use a variety of line styles and allow you to draw drawings such as flowcharts.

The need for a vector editor as part of the office suite is beyond doubt. The scope of such an editor is quite wide: from the simplest drawings and announcements to diagrams, diagrams and drawings.

In addition to your own objects, you can insert charts, formulas, and other elements created in other components of OpenOffice.org into pictures. Draw also supports the export of bitmaps in most formats, both common and specialized.

Draw has it all necessary tools, inherent in vector editors:

* connecting lines, dimension lines, tables. * Working with text and text effects; * Change color fill, shadow, transparency; * Placing, anchoring and managing objects using slides, layers and guides; * Various operations on objects are supported: addition, subtraction, grouping and transformation of figures; * Drawing 3D objects; * Drawing with graphic primitives, Bezier curves; * Effects: lighting, morphing and duplication;

In addition to your own objects, you can insert charts, formulas, and other elements created in other components of OpenOffice.org into pictures. Draw also supports the export of bitmaps in most formats, both common and specialized.

Using the Gallery (object storage) allows you to organize existing images, and support for text styles saves time when making objects of the same type.

The finished drawing or drawing can be printed on a printer or exported to bitmap or, for example, in PDF.

The maximum drawing size in Draw is 300x300 cm.

Starting with version 3.0 of OpenOffice.org, Draw supports not only PDF export, but also PDF import (you need to install a special OpenOffice.org extension).

Open relational database Base

Base - open relational base data that allows you to create, edit and process tabular data.

Users are provided with a fairly large set of data and table processing tools: editors of forms, queries, reports, database tables. With their help, you can analyze the input data, do calculations, predict, summarize data from different sheets and tables, build charts and graphs.

The query editor allows you to create almost the entire range of SQL queries to databases for selecting, changing, adding data. Subqueries and queries with parameters are supported. The visual part of the editor will simplify the process of constructing queries for a novice user.

The form editor allows you to use almost any standard tool database content management. It provides controls for text, numeric, binary fields, lists, drop-down lists, tables, buttons, calendar and other elements.

a tool for working with external data sources plus the built-in HSQLDB DBMS. Using Base, you can add, delete, edit database records: MySQL, HSQLDB (usually bundled with OpenOffice.org), PostgreSQL, DB2, Oracle.

It is also possible to work with tables DBF, MS Access, address books, text files, as well as spreadsheets created with OpenOffice.org Calc or MS Excel.

Access to external sources data is carried out using ODBC, JDBC, SDBC and other technologies. The full list of supported technologies and data sources depends on the operating system you are using.

More complex control and data processing is performed using macros and tools of the OOBasic programming language.

The table editor will help you create and manage tables in the built-in HSQLDB database, as well as with some possible restrictions for other databases.

Base has a built-in report wizard with basic functions to create reports or tables or queries. But there is more best tool reporting - Sun Report Builder. This tool allows you to create reports of almost any complexity. It supports grouping, executing inline custom functions, conditional formatting. The result of the SRB is Writer document or Calc, which can later be printed or edited.

With Base, you can create data sources. For example, by connecting to an external database in Base and filtering the required data with an SQL query, you can work with this data in OOo Calc.

Open programming systems

1. free pascal 2.0.4 - Free Pascal and Object Pascal Compiler - Lazarus or KDevelop recommended as IDE.
2. Eclipse- An open complex of open programming systems for the development of modular cross-platform applications.
3. Gambas- free programming system 2)VISUAL BASIC IDE for creating programs based on Qt, GTK, OpenGL, SDL and CGI WEB

Minimum Open Source Package for Schools

Includes open source programs

1. graphic environment XFCE;
2. fast text editor Abiword;
3. Gnumeric spreadsheet editor.

Minimum Open Source software package:

1. Office package: OpenOffice.org 2.3;
2. Web browser: Firefox 2.0;
3. Image editor: GIMP 2.4;

Optional disc Contains programs for schools and other educational institutions:

1. Web page editor bluefish;
2. Programming languages pascal (Free Pascal and Lazarus), basic (gambas), logo (KTurtle);
3. Systems of mathematical calculations (Maxima and Scilab);
4. Antivirus ClamAV and caching squid server, PostgreSQL DBMS

Optimized for installation and operation on a computer from 128 to 256 MB of memory and a processor from PI 233 MHz.

Linux LiveCD

Linux CD The Live-CD is designed to work with Open Source on Windows home computers without Linux installations on a computer.

CD L inux live cd optimized to work with a Linux installation CD on a computer from 128 to 256 MB of memory and a processor from PI 233 MHz. Work sessions are supported, allowing you to save settings and documents to home folder between reboots.

The lowest hardware option provides acceptable performance even on systems with 128 MB of memory.

Includes XFCE graphical environment; This distribution includes the lightweight and fast text editor Abiword and the spreadsheet editor Gnumeric.

In addition, the first disc contains:

1. Office suite: OpenOffice.org 2.3;
2. Web browser: Firefox 2.0;
3. Email: Claws Mail;
4. Image manipulation: Gimp 2.4;
5. and more than 1000 programs that allow you to solve the widest range of tasks.

school server

School Server- server operating system with wide functionality, fully customizable through a web interface through which the components are managed.

Compound:

1. web applications to help organize the educational process:
2. Moodle - remote and interactive learning, contains examples of courses;
3. Mediawiki - a system for organizing a "knowledge base" using Wiki technology;

for organizing a local network:

1. DHCP and DNS servers;
2. Squid proxy server (with support for displaying access statistics);
3. firewall;
4. network interface management;
5. exact time server;
6. file servers:
7. Samba server (for organizing access to directories accessible via the Samba protocol);
8. FTP server;
9. interface for creating local mirrors of repositories;
10. CUPS print server;
11. MySQL (for Moodle and Mediawiki);
12. web server Apache2;
13. interface for updating the system (including setting up updates);
14. backup;
15. account management (the ability to import accounts from the 1C: Chronograph system);
16. mail server with anti-virus and anti-spam support.

• • HAC, prof., PhD 04:29, July 19, 2009 (UTC)

Open source in Russia

At present, open source software is beginning to become widespread in the education system of Russia, among the reasons for which they name the widespread illegal distribution of commercial closed imported software.

By government decisions, domestic open source software was introduced in 2008 in all schools of the Russian Federation and will be installed in all state and budgetary organizations to ensure national security in the field of IT.

Open source software can be freely installed and used in all schools, offices, universities and all personal computers and in all state, budgetary and commercial organizations and institutions in Russia and in the CIS countries according to the General Public License (GPL).

• • HAC, prof., PhD 09:50, July 16, 2009 (UTC)

Open source software in schools and universities

Use of Open Source and Linux Technologies in Moscow schools and universities began in 2005-2006. after holding seminar-schools "Linux Technologies and Open Source Software" together with IBM Corporation and UNESCO on the basis of Moscow State Pedagogical University.

In 2007 By decisions of the Government of the Russian Federation, the basic packages of Open Source were recommended for implementation in all schools in Russia and for use in teaching computer science and information technology in all informatics classrooms of all schools of the Russian Federation.

Background of the base packages computer science programs, their development, implementation and distribution to schools in Russia and the CIS countries began in the late 90s, when the basic software packages were developed for domestic personal computers BK, Corvette and UKNC and distributed in the form of Open and Free Software for schools.

All secondary schools in Russia in 2008-2009 received basic packages of licensed commercial and free open source software for education computer literacy, fundamentals of informatics and new information technologies with operating systems Windows and Linux .

In four regions of Russia in 2008-2009 work has been launched on the introduction and use in secondary schools of basic software packages for computer science classrooms and computer science and training of teachers and lecturers of informatics and technology of work with open software in the environment of Windows and Linux has begun.

According to Doctrine information security RF, teaching computer literacy and informatics should be accompanied by a legal educational program in teaching the protection of information in computers, protection against computer viruses, porn sites and ensuring information security in local and global networks Computer based on free open source software.

In 2007, the first computer science textbooks for universities and schools were published to teach computer science in accordance with state education standards with free open commercial closed software in Windows and Linux.

• • HAC, prof., PhD 09:51, July 16, 2009 (UTC)

Definition of Open Source

Definition of Open Source) is used by the Open Source Initiative to determine the extent to which a software license complies with Open Source Software (Open Source) standards. Based on the Debian Free Software directives, which were mostly written by Bruce Perens.

The definition consists of ten license requirements for Open Source:

1. Free distribution. This means that the license should not impose restrictions on the sale and distribution of the software.
2. Available source texts. Even if the software does not come with source code, the source code should be readily available.
3. Possibility of modification. Simple Opportunity read the source texts does not allow experimenting with them and releasing modifications
4. Even in the case of the inviolability of the author's source code, derivative programs and their source code must be freely distributed.
5. No discrimination against people and groups of people. Some countries, such as the United States, have some restrictions on exporting software.
6. No discrimination based on the purpose of application. Free license must allow all activities, including genetic and nuclear research, commercial applications, etc.
7. License Distribution. The rights associated with the Open Source Software shall be applicable to all users of the program without a conclusion additional agreements such as non-disclosure agreements.
8. The license must not restrict other software products. With the exception of banal incompatibility, the user has the right to choose what to use.
9. The license must be technology neutral. That is, the license must not require anything from the interface or technologies used in the derivative program.
10. The license must not be tied to a specific product. Rights to programming code should not depend on whether the program is part of a product. A person who distributes the program separately from the collection or transferred part of the code to another product has the same rights as the collection gave.

Yes, in every smartphone (whether Android, iOS or WP device) with a radio module that provides mobile communication With cellular network(for example, 3G or LTE), there are not one, but two operating systems. Someone always knew about it, someone heard it for the first time, and someone just guessed ... In any case, this is almost never talked about in the media and this fact is little discussed.

In addition to the main OS with which the end user interacts (for example, Android or iOS), there is a second, hidden and small operating system that serves the part of the phone that works with the radio. Since such functionality requires high efficiency, a real-time operating system is used.

The files of this operating system, of course, are stored separately from the data of the phone, and the OS itself runs on separate processor– radio modem chip. As a rule, this second real-time OS is always proprietary, that is, closed, its source codes are not in the public domain, and no one except developers and, possibly, certification services (special services?) has ever seen these sources.

For example, the OS running on the Qualcomm MSM6280 radio modem is called AMSS, which is built on REX's own closed core and handles 69 simultaneous tasks that control everything from USB to GPS. All of this runs on a single mobile ARMv5 processor.

The problem is obvious: no one really understood how the radio module and the hidden proprietary operating system work, no one ever really tried to raise the issue of the security of all this undocumented closed software, which is, in fact, a “pig in a poke”.

It's by at least strange, because a hidden OS that functions on any modern device with a radio module takes far from last place in management confidential information and ensuring user safety.

Of course, you can "default" rely on the statement that the same AMSS is safe and one hundred percent reliable. But what if this is actually not the case? What if having the world's most secure and ultra-reliable mainstream operating system on your phone, you end up with a big security hole in the form of an unnoticed second OS?

The insecurity of software serving radio modules is a consequence of erroneous design and standardization. The standards by which radio modems work were developed already in the 80s, and the standards by which the corresponding software works were developed in the 90s. For mobile electronics, this is a very long time.

Imagine for a second that an exploit has appeared that uses bugs in a hidden operating system. All phones running the operating system for which the exploit is written will automatically be at catastrophic risk. Even worse, the radio automatically trusts everything it receives from the base station (i.e. cell tower). Nothing is checked, all received and transmitted information is assumed to be 100% reliable by default. In addition, in most smartphones, the radio modem processor is considered the main one, and the application processor (on which the custom OS that we are used to “spins”) is secondary.

So, we have a full-fledged real-time operating system running on an ARM processor, and no one thinks about the possibility of creating exploits and the consequences, and the radio modem automatically trusts any received information, instruction, or piece of code.

With these thoughts in mind, information security researcher Ralph-Philippe Weinmann of the University of Luxembourg (yes, this is the same Ralph who hacked an iPhone in 20 seconds back in 2010) set about engineering analysis (also known as reverse engineering) of software radio modems from Qualcomm and Infineon.

The researcher easily found a large number of bugs and a general software mess in hidden operating systems, which can easily lead to the creation of exploits that not only cause crashes in smartphones, but also allow an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code. And all this over the air, without immediate physical impact to the phone. For example, Ralph-Philippe found that it was enough to create an exploit that sent a message of just 73 bytes to be able to execute code remotely on the device.

An attacker who has such a powerful tool in his hands can, for example, turn on an invisible and inaudible answering machine for you using Hayes modem commands. This "language of communication" for Dial-UP telephone modems was developed back in 1981, but, nevertheless, it is still used in modern smartphones!

Sprint carrier base station

Despite the fact that we can somehow trust the base stations of large operators, implying their security, it is worth understanding that base stations are not some kind of super-exclusive top-secret equipment - base stations are getting cheaper every day, there are even precedents for selling them on eBay 'e. In addition, there is already free and open source software that acts as a BS on a regular computer.

There's some truth in every UbiSoft sci-fi action movie

It is enough, if you have a great desire, means and knowledge, to install a fake base station (for example, in the center of the business part of the city) and you will be able to turn microphones and cameras on and off, install and run rootkits, make calls and send SMS to any number and so on. You can even disable your phone permanently!

This is a rather serious problem, however, not particularly raised and covered in the media.

Of course, not everyone can develop the repeatedly mentioned exploit, and not everyone can dive deep enough into the dark pool of closed software, closed specifications, engage in reverse engineering and create fake base stations. But what if someone, after all, will devote time to this? And what if this someone will be successful in their research (and this is not a fantasy - like this already)?

Reverse engineering of the SIM card.

P.S. Speaking absolutely for sure, then not two, but three whole operating systems work in smartphones, two of which are hidden. In addition to the real-time OS that processes data for the radio modem, a very tiny operating system runs inside the SIM card. Yes, as strange as it may sound, inside the SIM card there is its own processor and its own memory, which are managed by a separate OS.

To understand what open/closed source software means for our organization, we need to understand how they differ from each other. This article points out the main differences, but remember that this is a very simplified explanation. Additional information can be gleaned from Wikipedia or by reading concrete examples use of both types of software.

First of all, open source software means that we can change and develop our program as long as we have the knowledge and skills to do so. On the contrary, it is not possible to modify a closed source program by yourself, as the source code of the program/application is not available. While not all of us are programmers, we can still benefit from working with open source software.

Such software is provided to users free of charge, and not only programs, but also operating systems. It is created and developed by the users themselves, who post their creations on the Internet. Most popular programs are regularly updated as they are used by a lot of people. Examples include Mozilla Firefox or Thunderbird. If the program is not updated regularly, it may be that there are not enough technical resources for this - the whole question is how many users the program has. High frequency updates is a certain guarantor of the safety of using the program. Although, if after installing the update it turns out that the program does not work (for example, in new version operating system is not supported by Skype), there are two ways to solve the problem: try to find help on the forums on the Internet or fix the problem yourself, which is relatively difficult.

Closed source software is much more popular than open source software. First of all, due to the ease of use, and also because we just got used to it - as a rule, at school, at work and at home, we use Windows. In the case of programs and operating systems based on closed source code, we are dealing with a finished product that does not require any intervention on our part. It is much more convenient for the average user to work with them. Users of closed source software often emphasize how easy it is to install and use, how convenient it is to have clear help for the program at hand, and the ability to contact technical support in case of problems. Such systems and products are produced by companies, and only after several stages of testing. The user simply buys a whole software package ready to be installed on the computer. Such software is paid: we purchase a license, and often program updates.

Some software developers support community organizations and offer them programs for free or at a discount through eligible non-profit organizations, for example, through a wide range of affiliate network TechSoup, whose members are in different countries. In Russia, the program is implemented by Teplitsa social technologies(LLC "Spiro"). By contacting the infoDonor program, you can find out if your organization can participate in the program. We should also remember that when we choose an operating system, we also choose the way we work in our organization. For example, if we have chosen Linux, we will not be able to use Adobe solutions, and if we have chosen Windows, we will have to purchase licenses by the number of computers. Each case has its pros and cons. We need to carefully consider what exactly our organization needs, what are the criteria effective use equipment, and make a decision after a thorough analysis.

Of course, open source or closed source software is not just limited to Microsoft, Mac or Linux. The issue of licensing appears in connection with any type of software used in an organization. As a general rule, read all licenses and maintenance agreements carefully. There are many examples where organizations have had serious problems with software that was practically useless due to licensing conditions, or where even the smallest changes to the site were very costly.

Open source software has its fans, and in recent times when it comes to developing some kind of “national” products, they basically mean open-source. Paradoxically, interest in this type of software has generated a lot of distortions and misconceptions that in practice prevent its distribution.

Our company has been involved in open source projects since 2005 – and thanks to the development of our own open source solutions (OpenVZ , CRIU projects) while contributing to other open source projects (QEMU , OpenStack , libvirt , libcontainer , etc.). Over 10 years, we have collected some of the most common myths about open source software. I will talk about each of the misconceptions and explain why it is wrong. Surely, you will remember as many more, but, in my opinion, these five are the most “hellish”.

An open source project is an open source project.

Any software project consists of many artifacts: project source code, information about uncorrected defects, test source code, documentation. The source code of the project is only part of it, Free access to which does not give the right to call the entire project open. In addition to the source code, other development artifacts should be freely available, and the more artifacts are open, the more the project is open to contributors (people who want to contribute to the project). In addition, transparent processes are needed between all community members, open communications in the project, etc. All these measures will only contribute to the development of the project and the fruitful cooperation of the community members.

The quality of open source software is worse because anyone can write code for it

The main principle of open source - open joint development - in itself is a guarantee that low-quality code, crutches and patches simply cannot be hidden from other participants. A person participating in such projects is ready for the fact that his work will be subjected to both analysis and criticism, which means that he will not hack. His reputation is at stake, and no one wants to lose it.

In addition, in some communities (for example, the community around the development of the Linux kernel) there is also hard principle- only the best, tested and ideal code is accepted into the source kernel. An attempt to add low-quality changes will be rejected, the second attempt is fraught with a loss of reputation for the person or company-contributor.

That is, an open project really makes it possible for anyone to take part in writing code, but in serious projects, due to the high entry threshold, code will not be accepted from people with an insufficient level of expertise.
Most large IT companies (IBM, Google, Canonical, Parallels, etc.) have entire departments in which specialists are paid for working on open source projects and thus indirectly work on the company's products.

Separately, it is worth mentioning that companies that develop products based on open projects, during testing are interested in improving the code of the open source projects they use. Therefore, all detected problems must be fixed and ensure that this fix is ​​added to the main branch of the project in order to have as few differences as possible in your code and the code of the open project. Our products use the code of other open projects, so we fix the problems found in the code of these projects and send them to the upstream. This was the case with vulnerabilities in the RHEL kernel: Red Hat noted Vladimir Davydov for discovering serious vulnerabilities CVE-2014-0203 and CVE-2014-4483 in one of the RHEL6 kernel updates (the second problem, by the way, was found using one of our automated tests, using the Linux Test Project). Vasily Averin received commendations for finding CVE-2014-5045 , Dmitry Monakhov for CVE-2012-4508 . Fact good testing The Linux kernel was even tagged by Andrew Morton (who is this?): “I'm interested. Over the past few months, the people at @openvz.org have found (and fixed) a bunch of obscure, but serious and rather ancient bugs. How did you discover these bugs?”

Outcome

In fact, all of the myths listed above arise for the most part from users who are either just starting to work with OpenSource software, or have not tried it at all. The best way to get rid of prejudices is to start working closely with such decisions.
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